Is the backlink report in Google Search Console accurate?

[BestSolutionX12]

I wanted to ask this a while ago, the number of External links in Google Search Console is always less than Ahrefs or basically every other backlink tool.

Is the backlink report in Google Search Console accurate?

If a backlink doesn't show up in Google Search Console External links, does it have any impact on SEO or Google doesn't know it at all?

Thanks for sharing your opinion.

 

[safeSEOboost]

I believe Google Search Console will only show "some" of the links, so it may show less links than other tools like ahrefs.

If a backlink doesn't show up in Google Search Console External links, does it have any impact on SEO or Google doesn't know it at all?

First of all let's say that google knows much more than ahrefs or any other SEO tool provider, and probably more than any company in the world when it comes to backlinks and SEO. If they did not see your links yet, they will see them ultimately. Will they report them back to you? Maybe yes, maybe no. Google is in no obligation to report everything to you.
If the link does not show does it affect SEO. No. Things are never that straightforward.

 

[Starblazer]

Google is not reliable. They hide a lot of things to protect their algo from reverse engineering. I guess, you need to follow whichever tool that gives more info, and Google will have that data too, even if they don't report it.

 

[Aulig]

John Mueller said that if the link doesn't show up in gsc, it's probably not worth much.

 

[Mr Positive]

Yes google search is reliable but it is also slow and takes rime to show links

 

[praetserge]

I totally agree with @safeSEOboost.
Noticed it long time ago that google doesn't show all the links and shows some defunct links.

 

[dawid007]

Is the backlink report in Google Search Console accurate?

It is completely enough.

A Google employee explained that you don't need to worry about links that don't appear in the Search Console. And you don't need to worry about third-party tools. Johannes Müller of Google had already declared in April 2019 that links that are not displayed in the Search Console are not relevant.

https://www.seroundtable.com/google-link-tool-28348.html

 

[fb3003]

John Mueller said that if the link doesn't show up in gsc, it's probably not worth much.

It is completely enough.

A Google employee explained that you don't need to worry about links that don't appear in the Search Console. And you don't need to worry about third-party tools. Johannes Müller of Google had already declared in April 2019 that links that are not displayed in the Search Console are not relevant.

https://www.seroundtable.com/google-link-tool-28348.html

i have read the same thing on what JM has said. At the same time if you go by that logic: if the link is not in GSC, then it is not important, then are we saying those shitty spammy links that just harvest crap and provide a link to you, are important?

 

[Rj268]

Google search console is the only reliable measure of backlinks. If Google doesn't list it, it is from a deindexed site or so poor they don't count it.

Remember Google is ranking your site, not Ahrefs, MOZ, SEMrush or any other third party tool.

 

[dawid007]

if the link is not in GSC, then it is not important, then are we saying those shitty spammy links that just harvest crap and provide a link to you, are important?

Not all backlinks are treated the same way. These shitty spammy links are mostly ignored by Google.

This is how it is in my case.
I have 60% links from spammy sites but my website organic traffic is increasing month after month.

 

[fb3003]

Not all backlinks are treated the same way. These shitty spammy links are mostly ignored by Google.

This is how it is in my case.
I have 60% links from spammy sites but my website organic traffic is increasing month after month.

I totally agree with what you are saying: google mostly ignores spammy links. but it does show some of them in GSC. at the same time, i think we can agree it DOES NOT show you all the good ones either.

 

[dawid007]

I think we can agree it DOES NOT show you all the good ones either.

Yep, I completely agree with you. Google doesn't show every link pointing to your website, even if they know about them.

And to answer the question. "Is the backlink report in Google Search Console accurate?"
It is enough to roughly analyze your own link profile. And it Free.