New Google Webmaster Tools Feature

**getvisible** · 06-02-07

Has anyone else checked out the backlinks feature in the Google Webmaster tool?

We've now got a relevant, fairly accurate backlink checker. mmmm

**ep90** · 06-02-07

I've just been to check it out. The 'links' tab is not there on my interface? Or am I missing something?

**getvisible** · 06-02-07

yep it looks like it's come off already

I expect it'll be back on again soon.

**pollensa** · 06-02-07

I seem to have this Links tab now. The external links to my site (very interesting!) bear no resemblance to the list provided by google's link:domain.com - why's that?

**jhood** · 06-02-07

This is neat. Thanks for the tip.

**getvisible** · 06-02-07

If you wanted to watch a video from the manager of the Google Webmaster Tools section (Vanessa Fox) I've blogged it - with some interesting information given from her body language.

**10k** · 07-02-07

Pollensa - the reason it's different is that when you do link:domain.com Google doesn't show you all the sites that link to you by any means. If it did then it would make seo a whole different ball game. The new feature doesn't show all links either by a long shot but apparently it's supposed to be getting better as time goes on

**zinc** · 07-02-07

Nice find Lee

**pollensa** · 07-02-07

Originally Posted by 10k

the reason it's different is that when you do link:domain.com Google doesn't show you all the sites that link to you by any means.

Thank you - so how does it decide which ones to show in the standard link: command?

**10k** · 08-02-07

Good question Pollensa. Some people say it only shows the 'quality' links or links that it classes as relevant but my opinion is that it's just a random assortment! When there is a toolbar PR change, the number of backlinks shown change so it's possible that it only shows the backlinks they use in their PR algo - although I've also seen a couple of sites that deifnitely disprove this so also not true all the time.

There doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to it. If you want a better idea of your inbound links you really need to try linksite:www.domain.com on yahoo or linkdomain:www.comain.com on MSN