Link building tools play a staggering role in improving your website ranking. Many newbies refer to keywords as the primary factor for ranking higher. Unfortunately, they don’t realize that backlinks are essentially recommendations from other websites.
Building a quality backlink profile takes time and immense effort. However, the best link building tools can ease up the process and make it a tad easier. The most impressive thing about backlink software is its versatility; you’re getting much more than that.
Our favorite tools of 2024 include features like keyword research, site audits, domain research, and plenty more. Gizmodo’s team of experts tested dozens of them but we found 8 that fit the bill perfectly. Keep reading to find out more about them.
Best Link Building Software: Our 8 Favorites
In our guide on improving SEO, we explained the importance of backlinks. Your website must be eligible for backlinks based on overall quality, optimization, and user experience. With all these factors in place, obtaining external links should come swiftly.
That’s even truer with our selection of tried-and-tested backlinking tools. They include:
1. Semrush
© Gizmodo.com
Pros
- Link building with the outreach function
- Large backlink database
- It can discover toxic and broken backlinks
- Backlink Gap tool
- 14-day free trial
Cons
- Not the cheapest backlink builder
- Very limited free plan
Semrush is a staple in our link-building process. It’s an all-arounder with a vast offer of SEO tools that no other service offers. In terms of link building, it’s easily the #1 option. That’s because of its dedicated link building tool for finding backlink opportunities.
You need to provide your domain address, and the CRM-like interface hits you with hundreds if not thousands of possible opportunities. This backlink software lets you get in touch with the website directly and communicate with the owner to make a deal.
For instance, it lets you ask for a backlink, guest post, or even a product review. Semrush also includes the backlink analysis tool, which analyzes each domain’s backlink profile. Moreover, the backlink gap displays which websites like to your competitors but not to your site.
You can use this information to get in touch with these websites and ask for a “recommendation”, so to speak. A crucial parameter in successful backlinking is the removal of toxic links. Well, Semrush lets you discover and get rid of them in seconds with a site audit.
If you thought this was your ordinary SEO tool, you’re wrong. Semrush’s keyword research is very useful to gather more info on high-ranking keywords. Its Position Tracking tool is also great for keeping an eye on your website ranking and following your progress.
Semrush’s link builder tool is immensely useful and the only option on this list that allows for a direct reach-out to different sites. Best of all, it’s free for 14 days thanks to a trial, plus, it has a free link building tool as part of its non-paid but limited plan.
Find out more about this awesome choice in our test of Semrush.
Visit Semrush
2. SE Ranking
© SE Ranking
Pros
- Intuitive Backlink Checker
- Competitive Analysis
- AI Writer for content improvement
- Simple discovery of broken links
- Affordable prices (from $52/mo)
Cons
- No outreach function in the Backlink Checker
- It doesn’t have a free plan
Analyzing your backlink profile with SE Ranking is easier done than said – that’s not a typo. This software’s intuitiveness makes all SEO research a breeze. Its Backlink Checker displays referring domains, domain trust, the number of backlinks, and more critical data.
As one of the best link building software in 2024, SE Ranking’s information is accurate enough. For instance, we found its detection of toxic backlinks crucial in preventing our SEO rankings from dwindling. Like Semrush, it packs a backlink gap tool.
This one lets you compare your domain with up to 4 competitors to see how you stack against them. We don’t like that SE Ranking has no dedicated link building tool like Semrush. This means there’s no option to manually contact the websites you want.
Don’t fret – it’s not the end of the world. SE Ranking’s other tools are impressive on their own. We often found its rank tracker as good as Semrush’s equivalent. SE Ranking can be used to improve your content with its AI Writer which enhances the overall writing quality.
This can, in turn, make your site more backlink-potent. SE Ranking comes with a site audit function that discovers various issues preventing your website from achieving its full potential. It also allows you to directly work on them through its witty advice.
If you appreciate affordable SEO tools with great value, this amazing backlink tool is for you. It starts at $52 a month, offering full backlink research capabilities, 500 keywords to track, and a 14-day credit-card-free trial. Check it out below or read our SE Ranking review beforehand.
Visit SE Ranking
3. Mangools
© Mangools
Pros
- LinkMiner provides plenty of backlink data
- World Popularity Ranking metric
- Mangools KWFinder helps with keyword research
- Very affordable, at under $20/mo
- Its link building tool can be used for free
Cons
- Not the most advanced solution
- It lacks site audits
Mangools consists of five amazing SEO tools, one of which is LinkMiner. As the name suggests, it’s a link building tool, or rather a backlink analysis solution. You won’t get a Semrush-like experience here but the amount of data you can gather with one search is staggering.
Once you enter the domain address, Mangools LinkMiner displays information about the domain authority, follow/nofollow links, new/lost backlinks, and many more. LinkMiner also divulges data about referring domains and active backlinks if you deem them relevant.
We also like its WPR parameter, which stands for World Popularity Ranking. It highlights the backlink strength, which helps determine the backlink profile of a domain. Mangools LinkMiner isn’t brimming with features and this is pretty much all you get.
However, its appeal lies in other options besides its amazing link building software. For instance, KWFinder is excellent at discovering keyword suggestions and overall keyword research. We also appreciate its SERPWatcher which works well with LinkMiner.
It’s a straightforward rank tracker that lets you keep a close watch on your website’s performance. As said, Mangools includes five SEO tools, helping you cover every aspect of your website’s search engine optimization. It’s simultaneously a free link building tool.
That’s because of its free, albeit limited variant, which is only for modest users. Mangools aims to satisfy less demanding users in general, so its price is far more affordable. It starts at $19.90/mo, supporting 25,000 backlinks you can retrieve with LinkMiner monthly.
It’s hard to find a better backlink tool at this price point, as even its more expensive plans cost half as much as Semrush.
Visit Mangools
4. Ahrefs
© Ahrefs
Pros
- Great at finding backlink sources
- Site audit function
- Content explorer discovers new content ideas
- Easy-to-use web interface
- One of the largest backlink databases
Cons
- Expensive for many users
- Weekly rank tracker updates
- No free trial
Ahrefs offers some of the best link building tools you can use in 2024. It comes with a site explorer that lets you explore the backlinks of your competitors and evaluate their backlink profiles. Ahrefs’ backlink software also contains the content explorer function.
We love this feature because it lets you discover new content ideas and implement them into your existing content. Above all, this feature lets you find link opportunities! It’s pretty similar to Semrush’s link-building tool but without the possibility to get in touch.
After testing it, Ahrefs displays the websites that would be great backlink sources. This is a neat touch but after all, we had to use Semrush as an alternative to Ahrefs to contact these websites. Ahrefs has a huge backlink database, so every related research is impeccable.
You’ll also like how efficient this SEO tool is in other aspects. Its site audit function can also be used to fix your broken backlinks and other SEO problems. Ahrefs lacks the on-page audit tool from, let’s say, Semrush and SE Ranking but offers plenty more.
We love its keywords explorer tool. It divulges hundreds of nifty little keyword suggestions with important metrics like volume, difficulty, share of voice, and competition. Ahrefs’ cardinal sin is a poorly designed rank tracker with weekly, instead of daily rank updates.
Admittedly, while being one of the most appreciated backlinking tools, Ahrefs is also expensive. That can be attributed to its credit system and overall pricey plans, requiring you to pay at least $100/mo for daily rank-tracking updates. There’s no free trial either.
5. Moz Pro
© Moz
Pros
- 44 trillion links in the database
- Link Explorer tool
- In-depth competitor backlink analysis
- On-demand site crawls
Cons
- Not a very innovative tool
- The outreach function is lacking
- It could be slightly cheaper
Moz Pro is a comprehensive suite of SEO tools for all purposes. Its Link Explorer is the highlight of today’s discussion given its link building capabilities. To make it clear, we’re not huge fans of Moz Pro because of its evident lack of innovation compared to Semrush.
However, we’ll give credit where it’s due. This Link Explorer works well thanks to Moz Pro’s 44 trillion backlink database. You can discover referring domains and backlinks in seconds, along with data like domain authority, backlink types, and so on.
What about direct link building? Well, you won’t find anything similar here. Moz Pro is SEO backlink software whose premise is mostly research. Therefore, you’ll find competitors’ backlinks and the URLs that link to them which can be used to your advantage.
You can, for instance, contact the website linking to the competitor but only if you use Semrush. Either way, Moz Pro offers another handy tool for backlinking – Link Intersect. It’s a backlink gap tool that compares your domain to nine other competitors. That’s more than Semrush and SE Ranking.
Using Moz Pro doesn’t mean you’ll limit yourself to link building. Its keyword research is phenomenal and the rank tracker offers daily updates with incredible accuracy. Moz Pro also supports on-demand crawls.
It detects on-page issues and lets you resolve them in seconds. Moz Pro is one of the most generous backlink tools in 2024. It has a respectable 30-day free trial plus a free plan but with limited features and only 10 daily searches in the Link Explorer. Not generous, aight.
6. BuzzSumo
© BuzzSumo
Pros
- It discovers influencers interested in your content
- Brands Mention tools
- Unlimited searches in all plans
- Simple to set up and use
Cons
- No other SEO tools are included
- BuzzSumo can’t be used for free
- No content marketing
BuzzSumo comes in handy for analyzing your content’s potential and seeing how much interest would it garner among influencers. It can be used to cherry-pick the influencers enticed by your content who might want to promote it by, let’s say, linking to it.
This link building tool works differently than Semrush, SE Ranking, and others. You’ll first need to ensure your content meets high standards. After that, BuzzSumo can show you the influencers that share and link to the content of your competitors.
It comes with an integrated Google Alerts function in the Brand Mentions tool, giving you alerts when someone mentions your website. We love the function to add a list of keywords and be notified whenever someone mentions any of them. Handy stuff.
Interestingly, BuzzSumo can detect backlink opportunities for you. It displays factors like total engagement, X shares, Pinterest shares, and others to help you determine if the backlink source is credible for you. BuzzSumo’s plans are unlimited in searches.
This means you can analyze backlink opportunities to your heart’s contempt. It’s overall a pretty simple platform without quibble. The Content Creation plan starts at $159/mo and already includes unlimited searches, content analyzer, trending feeds, and a lot more.
Users who want more can opt for any other 3 other plans. BuzzSumo advertises its Suite plan as the most popular, alas, at a hefty $399/mo. It’s made for 10 users and offers a great Chrome extension, YouTube Analyzer, and tons of other link building tools.
7. Respona
© Respona
Pros
- Includes an outreach function for backlinking
- The AI-driven email customization tool
- 14-day free trial
Cons
- It’s very expensive, starting at $399/mo
- No keyword research tool
- A short 30-minute free demo
You might not have heard of Respona but this underrated backlink tool deserves more attention. It’s specifically made for outreach, which means you can get in touch with backlink sources and get what you want! Before you can do that, you’ll need to work on your SEO.
Free SEO tools might help with that, too. Regardless, Respona finds backlink opportunities for your website, and from here, you can select the type of campaign you’re aiming for. You can pick from a podcast outreach, product review, guest post, and dozens more.
If you select, let’s say, a product review, you’ll find the websites that accept product reviews. It also offers this Skyscraper Technique feature, allowing you to detect the websites that link to your competitors but not your website. A bit like the backlink gap tool.
We love that Respona is direct and lets you quickly get in contact with the website you want to connect with. Additionally, the entire process can be automated so that Respona finds backlink opportunities AND contacts them for your convenience.
Being so full of features, Respona even includes a powerful AI for personalizing your emails and automating a few more tasks. If you want a dedicated backlink builder software that excels in this category, Respona’s 14-day trial will surely fire up your excitement.
It also offers a free personalized demo for 30 minutes. After the trial expires, know that Respona isn’t the most pocket-friendly. It starts at $399/mo,- far more than Semrush or even the notoriously expensive Ahrefs. That says volumes about the relevancy of backlinks.
8. Connectively (Formerly HARO)
© Connectively
Pros
- Countless brand growth opportunities
- Pretty capable free plan
Cons
- No domain backlink analysis
- Only 10 pitches in the free plan
If you go to Google and type in HARO, you’ll notice that this website evaporated overnight. Well, HARO is no more in 2024 but the entire platform migrated to the website called Connectively. Thankfully, the premise is the same and is ideal for backlink opportunities.
So, let us remind you how it works. Connectively is a platform for connecting journalists and content creators, providing many collaboration and brand growth opportunities. Unlike the old-school HARO, Connectively offers a few paid plans to enhance the experience.
More about that in a second. Connectively lets you become either a journalist or content creator and seek the “opposite” side for various purposes. Content creators will seek journalists interested in their content who would link to it and promote it.
They’ll send the so-called “pitches” to journalists who would respond to them. Connectively lets you send 10 pitches in the free plan but buying Core, Pro, or Premier plans bumps them up to 150 and includes multiple user profiles to maximize your performance.
Connectively isn’t a “direct” link building tool but it can be extremely useful if you find like-minded people who share your opinions. Bear in mind that Connectively isn’t as capable as the other best-rated link building software because it’s limited.
As said, you won’t get tools like keyword research, website audits, and other tools from Semrush, SE Ranking, and Mangools. However, it’s free and the cheapest Core plan at $19/mo isn’t too expensive for what you get. Test it out and see how you like it.
How to Choose the Best Link Building Tool for You?
Our extensive list has come to an end but if you’re unsure how to pick the right tool for you, these considerations might help.
- Price. Not all backlink software is created equal. Some are more expensive, some less. More expensive options include Semrush, Ahrefs, and Respona. They offer excellent features for the price. Low-cost options are SE Ranking and Mangools. Think about your budget before you decide on the software you want.
- Needed information. Do you need extensive data on backlink profiles, opportunities, and other domain aspects? In that case, Connectively and BuzzSumo likely won’t cut it. You’ll need Semrush or SE Ranking to get the most data and analyze backlinks, keywords, keyword ranking, and so on. These solutions include a myriad of other SEO tools like site audits, content marketing, and plenty more for an impeccable experience.
- Outreach. Do you want link building tools that can help you get in touch with websites? Semrush and Respona fit the bill perfectly. They’ll discover opportunities AND let you contact websites without a hitch for easier backlink acquisition.
- Number of Users. Are you planning to use the tool as a team? Semrush and Ahrefs are made for one user seat only and buying more seats can be pricey. SE Ranking is the best option here with its Pro plan and 3 user seats for maximum efficiency.
Summary
Okay, so let’s summarize our comprehensive guide on the best backlinking tools of 2024. You’ll undoubtedly be satisfied with Semrush, SE Ranking, and Mangools as the most reliable and insightful software. Ahrefs and Moz Pro are more than respectable.
In particular, we appreciate Ahrefs’ data delivery and other SEO tools that make it a stand-out option compared to Moz Pro. BuzzSumo is excellent for discovering backlink opportunities, while Respona offers a nifty outreach function for added convenience.
We left Connectively for the end because it’s an incomplete SEO tool. While it’s suitable for discovering opportunities, it doesn’t function like supreme options such as Semrush, SE Ranking, Mangools, or Ahrefs. We think this guide should end here.
You have 8 reputable choices and some things to consider when selecting one of them. What are you waiting for? It’s time to decide – no one’s going to do your backlinking tasks for you!
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