I have a bit of an odd one regarding the back link profile for my client

Selected answers from the Dumb SEO Questions Facebook & G+ community.

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  Laurie Turnbull: Hi there. I have a bit of an odd one regarding the back link profile for my client paradisemotorcycletours (.co.nz site)
  
  Webmaster Tools has the *www. subdomain set as preferred (also set as the canonical subdomain throughout the site) and everything appears to be tracking correctly. The link report in GWMT reports 421 external backlinks to the entire subdomain.
  
  However, MOZ's Opensite Explorer reports 4,211 external links and Majestic SEO a stonking 44,000. ;
  
  Something is clearly amiss with the domain configuration in GWMT. Any guidance would be greatly appreciated.
  
  Thanks
  
  Laurie
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  SeoWix: What exactly you are upto? if you are confused with backlinks reports on different tools. it is obvious, every tool has its capacity to show you results. GWMT never share the exact number of backlinks pointing back to any site. this is not the capacity of GWMT but the policy of Google. the other two services may differ to each other due to their reporting capabilities. so there is nothing to worry unless link profile is flaged on GWT.
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  Laurie Turnbull: Thanks +SeoWix ;I understand that different tools report different backlink profile numbers but, typically, GWMT would report the highest number versus third party tools, not the lowest.
  
  I'm trying to ascertain if there is an issue that I need to address.
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  Kuldeep Singh: Different tools has their own API. Google's GWT hasn't strong extracting skills than Moz or Majestic.
  
  I recommend you to go with OSE and GWT data. settle them into an excel file and remove duplicates and go ahead.
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  Greg Baka: Hello +Laurie Turnbull ; you wrote "typically, GWMT would report the highest number versus third party tools" ; But I have usually seen the opposite.
  Some of the 3rd party tools ; record every odd variation of the same basic link (all the versions of junk tacked onto the end of the URL created by a sites search, commenting, archiving, and categorizing functions) and this can really artificially inflate the number of links.
  GWMT has a shorter attention span and usually doesn't record many variations.
  Do your link lists from the 3rd parties include an overabundance of variations on individual links?
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  W.E. Jonk: +Laurie Turnbull ;Can you please disable the link, like www(dot)paradisemotorcycletours(dot)co(dot)nz. And don't forget the one in the link-box. We ask members to disable their links because we don't want linkdroppers participating here on the community. Thanks in advance.
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  Laurie Turnbull: +W.E. Jonk ; Sorry! What a schoolboy mistake - I have taken the link off. ;
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  Laurie Turnbull: +Greg Baka ; Hey Greg. After raking through the backlink profiles in CSV format, I can see you're on the money actually (thanks!).
  
  The reason GWMT tends to report higher backlink profiles for my clients is that they have really small websites (I am in New Zealand) typically with sub 1000 links. The likes of Mozscape etc often don't index the sites that are linking to them so I tend to have to refer to GWMT more.
  
  Anyway, sound advice from all. Thanks +Kuldeep Singh ;& +SeoWix ;
  
  L
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  W.E. Jonk: Thanks, no problem. However the link is still in the link-box (at the bottom of the post). ;
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  Laurie Turnbull: +W.E. Jonk ;Schoolboy error number2! Removed. Cheers.
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  Greg Baka: Hi +Laurie Turnbull ; - glad it helped. If I ever get to NZ you can buy me a beer ;-)