Not to long ago, Philipp Lenssen at Google Blogoscoped reported that Google’s new link count tools would show the link counts for other sites tool. In other words, you could get (more) accurate link counts from Google for sites you don’t own.
The way it worked is that you would get the link from for your site, which would produce a line similar to the following:
https://www.google.com/webmasters/tools/links?siteUrl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stonetemple.com%2F&hl=en
You would then take the line and edit it to change the site listed. For example:
https://www.google.com/webmasters/tools/links?siteUrl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F&hl=en
But it now looks like this loophole has been closed. So clearly, Google does not want users making use of their new tool for competitive intelligence purposes. You can get the link counts for sites you verify as yours, and that’s it.
Still all in all, a very powerful tool. While it’s reported link counts are still less than Yahoo’s totals, they are much closer than they used to be, and the ability to download your links into a spreadsheet file is really, really nice.
Related reading
What does voice search mean for your local SEO strategy?
The popularity of virtual assistants means voice search is on the rise. But what does it means for businesses that rely on local search traffic, and how can they ensure they aren’t left behind?
5 reasons to give SEO experts a seat at the website planning table
Whatever the reason for your website planning meeting, there’s an important voice that should be at that table: your SEO expert. Here are five ways that your go-to SEO expert can positively affect the outcome of your website project.
How to optimize Google My Business listings for multi-location businesses
Being listed on Google My Business (GMB) is an essential part of any local SEO strategy. But how can businesses with multiple locations make sure they aren’t penalized in search rankings?
Should Google be more transparent with its updates?
Most of Google's algorithm updates nowadays are unconfirmed and unannounced, leaving website owners and SEOs guessing as to what caused a change in ranking and what they can do to fix it. Does Google owe it to its users to be more transparent?
