In 2004, Rand Fishkin and Gillian Muessig created SEOmoz which later came to be known as Moz.

The company tools were a one-stop solution for all search engine optimization issues faced by, both, beginners and professionals.

Open Site Explorer is such a tool, helping the user in scanning their database for backlinks and their strengths. This tool is vital, as a broken link could affect website ranking.

Some of its features are:

• Adding new data on a daily basis to keep searches up-to-date
• New and improved authority algorithm
• Guidance for newcomers of Link Building

Open Site Explorer is soon to be discontinued. However, a new and improved tool called Link Explorer is up for launch by Moz.

LinkMiner is a tool brought to us by the people who created KWFinder and SERP Watcher. The tool helps you find powerful backlinks and provides support to carry out quick and easy backlink analysis.

LinkMiner can help you carry out the following tasks:

• Powerful backlink research within 2 minutes
• Link strength evaluation
• Live preview of the backlink
• Storing and saving your preferred backlinks in the favourites list
• Carrying out advanced backlink analysis

The tool has a free trial version available for use. The paid versions are priced very reasonably, with the Basic version costing $49 per month.

If you opt for a yearly plan, the cost drops to only $29 per month.

Majestic is a link index database; a useful tool for carrying out backlink research. The company has undertaken the task to map and survey the Internet in order to create the largest commercial link database.

It is a great tool used by professionals of SEO, New Media Specialists, Affiliate Managers, online marketers and many others. Some of its key features are:

• Detailed URL and site exploration
• Checking backlink history
• Going through the index to find out useful keywords
• Intelligent API linking

You can register on the website for free and, if required, subscribe at a price of £39.99 per month.

MoonSearch is a free SEO tool which can be used to carry out backlink checks and create easy, yet insightful SEO reports for you and your team.

MoonSearch flaunts to have analysed over 500 million URLs until now. This ascertains that the report is accurate.

You can carry out the search based on IP address, Google Analytics and AdSense, backlinks etc. It uses a ranking algorithm to evaluate the popularity of a website.

Some of its key features are as follows:

• Uses complex analysis to calculate traffic-related information
• Reduces workload and provides essential data
• Displays information on top sites and recently analysed sites on the first webpage

Backlink watch is an SEO tool which can be used by anyone to carry out simple and well-researched backlink checks.

The website is capable of carrying out researches to inform you of all the backlinks that lead to your page.

The website provides you with the following information:

• Rank of the page link
• Outbound links, which are the external links on the backlink page
• Abnormal flags on the backlink
• Anchor Texts
• The number of total checked backlinks of the URL
• Information on competitors
• Referring domains
• Keyword research

The tool is free and provides you with the backlink information in mere minutes.

If you are in search of a way to do link research, then look no further as Linkody will be the answer to all your problems.

It doesn’t matter if you are a SEO professional or someone looking to improve website ranking, this tool is very easy to use.

It is known for the following features:

• Multi-user support
• Finding and disavowing broken links with ease
• Instant link location
• E-mail notifications
• PDF white label reports
• Sharing data with team members over social media
• Connecting to, and using Google Analytics

It will help you track your links, informing you when you lose or gain any. It imparts competitor insights into their link building process and strategy.

SEOptimer is a tool which can check your website in order to find any problems which might be flagged by a search engine as a penalty charge.

The software comes with a 14-day trial version which can be used to carry out checks on

• Title and meta headers
• Keyword consistency
• Backlinks
• Mobile and tablet rendering

The software is customisable to look as the user desires and is capable of producing a professional yet simple worded PDF report in nine different languages.

Two paid versions are available at $29 per month and $59 per month. Both come with extra features.