Google webmaster tools : Pages with external links

[mahendras]

Any Idea what it means by "Pages with external links" means in google web master tools. I thought its back links but I dont see those back links when I check links:mysite. on google. Please help.

[angilina]

Yes "Pages with external links" means backlinks.

Don't use the link: operator to check your backlinks, this command don't show much backlinks.

I have 12000+ backlinks for one of my sites, but the link: operator only show 33 backlinks.

[kingofsanda]

angilina is right, you will get the most accurate results in google web master tools.

[mahendras]

So based on KingofSanda and Angelina, is it now official that link operator doesn't show link back correct any more?
May I know if there is any official blog or news published by google on this or its just a perception over a period of time?

[magda]

Google says it only ever shows a sampling of backlinks - and that's in webmaster tools too, though the sample is larger
http://www.google.com/support/webmasters/bin/answer.py?answer=55281&query=find+backlinks&topic=&type=

[scoobby]

So based on KingofSanda and Angelina, is it now official that link operator doesn't show link back correct any more?
May I know if there is any official blog or news published by google on this or its just a perception over a period of time?


This fact havent change it always showing just a sample of links a webste have.

[markn26]

Google should just remove that feature entirely, it's a waste and not even a good measure of how many backlinks you really have. A lot of the tools in Webmaster are too far off to be taken seriously (such as the # of indexed pages count, etc).

[mahendras]

So even in Webmaster tools google shows the back links that google has seen/crawled so far but not all. There might be various other back links which are not crawled by google but they are back links for sure. Though the crawled links by google can put major impact on your keyword ranking and PR.

I would appreciate expert comments on above statement.

[markn26]

That's correct - there could be hundreds of more backlinks than the number you see on that panel. Google does that purposely to not show all of the sources that are linking to you - which is good for snooping competitors, but unfair for you, who actually is the webmaster and should have the right to know.

[dannyibiza]

Yes these are the backlinks to your site, but its never that accurate. They usually update the page once every 2 weeks.

[pioneer1]

correct mark, that links is only a snapshot of true number of links.