Checking Backlinks: Getting Different Results

link:www.mysite.com returns *much different* than link: www.mysite.com

[JackieLane]

Hi all,
Hopefully I am posting in the right area...

I have been checking backlinks by typing:
link:www.mysite.com
(No spaces)
into Google's search box.

I noticed today that typing:
link: www.mysite.com
(Note the single space after ":")
into Google's search box returns a much different result. For most of the sites I've run this test on, using the space lists about 3x as many backlinks.

Does anyone know what the difference is between these 2 backlink searches and which is more accurate (or is this simply user-error)?

Much thanks in advance!

[howiejs]

Interesting - I just saw the same thing by adding a sapce?

are these backlinks below a PR 4 that are not displayed in the standard way (no space)?

[thumpcyc]

When using link:www.domain.com, you are not doing a search as per say, but using the "link" google command I believe. When you add the space, you are doing a search for all the pages that contain the word "link" and "www.domain.com" from what I understand.

Just my best guess,
Thumpcyc

[coconutz]

Check the blue statistics bar [google.com] that defines the search performed:

link:www.webmasterworld.com [google.com]
Results 1 - 10 of about 7,800 linking to www.webmasterworld.com. (0.18 seconds)

link: www.webmasterworld.com [google.com]
Results 1 - 10 of about 68,000 for link: www.webmasterworld.com. (0.19 seconds)

link: www.webmasterworld.com (with a space after the colon) searches for the text link and www.webmasterworld.com which returns pages that may or may not have a hyperlink on the page.

[JackieLane]

Thank you all for your time and investigation...

In order to accurately check the number of backlinks (inbound links to you that Google reports), would you suggest to use no spaces:
i.e., link:wwww.webmasterworldworld.com?

Otherwise, you are only checking on-the-page text?