Backlinks are fundamentally crucial to your site’s SEO. Google believes that good content will receive links elsewhere on the web, and therefore it improves your ranking potential. Google Search Console is a brilliant means to monitor backlinks, but what happens if you don’t get the data? Let’s proceed further to understand some common causes for Search Console not showing backlinks data, with quick action solutions on how to solve it.
Why Are Backlinks Important for SEO?
Backlinks refers to the links which, from other websites, point to your content; these show votes of confidence for your site. The more qualified the backlinks are, the greater the probability Google will deem your website trustworthy and authoritative.
Without backlinks:
- This might affect the ranking of your website in competitive keywords.
- Make search engines harder to find your pages.
That makes monitoring backlinks all the more important. But if Search Console is not showing backlinks data, well, it’s basically an invaluable oversight of off-page performance across your site.
Common Reasons Search Console Is Not Showing Backlinks Data
a) Data Delay in Google Search Console
Your backlinks in Search Console are updated only periodically. Suppose you have recently achieved fresh backlinks. It can take up to 2–3 days to appear in the dashboard. This is likely to create confusion if you keep track of your SEO efforts so closely.
Solution: Wait for a few days; meanwhile, use tools such as Ahrefs or Moz to confirm the existence of such backlinks.
b) Quality Filters Applied by Google
Google Search Console removes backlinks from sites with spammy and weak authority, so they won’t appear in this console. Even if other tools can detect it, some links might not show up since they came from the irrelevant or questionable websites.
Solution: Ensure all your backlinks are coming from authority websites. Target high-authority domains and you are increasing your chances of Google finding your backlinks.
c) Verification Issues with Your Website
Data for backlinks may not appear if Google can’t confirm your ownership over the site or when you utilized a verification method that has since expired. This may be due to various reasons, such as, but not limited to, change of hosting service provider, moving your website, or mistakenly removing the verification tag.
Solution: Revise your website in Search Console either by uploading an HTML file or adding a meta tag on your homepage.
d) Website Migration or URL Changes
When you change domains or move URLs-for example, changing from HTTP to HTTPS-tracking of backlinks in your website will be broken. Search Console might take some time to learn the new structure and feedback about backlinks.
Solution: Use the Change of Address Tool in Search Console to let Google know you are doing some domain migrations. Also, submit your new sitemap to help hurry up the process.
e) Insufficient Backlinks for Detection
If your site has only a few backlinks, then Search Console will not show any data. Google wants to present a more holistic view, so if the number is small enough, the report becomes blank.
Solution: Work on link-building strategies. Try to acquire links coming from blogs, directories, and other good sources that are relevant to your niche.
How to Verify Backlink Data Using Other Tools
If Search Console is not showing backlink data persists, it also helps to support the data with third-party SEO tools. The following SEO tools may be useful to you:
- Ahrefs: Tends to provide detailed reports that include link quality and referring domains.
- SEMrush: It has backlink tracking capability, which would give insight into anchor text and toxic links.
- Moz Link Explorer: Tracks inbound links with domain authority metrics.
Such tools can determine if a backlink exists and let you compare their data with what’s in Search Console.
Why Missing Backlink Data Can Affect Your SEO
The backlinks are very important to the search algorithm. If Search Console is not showing backlinks data, then you’re probably going to miss all the great insights that will help fine-tune your site.
Impact of missing backlink data:
- You can’t tell which backlinks drive the most traffic.
- It is now harder to identify and repudiate malign links.
- You might miss the scope of developing as regards SEO since you are working on top of successful backlinking campaigns.
You have the complete view of your backlinks to understand what is working and exactly where you need to put more efforts.
Steps to Fix Search Console Not Showing Backlinks Data
a) Submit a Sitemap to Google
Make sure your sitemap is up-to-date and submitted to Search Console. Then, Google will discover and index all the pages of your site, boosting the likelihood that those backlinks are garnered successfully.
How to Submit a Sitemap:
- Go to Search Console → Sitemaps
- Enter your sitemap URL (e.g., yoursite.com/sitemap.xml)
- Click Submit
b) Check for Manual Actions
Manual penalties from Google might make backlink data unavailable in Search Console. If your site has been marked as violating the terms of service of Google, then probably your backlinks will be absent also.
How to Check:
- Go to Search Console → Manual Actions
- If there’s a penalty, follow the instructions provided to resolve it.
c) Monitor and Build High-Quality Backlinks
Be sure that your website is constantly acquiring quality backlinks. Outreach campaigns, guest posting, and other influencer collaborations in your niche can get authoritative links.
What to Do If Backlink Data Is Still Missing
Having tried all the solutions above and not seeing any backlink data, you should follow these steps:
- Request Re-indexing: You can make use of the URL Inspection Tool and ask Google to crawl your site anew.
- Contact Google Support: Share your problem on the Google Search Console Help Forum and let experts shed light on your problem.
- Keep Building Links: Although these backlinks will not magically appear over night, continue your link building efforts that would further fortify your SEO value over time.
Conclusion
It is frustrating, however, when Search Console not showing backlinks data. In most cases, it’s not a problem that has some deeper cause and is more common. The common reason for it is some temporary or easily fixable problem, which includes delays in data updates, poor-quality links, verification issues, or recent migrations. When you address these areas and cross verify it with tools like Ahrefs or SEMrush, you can keep all of your backlinks in control. Regularly creating good quality backlinks and ensuring your site is properly indexed keeps your SEO strategy on track.
FAQ’s
How long for backlinks to show?
The backlinks usually take 2–3 days to appear, but in certain cases, they even delay up to a week. You can request re-indexing for these using the URL Inspection Tool to get it to appear faster.
Can a few backlinks cause no data?
Yes, if you have very few backlinks, you will not have any data. That is because Google may choose to skip reporting when it reaches low authority sources. So, concentrate on making quality backlinks.
Do all backlinks appear in Google Search Console?
No, Google has those algorithms that catch any spammy link or low quality one. Not all the links are going to be reported. Focus more on getting high-quality backlinks for better views.
How can I fix Search Console not showing backlinks data after migration?
Use the Change of Address Tool and submit your updated sitemap in Search Console and update Google of your migration.