Why Backlinks Disappear and How to Monitor Your Links
Why backlinks quietly vanish or lose value, what to check on each link, and a simple routine for keeping track of them.
Earning a backlink takes effort: outreach, guest articles, partnerships, PR, sometimes payment for a sponsorship. Yet many links you earn will not survive the year in their original form. Pages get redesigned, editors change policies, sites move to new domains, and a link that once passed value can become nofollow or vanish without anyone telling you.
Backlink verification is the habit of checking that the links you rely on are still there and still doing their job.
Why backlinks disappear
- Content updates. An editor refreshes an old article and removes or replaces outdated links โ including yours.
- Site redesigns and migrations. Pages are merged, deleted or moved, and links are lost along the way.
- Policy changes. A publisher decides to mark all outbound links as
nofolloworsponsored. - Expired arrangements. Directory listings, sponsorships and partner pages lapse.
- Your own changes. You rename or delete the page the link points to, and it now lands on a 404.
- The linking site closes. Domains expire and sites go offline.
What to check on each link
A link is not simply "there" or "not there". Check four things:
- Is the link still on the page? The page may still exist with your link removed.
- Does it point to the right URL? A link to an old address now relies on your redirect. Make sure that redirect works, using the redirect checker.
- Is it followed? Links marked
nofollow,sponsoredorugcare treated as hints rather than endorsements. They can still bring visitors, but they are not the same as a normal editorial link. - What is the anchor text? The clickable words describe your page to readers and search engines. A change from "free GST invoice template" to "click here" loses context.
Which links deserve monitoring
You do not need to watch every link. Focus on:
- Links you worked or paid for: guest posts, sponsorships, partnerships.
- Links from your most authoritative or relevant referring sites.
- Links that send real referral traffic (check your analytics).
- Links pointing to important pages such as services, products or tools.
Keep a simple spreadsheet: referring page URL, your target URL, anchor text, link type and the date you last checked.
A monthly routine
- Paste your target page and the referring pages into the free backlink checker. It confirms which links are live, shows their anchor text and tells you whether each is dofollow or nofollow.
- Compare with your spreadsheet and flag anything removed or changed.
- Check your own target pages still load. A link to a broken page wastes its value; the broken link checker and Search Console's 404 report help.
Our guide on checking if a backlink is live and dofollow walks through the tool step by step.
How to recover lost links
- Link removed in an update: email the editor politely, explain why the link helps their readers, and suggest where it fits in the new version.
- Link points to your deleted page: restore the page or add a 301 redirect to its closest replacement.
- Link changed to nofollow: usually a site-wide policy; accept it unless you had an explicit agreement.
- Site gone: look for the same author or content on a new domain and ask for the link there.
Related guides
More free tools: browse all our free SEO tools, no sign-up needed.
Frequently asked questions
How often should I check my backlinks?
Monthly for important links, and immediately after any migration on your own site.
Is a nofollow backlink worthless?
No. It can bring visitors and brand exposure, and Google may use it as a hint. It is simply weaker than an editorial followed link.
Can I ask a site to change nofollow to dofollow?
You can ask, but respect their policy. Paid or sponsored links must be marked sponsored or nofollow under Google's guidelines.
Do lost backlinks cause ranking drops?
Losing several strong links can contribute to drops, especially for competitive terms. Losing one minor link rarely matters.