Here’s how it generally works:

  1. Google Indexing: Google is a search engine, and its primary goal is to index and rank web pages for search results. When Googlebot (Google’s web crawler) discovers a new backlink pointing to your site, it may not index it immediately. Google’s indexing process can take time, and not all backlinks are indexed quickly. Some may take weeks or even months to appear in Google’s index.
  2. Ahrefs and Other SEO Tools: Tools like Ahrefs, Moz, and SEMrush have their own web crawlers that continuously scan the internet for backlinks. When they find a new backlink pointing to your site, they add it to their database almost immediately. This is why you might see backlinks in Ahrefs or similar tools before they appear in Google’s search results.

So, the order typically goes like this: Ahrefs and similar tools often show backlinks faster because they use their own web crawlers. Google, on the other hand, has its own schedule for indexing web pages and backlinks. It’s not uncommon for backlinks to appear in SEO tools before they show up in Google search results.

Remember that the speed of indexing can vary depending on the specific website and the quality of the backlink. Building high-quality and relevant backlinks can improve the chances of faster indexing by both Ahrefs and Google.

Read More: What is the order of backlink indexing between Ahrefs and Google?