Link profile audit: toxic links, lost links and a recovery plan
A link profile audit checks every link that points to your site: where the link comes from, what anchor it carries and whether it helps or harms. Within the Link building service, Best Boost Partners finds toxic and lost links, anchor over-optimisation and link networks aimed at the site. The audit is needed after a drop in positions, a change of contractor or the purchase of a domain. You receive a table of links with a verdict for each, a disavow file where it is justified and a recovery plan.
What exactly do we check in a link profile?
Collecting all links
We merge the data from Google Search Console and from link indexes such as Ahrefs and Majestic into one table, because each source sees its own part of the profile. Duplicates are removed.
Toxic links
We mark links from link farms, hacked sites, doorway pages, sites in unrelated languages and pages overloaded with outgoing links. Each marked link has a stated reason, so that the verdict can be checked.
Lost links
We find links that existed earlier and have disappeared: deleted pages, expired donor domains, removed articles. Valuable lost links go into a list for restoration through the site owner or through a redirect on your side.
Anchor over-optimisation
We calculate the shares of branded, URL, generic and keyword anchors for the site and for each page and compare them with the sites in your search results.
Link networks aimed at the site
We look for groups of donors with shared signs: the same IP addresses, templates, owners or publication dates. Such groups reveal a network placed by an earlier contractor or a link attack by a competitor.
Disavow file and recovery plan
We prepare a disavow file only for clearly artificial links that cannot be taken down, because disavowing good links weakens the site. The recovery plan sets out what to take down, what to disavow, what to restore and which new links to place.
What do you get after a link audit?
- A table of all links found: donor, target page, anchor, status and a verdict for each.
- A list of toxic links with the reason for each verdict.
- A list of lost links worth restoring, with the way to restore each of them.
- A disavow file ready for upload to Google Search Console, if the file is justified.
- A recovery plan with the order of steps and the links to place next.
When is a link profile audit needed?
- Positions dropped after a search engine update, or a manual action notice arrived in Google Search Console.
- You change your link building contractor and want to know what was placed before.
- You bought a site or an expired domain and want to know what its link profile holds.
- Link indexes show a sudden wave of links that you did not order.
Frequently asked questions
Does my site need a disavow file?
A disavow file is needed in a minority of cases. Google disregards most weak links by itself, and the file makes sense after a manual action or when the profile holds many clearly artificial links that cannot be taken down. The audit states directly whether a disavow file is justified for your site and why.
Can competitors harm my site with bad links?
A link attack is possible, although search engines devalue most links of that kind. The audit shows whether a wave of links has the signs of an attack: one template, one anchor, a short period of appearance. If the attack is confirmed, we prepare a disavow file and keep the link profile under observation.
How often should a link profile be checked?
A full link profile audit is worth doing before link building starts and after any sharp change in positions. During ongoing work the placed links are checked regularly as part of reporting. A new full audit is needed mainly when the contractor changes or unknown links appear.
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