Google Backlinks don't show as Many as Yahoo Backlinks

[NJLawman]

Okay, so the Google Toolbar says that there are 41 sites that link to me. My Toolbar PR is 5.

Yahoo says that almost 900 sites like to me.

Does mean that for every 20 sites I get links from, G will only use one?

Please enlighten me my friends.

[wheel]

All that means is that Google only shows 'some' backlinks. The exact definition of 'some' is unknown.

[pmkpmk]

Instead of the

link:mysite.com

query, use the (little known)

link¦mysite.com

command.

[OCSupertones]

link¦mysite.com

didn't work for me.

Shows nothing with or without www.

[pmkpmk]

It's the pipe symbol - the vertical line with the single break in it. HTML char

|

[martinibuster]

Ok, here we go...

• Google has NEVER shown complete backlinks, at least not for a long long time.
• Previously Google only showed backlinks from PR 4 or above websites
• Last year at the London pubcon, one of our own convinced Matt Cutts that showing pr 4 or over backlinks sent the message that only pr 4 and up sites mattered, and it would be better to show a RANDOMIZED (but still incomplete) set of backlinks.

In other words, Google's backlink report is incomplete. The reason is to presumably thwart seo activity. That is why the PR checker no longer updates once a month.

End of story.

I'm putting this post into the Library so that next time somone asks this question (like next week, hehe), we can give them a link to this thread.

Additionally, this question belongs in Google News. The Link Development forum is about discussing ways for developing links. ;)

[hp11]

I have always hated that about Google. Their searches are great for surfers, but terrible for webmasters.