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Home » Google » Did Google Remove the Link Search Operator?

Did Google Remove the Link Search Operator?

Posted on February 11, 2016 Written by Bill Hartzer

It looks to me like Google has, just recently, remove the link: search operator on Google. If you search for any website’s links using Google, there aren’t any search results. So, for example, a search for link:google.com shows no results:

link search operator

So, most websites (or the main ones I have tried) show no results if you try to look up the links to a website in Google.

But, if you were to use the Link: search operator, if you use the Capital Letter L in Link: then you will find results, but it’s pretty much useless, as it’s just a search result including that site you looked up:

link search operator

Link_abc.xyz_-_Google_Search_-_2016-02-11_11.37.50

So, I am going to go ahead and call the link: search operator dead in Google. It has been for at least, well, let’s say at least 5 years or more, but now it’s useless. As in don’t use it, it doesn’t give you any results, and Google doesn’t want you to know the links to a site because links are still a part of their algorithm.

By the way, it’s worth noting that Google does NOT list the link: search operator on their help page here:

https://support.google.com/websearch/answer/2466433?hl=en

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Filed Under: Google, Search Engines

About Bill Hartzer

Bill Hartzer is the CEO of Hartzer Consulting and founder of DNAccess, a domain name protection and recovery service. A recognized authority in digital marketing and domain name strategy, Bill is frequently called upon as an Expert Witness in internet-related legal cases. He's been sharing his insights, expertise, and research here on BillHartzer.com for over two decades.

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