Build authority with link building

Workflow 1. Screen domains by authority and quality
Workflow 2. Identify backlinks that you’re missing
Workflow 3. Monitor new and lost backlinks
Workflow 4. Export backlinks for large-scale analysis
Workflow 5. Analyze anchor texts for a natural link profile

Workflow 1. Screen domains by authority and quality

Start by checking external domains (competitors or link prospects) to see if they’re worth targeting for backlinks.

1. Screen domains by authority (up to 100 per request) using Get domain authority (/authority/domain). Prioritize domains based on topical relevance first, then use authority metrics to refine your shortlist (you may use 30+ as an optional starting authority threshold).

curl -X POST 'https://api.seranking.com/v1/backlinks/authority/domain?output=json' \

  -H 'Authorization: Token YOUR_API_KEY' \

  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \

  -d '{

    "target": [

      "site1.com",

      "site2.com",

      "site3.com"

    ]

  }'

2. Review overall backlink profiles of shortlisted domains with Get backlink summary (/summary), including referring domains, TLDs, linking countries, and top anchors:

curl -X GET 'https://api.seranking.com/v1/backlinks/summary?target=example.com&mode=domain&output=json' \

  -H 'Authorization: Token YOUR_API_KEY'

3. Inspect referring domains linking to a target website using List referring domains (/refdomains) to see how many backlinks it provides, how many are dofollow, when the first backlink appeared, and the authority of that referring domain.

What you’ll get:

• ranked list of domains
• overview of backlink diversity
• authority of refdomains linking to your target
• detection of low-quality backlink profiles

Workflow 2. Identify backlinks that you’re missing

In this workflow, you compare your website’s backlink profile with competitors to find links they have that you don’t. You can use any competitor domains or focus on domains/referring domains verified in Workflow 1.

1. Start with Get backlink summary (/summary) to retrieve metrics for your website and 2-3 selected competitors, including total backlinks, referring domains, and dofollow backlinks.

2. For qualified competitors, call List referring domains (/refdomains) to get referring domains and then compare them with your own referring domains to identify missing opportunities.

The comparison can be performed manually (for example, in a spreadsheet or database) or by using the Backlink Gap Analyzer tool in the platform.

3. Use List all backlinks (/all) to retrieve the actual backlinks from high-value referring domains identified in Step 2. The response includes anchor text, page and domain authority, and dofollow status. Filter by both page and domain authority to focus on the most valuable backlinks.

What you’ll get:

• referring domains linking to competitors but not to your site
• differences in backlink profiles across competitors
• missing high-value backlinks with anchor text and authority information ready for analysis or outreach

Workflow 3. Monitor new and lost backlinks

Track how your backlink profile changes over time to see which backlinks are gained, lost, and how these changes affect authority.

1. On a regular basis, retrieve counts of new and lost backlinks with Get daily new/lost backlinks (/history/count) to monitor overall trends.

2. When significant changes occur, use List new and lost backlinks (/history) to see details: which backlinks were added or removed, and when:

curl -X GET 'https://api.seranking.com/v1/backlinks/history?target=example.com&mode=domain&new_lost_type=lost&date_from=2026-01-01&date_to=2026-01-14&output=json' \

  -H 'Authorization: Token YOUR_API_KEY'

3. At longer intervals (for example, monthly), use Get page/domain authority (/authority) to track authority changes over time and correlate with backlink gains or losses.

What you’ll get:

• visibility into backlink growth and decline
• detailed records of added or removed backlinks
• authority trend data aligned with backlink changes

Workflow 4. Export backlinks for large-scale analysis

In this workflow, you retrieve backlink data in bulk for external analysis, reporting, or storage.

1. Before exporting, estimate total backlinks and potential credit cost with Get total backlinks count (/count).

Next, retrieve the full backlink dataset in a paginated format with Fetch backlinks in batches (/raw). Optionally, limit the number of backlinks returned per referring domain using theper_domain parameter, for example:

curl -X GET 'https://api.seranking.com/v1/backlinks/raw?target=example.com&mode=domain&per_domain=5&limit=10000&output=json' \

  -H 'Authorization: Token YOUR_API_KEY'

2. For extensive backlink profiles (e.g., tens of thousands or more diverse backlinks or referring domains), use Export backlinks data (/export) to generate an asynchronous CSV when pagination is impractical.

What you’ll get:

• estimated backlink volume before committing credits
• paginated or CSV-based exports

Workflow 5. Analyze anchor texts for a natural link profile

Assess how anchor texts are distributed across a backlink profile to check balance, repetition, and dofollow vs. nofollow usage. 

Depending on the level of detail required, you can use either of the following endpoints:

• Get backlink anchor texts (/anchors) — for granular anchor-level data, including backlink counts, referring domains, dofollow/nofollow counts, and first/last seen dates.
• Get backlink summary (/summary) — for aggregated anchor statistics, including total unique anchors, dofollow anchors, and top anchors by backlinks and referring domains.

Use case: Evaluating websites for digital PR partnerships

This use case shows how a digital PR platform or team can automatically evaluate websites and display their backlinks using the SE Ranking API to identify credible media outlets, blogs, and industry publications for outreach and brand mentions.

Step 1. Filter low-quality domains

Cost: 10 credits per domain

Batch-check domains with Get domain authority (/authority/domain) to retrieve each domain’s score and exclude domains below your authority threshold. Up to 100 domains can be screened per request. Prioritize relevance to your industry, audience, and editorial focus before applying authority thresholds.

Step 2. Check backlink profile health

Cost: 100 credits per domain

For each eligible domain, call Get backlink summary (/summary) to review:

• number of referring domains
• dofollow vs. nofollow backlinks
• linking countries and TLDs
• anchor text distribution

Use this data to assess credibility, geographic alignment, audience diversity, and potential brand safety before initiating PR outreach.

Step 3. Get unique referring domains (optional)

Cost: 1 credit per referring domain

Retrieve unique domains linking to the website using List referring domains (/refdomains). Limit results (e.g., limit=200) for cost efficiency and sort by domain_inlink_rank to prioritize high-authority domains. 

This helps identify the media network and partnership ecosystem surrounding a potential digital PR target.

Step 4. Get top backlinks

Cost: 1 credit per backlink

Retrieve concrete backlinks with List all backlinks (/all). Filter results based on your needs:

• highest authority backlinks (order_by=first.domain_inlink_rank)
• most recent backlinks (order_by=date_found)
• limited number of backlinks per referring domain (per_domain=N)

Analyze editorial placements, content context, and link types to evaluate how the website features brands and whether it aligns with your PR positioning.

Step 5. Add AI visibility (optional)

Cost: 800 credits per request

This enables digital PR teams to measure not only traditional backlink value but also visibility in AI-driven search experiences. 

Assess LLM visibility with Get AI search overview, including:

• brand presence
• link presence
• average position
• AI traffic trends

Optionally, fetch exact prompts and AI-generated responses using Get prompts by target or Get prompts by brand (200 credits per prompt).

Appendix: Backlinks API endpoint reference