Bing! Bing! Yahoo Site Explorer Alternative. What Now?
The closure of Yahoo Site Explorer disappointed many SEO professionals and smaller businesses relying on this free backlink analysis tool. Microsoft claimed the functionality merged into Bing Webmaster Tools, though users found this integration inadequate.
So What Form Has Site Explorer Tools Now Taken?
Microsoft stated that once organic results are transitioned to Bing in all the markets, they planned to shut down Yahoo! Site Explorer. However, users discovered the promised integration within Bing Webmaster Tools was insufficient.
Alternative FREE Backlink Tools
1. SEO Attack
A beta tool providing free data up to 10 URLs with a "juicy" backlink rating. Paid subscriptions start at $9.97/month for 50 daily searches.
2. SEOmoz
Open Site Explorer offers comprehensive link building research through paid subscriptions at $99/month for Pro members, capable of tracking up to 10,000 links.
3. Using Google Operators
The "link:www.domainname.com" operator reveals backlinks but provides incomplete data, as Google intentionally limits results to prevent spammers or competitors using the information to reverse a site's ranking.
4. Majestic SEO
A paid alternative starting at £29.99 monthly, offering backlink history, graphs, and reporting features.
5. Link Diagnosis Tool
A free Firefox plugin providing backlink data in organised tables with anchor text, PR and MozRank information, exportable to Excel.
6. Blekko Free SEO Tool
A free spam-free search engine with backlink analysis capabilities, allowing domain comparisons and anchor text distribution tracking.
Verdict
Free alternatives like Blekko and Link Diagnosis adequately replace Yahoo Site Explorer functionality, though paid tools offer more comprehensive features for ongoing research.
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