Looking for the Best Tool for Backlink Analysis Part 1: Overview of Backlink Tools

The analysis of existing backlinks for your own domain, for a competitor, or – in our case – for a client, is one of the everyday tasks related to search engine optimization. While the on-page analysis of a site is primarily done manually, backlink analysis is not possible without the use of appropriate tools.

We have often faced the problem: Which tool provides the most meaningful data? Which backlink tool is worth the money, and which one delivers exactly the evaluations necessary for a deeper analysis? From the large number of available tools, we have selected a few and examined them closely. The result is this detailed comparison, which shows what to expect from each tool.

In the first part, we provide an overview of the tools we compared. In the second part, you can read the evaluation of our comparison.

SEOmoz Open Site Explorer

• Over 65 billion URLs

• Over 9.2 trillion links

• 140 million domains

• No information on the number of keywords

The Open Site Explorer by SEOmoz is part of the SEOmoz suite, claimed to be the most popular SEO software on the internet. All tools are available only with an SEOmoz Pro membership, which costs $99 to $499 monthly, depending on the number of campaigns and monitored keywords.

Majestic SEO

• Fresh Index: over 100 billion URLs, over 18 billion crawled pages

• Historic Index: over 3.7 trillion URLs, over 365 billion crawled pages

The Majestic SEO tool by Majestic-12 Ltd. from England offers only backlink analysis. Additional modules like SEO or SEM are not available. According to their own statement, Majestic SEO is the largest link database with the most current data. The analysis for your own site is free, but for competitors or other domains, there are three pricing tiers from €39.99 to €299.99 monthly, based on the number of domains and evaluation options.

Sistrix Toolbox

• Over 1 million keywords and over 10 million long-tail keywords No information on the number of domains

The Sistrix Toolbox is one of the pioneers among German SEO tools. The backlink module can be booked separately for €100 per month, with additional modules offering a discount starting from the third module. According to their statement, the 'largest data basis' and the most extensive history speak for the tool, although the given numbers are somewhat confusing in light of this claim.

Searchmetrics Essentials

• Over 100 million keywords

• 75 million domains

Essentials is the latest tool from the German SEO agency Searchmetrics, which gained fame with the Searchmetrics Suite. Essentials replaces Searchmetrics Rapid, a stripped-down and more cost-effective version of the Suite in individual modules. The link module, which is still in the beta stage, can currently be used for free upon registration. However, the display and export functions are limited. Once the beta testing phase is completed, the tool will be integrated into the Essentials pricing model. In addition to common data like the number of backlinks, Searchmetrics provides values such as link strength, SEO visibility, or page strength, which are calculated by their own algorithm and aim to help evaluate backlinks.

SEOlytics

• No information on the number of keywords or domains

The SEO tool by SEOlytics GmbH offers a comprehensive software package available only as a complete package. In the starter version, SEOlytics costs €39, and the enhanced Pro version is available starting at €299 per month. This tool also features a unique value that helps assess domains: the SEOlytics Visibility Rank (SVR).

Sitefactor

• No information on the number of keywords or domains

The Sitefactor SEO tools by seonative GmbH are comparatively less known than their older counterparts. The backlink analysis is one of four modules in the tool, costing between €24 and €59 per month depending on the scope. Unfortunately, there is no information regarding the scope of their own backlink database.

Raven Tools

• No information on the number of keywords or domains

Raven Tool is a US-based tool with various modules offered as a complete package for €99 per month for up to two users. The Backlink Explorer uses data from MajesticSEO and the SEOmoz Open Site Explorer. The extent of the database in figures is not disclosed. Raven Tools also provides a measure to help evaluate backlinks: ACRank.

Xovi

• No information on the number of keywords or domains

The tool from Xovi GmbH consists of several modules that can be booked for €99 per month as a package. The backlink tool cannot be booked separately. While the site mentions a comprehensive data basis, precise information that can be compared with other tools is missing. Xovi's own value for domains is called OVI (Online Value Index) and reflects the visibility of a domain. The OVI is intended to help evaluate individual links in the backlink tool.

This concludes the summary of our selection of the most important backlink tools on the market. Other paid tools that have to remain unconsidered due to time constraints include, for example, SEO Diver, LinkResearch, and the wise SEO Suite. The real excitement comes in the second part with the actual evaluation.

Part 2>