Backlink count and Google webmaster tools

[Seed Tree]

Helloes,

So I sometimes check our site's backlinks in Google Webmaster tools and was wondering a bit about how it worked.

Several sites seem to have large amounts of links to my site when I've only posted 2-3 articles on there.

For example, one website for which I've written 3 articles, Google says is giving me 55 backlinks. I have one anchor text link each, one link in the Bio, perhaps one on my profile page etc, but definately not 55.

Any thoughts on this?

[annagi]

I also have a question about Google webmaster tools. Webmaster tools are telling me that my site has only "30 Links to Your Site" (in the Traffic menu), and Open Site Explorer says I have "305 linking root domains" and "6,313 Total External Links". The difference is huge! Do I have to make some extra settings in Google webmaster tools?

[dzine]

Is this about links to a specific page, or links pointing at the domain in general, all combined?

[Seed Tree]

Is this about links to a specific page, or links pointing at the domain in general, all combined?

All the links are going to the homepage in the example above.

3 links to my landing pages which I presume are the articles and then another 52 are to the homepage according to Webmaster tools.

[annagi]

in my case, is about links pointing at the domain in general.

[chiragparekh]

@OP, article sites you are using shows your submitted articles in "related article" sections hence your article will be placed on multiple similar articles. once your article start losing freshness you will see that number of backlink will be decreased.

[Seed Tree]

@OP, article sites you are using shows your submitted articles in "related article" sections hence your article will be placed on multiple similar articles. once your article start losing freshness you will see that number of backlink will be decreased.

Perfect. Many thanks, chiragparekh!