The backlink overview

The backlink overview shows every backlink your website has received through the backlink exchange. You may open it at any time by going to Backlinks in the left-hand menu. The page also holds the controls for joining or leaving the network.

Summary metrics

Once you have joined the network, the top of the page summarizes your backlink performance.

• Total backlinks counts every active link your site has received, along with how many arrived this month.
• Unique sources counts the distinct websites linking to you, since ten links from ten different sites carry more weight than ten links from one.
• Backlink growth charts your total over the past six months, so you may see your link profile building over time.

Links that were removed by the other site no longer count toward these totals.

The backlink list

Below the summary, the page lists each backlink individually. For every link you may see the date it was created, the website linking to you, the article on your site the link points to, and its current status. Once a link is live, the source opens the exact page where your backlink appears, so you may verify it yourself.

Backlink statuses

Each backlink carries one of four statuses.

Typically, a pending link moves to published on its own as the other site's articles go out; there is nothing for you to do. Removed links no longer count toward your totals, and since the exchange keeps matching your articles with new partners, an occasional lost link is simply followed by new ones.

An empty list

If you have just joined the network, the list may be empty for a few days while the first matches are made. Backlinks arrive automatically, without any outreach on your part, so the most useful thing you can do is keep publishing articles: each new article is another opportunity for the exchange to match your site with a relevant partner.