Free Ways to Check the Backlinks You're About to Inherit

Say you're looking at a domain that already had a website on it. Maybe a business closed. Maybe someone let it go. The name is good, and here's the interesting part: other sites are still linking to it. Those links can carry weight with Google. But only if they're real, and only if they're pointing at the right kind of history.

You don't need paid software to take a first look. There are free tools to check inherited backlinks, and thirty minutes with them will tell you most of what you need before you spend a dollar. Here's how to do it.

Start with a plain Google search

Before any tool, type the domain into Google two ways. First, search site:thedomain.com. That shows you what Google still has indexed for it. Empty results can mean a fresh start or a name that got wiped after trouble.

Second, just search the domain name in quotes. You'll see where it gets mentioned — old directory listings, news blurbs, a supplier page. Those mentions often turn into links, and they hint at what the name was known for.

Look at what the site used to be

The Wayback Machine is free and shows you old versions of the site. Punch in the domain and scroll through the years. You're checking one thing: was this a normal business site, or was it stuffed with junk, spam, or something in a language and industry that has nothing to do with yours?

Links make sense in context. A hundred links to a former plumbing site in Dallas help a plumber in Dallas. A hundred links to a former gambling site help nobody selling real services.

Free backlink checkers

A few companies let you run a limited backlink check for free. You won't get every link, but you'll get the strongest ones, which is what matters most.

• Ahrefs Free Backlink Checker — see their tool at ahrefs.com/backlink-checker. It shows the top linking sites and a rough strength score.
• Moz Link Explorer — free searches per month with a login. Good for a second opinion.
• Ubersuggest — a handful of free lookups a day, easy to read.

Run the domain through one or two of these. You're not memorizing numbers. You're answering a simple question: are the sites linking here places a normal person would recognize and trust?

Claim the free data if you can

If you end up buying and controlling the domain, the best backlink data is free and comes straight from the source. Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools both show links pointing at your site once you verify ownership. Set these up early. They'll keep telling you the truth long after the sale.

What you're actually looking for

Numbers are easy to get. Judgment is the hard part. As you look, keep three questions in front of you.

Do the links come from real places?

A local newspaper, a trade group, a supplier, a chamber of commerce — those are worth something. A thousand links from sites you've never heard of, all created the same week, are a warning sign, not a win.

Do the links match the work you do?

Links from your industry and your area carry the most weight. Links from unrelated topics do little, and links from bad neighborhoods can drag you down.

Are the links pointing at pages that still exist?

A link to an old page that's gone can still help if you handle the move right. Ignore it and you throw the value away.

Free tools tell you what's there. Your common sense tells you whether it's worth having.

When free isn't enough

Free checkers miss links and lag behind. If a domain looks promising and the price is real money, it's fair to dig deeper before you commit. We wrote a full walkthrough on that in How to Audit a Domain's Backlink Profile Before You Buy. If your quick check turns up links that look off, read Spotting Toxic Backlinks That Kill an Acquired Domain's Value before you go further.

Two more things worth knowing once you've decided to buy. First, links don't automatically stick around when ownership changes — see Does Backlink Equity Survive a Change of Ownership? for what really carries over. Second, how you move your old pages onto the new name decides how much value you keep, covered in Redirects vs. Rebuild.

Most small business owners don't need a link report to know a good name when they see one. But if a domain comes with a past, a free look tells you whether that past is a gift or a headache. Spend the half hour. It's the cheapest research you'll ever do.

Want a hand? Browse names for your city and trade, or send us the one domain you're weighing and ask what we know about it. We'll give you a straight answer in a minute or two.