In October 2020, I developed a Google Analytics backlinks checker based on Looker Studio to assess referral traffic performance in Universal Analytics. Recently, I’ve updated this template to be compatible with Google Analytics 4 (GA4).
Here is the link to the Looker Studio template >>
Below is the guide on how to use it properly.
Why is this Google Analytics backlinks checker is so valuable and unique?
This template offers more than just identifying backlinks in Google Analytics. Here are five reasons it’s advantageous:
1. Track actual backlink traffic, surpassing tools like Ahrefs
While Ahrefs provides a list of your website’s backlinks and estimates potential traffic using click-stream data, these estimates can’t match the accuracy of real data from your GA4 property.
2. Discover backlinks that might be missed by Ahrefs
For instance, backlinks from private platforms such as Jira Workspaces may not appear in Ahrefs but can be detected through GA4.
3. Evaluate the effectiveness of your parasite SEO campaigns
Although tracking rankings for landing pages on platforms like LinkedIn, Medium, or Reddit is challenging, GA4 allows you to measure the traffic these pages generate, providing valuable insights.
4. Identify emerging top-performing backlinks using the performance map
A pivot table enables you to swiftly pinpoint new leading referral sources, facilitating timely engagement and optimization.
5. Detect declining backlinks when traffic decreases from previously high-performing sources
The same pivot table can help you spot and address areas where referral traffic is waning.
How to utilize this backlinks report template?
1. Apply the page referrer types filter using the custom field
The GA4 Page Referrer dimension includes both external and internal URLs. To focus solely on external referrals, I’ve created a custom field that distinguishes between the two, ensuring the report highlights only external links.
2. Create and implement your filters
GA4 aggregates various backlink types, including social and search referrals. You can refine the report by updating the ‘exclude junk websites’ filter to omit non-valuable sites or by creating filters to exclude all social backlinks, tailoring the data to your needs.
3. Manage chart variables
The template allows you to modify metrics on the chart or adjust the time dimensions, providing flexibility in data analysis.
Note from February 1, 2025! I’ve updated this template and added backlink segmentation. Read more about what has changed in Hack the Algo.
That’s it. Also, don’t miss to try our Google Analytics Tag Checker and read my article about the best GA4 Looker Studio templates.
