# Search Console Links Report: Internal and External Links

> Use the Search Console Links report to find top linked pages, linking sites, anchor text and internal links that need work.

Source: https://mentionx.ai/learn/search-console/search-console-links-report  
Author: Dipuck Jones, founder of MentionX  
Updated: 4 November 2026  
Level: Practitioner

**The Links report shows a sample of who links to your site, which pages earn those links, the link text used, and how your own pages link to each other.** For marketers, the internal links table is the most actionable part.

*Checked 4 November 2026 (CET) against Search Console Help and Google Search Central documentation. Search Console reports and rollouts change often, and some features only appear for eligible properties, so confirm in your own property. "Our view" marks MentionX opinion. Ledgerline is a fictional company used for illustration.*

> **Key takeaways**
>
> - External links: top linked pages, top linking sites and top linking text.
> - Internal links: which of your pages get the most links from your own site.
> - It's a sample, not a complete list, and it doesn't show nofollow.
> - Tables are limited to 1,000 rows.
> - Internal linking is the quickest win.

## What does the report contain?

From Google's [Links report help](https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/9049606):

| Table | Shows |
|---|---|
| Top linked pages (external) | Your pages with the most links from other sites |
| Top linking sites | Domains linking to you |
| Top linking text | Anchor text from external links |
| Top linked pages (internal) | Your pages with the most links from your own pages |

## How should marketers use it?

- **Internal linking:** important pages should be well linked from related content.
- **PR and partnerships:** top linking sites show who already references you; good outreach targets.
- **Content that earns links:** top linked pages tell you which formats get cited.

*Our view:* use the Links report for internal linking and PR ideas, not for link-building metrics. It isn't designed to be a complete backlink database.

> **Pro move:** pages that earn external links are often the same ones AI assistants cite. Check your top linked pages in the generative AI report (lesson 7).

## What to do with the data

| Finding | Action |
|---|---|
| A key page has few internal links | Add links from related guides and the navigation |
| Internal links point mostly to old pages | Update hub pages to link new content |
| Top linking site is a partner or directory you didn't know | Check the relationship; consider co-marketing |
| Link text is mostly "click here" or your domain | Fine for external links; fix internal anchor text |
| A spammy domain links to you | Usually ignore; Google ignores most spam links |

## Troubleshooting

| Problem | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| A known backlink is missing | The report is a sample | Expected; use other tools for full lists |
| Counts differ from third-party tools | Different crawls and counting | Compare trends only |
| Domain and www counts differ | Property type | Use a Domain property |

## An internal linking workflow

1. **Export Internal links** (Top linked pages). It lists your pages with how many internal links point to each.
2. **Join it with your key-pages list** and with Performance clicks for the same URLs.
3. **Flag key pages in the bottom third** of internal link counts.
4. **Find linking opportunities:** in Search Console Performance, filter Queries by the key page's topic with regex, then look at which other pages rank for those queries. Those pages should link to the key page.
5. **Add 2-5 contextual links** per key page with descriptive anchor text.
6. **Recheck next month.** Link counts update after Google recrawls the linking pages.

## Using external link data for PR

| What you see | Opportunity |
|---|---|
| Industry associations in top linking sites | Pitch updated research or guest content |
| A competitor comparison site linking to an old page | Ask them to update to your current page |
| Directories with outdated product names | Request a correction |
| Your top linked page is an old study | Refresh the study and tell the linking sites |
| Link text with an old brand name | Update profiles you control |

## Edge cases

- **Redirected targets.** Links to URLs that redirect are credited to the target in many cases, but the report may show either. Check both.
- **www vs non-www.** A URL-prefix property only shows links to that version. Use a Domain property.
- **Sitewide links.** A footer link counts from every page, so navigation-heavy pages dominate internal counts. Focus on contextual links in body content.
- **Sudden drop in linking sites.** Often a sampling change rather than real loss. Check a few known links before worrying.
- **Spam domains.** Google ignores most spammy links. The disavow tool is for rare cases, such as a manual action for unnatural links, and misuse can harm you.

## An AI-era angle

Pages that earn external links from trusted sites tend to be the ones AI features rely on, because they're well discovered and well understood. Cross-check your top externally linked pages against the generative AI report (lesson 7): pages strong on both are your most resilient assets.

## Questions practitioners ask

**How often does the Links report update?** It reflects Google's crawl of linking pages, so changes appear gradually.

**Should anchor text match the target keyword exactly?** For internal links, descriptive and natural is best. Avoid repeating the same exact phrase everywhere.

**Is a high internal link count always good?** Not if the links come only from navigation. Contextual links in relevant content carry more meaning.

## Ledgerline walkthrough: a PR win from the report

1. The PR manager exported Top linking sites and spotted an industry association linking to a retired research page.
2. The content team published an updated study and redirected the old URL.
3. The PR manager emailed the association with the new URL and offered a short summary for its members.
4. The SEO lead annotated the publication date and checked the Links report the following month.

## Troubleshooting the Links report

| Symptom | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| A known link isn't listed | Not yet crawled, or the report shows a sample | Wait, and check again next month |
| Many links from one unknown site | Scraper or sitewide footer link | Usually ignore; Google says it handles most spam links |
| Key page has few internal links | Missing from navigation and related content | Add contextual links from relevant pages |
| Links to redirected URLs | Old URLs still linked | Update internal links to final URLs |

## Internal linking checklist for a key page

- Linked from at least one relevant hub or category page.
- Linked from two or three related articles with descriptive anchors.
- Not orphaned: appears in the sitemap and in navigation or a hub.
- Links point to the final URL, not a redirect.

## Where this fits in the monthly routine

Once a month, export Top linking sites and compare with last month. Share new referring domains with PR, and give the content team any key page whose internal link count has fallen.

## Terms used in this lesson

- **Referring domain:** a site that links to yours.
- **Anchor text:** the clickable words of a link.
- **Orphan page:** a page with no internal links pointing to it.
- **Contextual link:** a link inside body content, not navigation.

## Quick checks before you move on

- You exported Top linking sites and Top linked pages.
- Each key page has at least two contextual internal links.
- PR has the list of new referring domains.
- Internal links to redirected URLs are on a fix list.

## Worked example: Ledgerline's internal links

*Ledgerline is a fictional accounts-payable software company. Details and numbers are illustrative.*

Ledgerline's new AP automation guide had very few internal links compared with older blog posts. The content team added links from five related glossary entries and the product page. A month later, the guide appeared in the internal links table near the top.

### Walkthrough

1. Open **Links** in the left menu.
2. Under **External links**, click **More** on Top linked pages and sort by linking sites.
3. Under **Top linking sites**, review the domains.
4. Under **Internal links**, click **More** and find your key pages.
5. Export each table.
6. Note key pages with low internal link counts.

## Try it yourself

Find your 10 most important pages in the internal links table. For any with fewer internal links than average, add two contextual links from relevant pages. Recheck in a month.

## Quick quiz

**1. Does the Links report show nofollow?**

*Answer:* No.

**2. Is the external links list complete?**

*Answer:* No. It's a sample.

**3. What is the table row limit?**

*Answer:* 1,000 rows.

**4. Which links can marketers most easily improve?**

*Answer:* Internal links.

## What should you check before the next lesson?

- You exported external and internal link tables.
- You found key pages with weak internal links.
- You have a list of linking sites for PR.
- Read [How Google ranking influences AI answers](https://mentionx.ai/learn/fundamentals/google-ranking-influence-ai-answers).

Next: [Crawl stats and removals](https://mentionx.ai/learn/search-console/search-console-crawl-stats-removals). Or return to the [Search Console for Marketers track](https://mentionx.ai/learn/search-console/search-console-for-marketers).

## Common questions

**Should I disavow links found in the report?** Usually no. Google ignores most spammy links. Disavow is for rare manual action cases.

**Does the report show new or lost links?** No. It shows current samples, not changes over time.

**Do links matter for AI answers?** Links help Google discover and understand pages, and internal links help important pages get crawled.

## Sources

- Search Console Help, [Links report](https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/9049606)
- All accessed 4 Nov 2026.

## Frequently asked questions

### Should I disavow links found in the report?

Usually no. Google ignores most spammy links. Disavow is for rare manual action cases.

### Does the report show new or lost links?

No. It shows current samples, not changes over time.

### Do links matter for AI answers?

Links help Google discover and understand pages, and internal links help important pages get crawled.

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Written and reviewed by Dipuck Jones for MentionX Learn. The HTML version of this page: https://mentionx.ai/learn/search-console/search-console-links-report