Search Operator Link: How accurate is the data?

[Felip3]

How often do you guys use the search operator "link:"?  How accurate is the data? Why the numbers of links when we use the parameter is way lower than the number on Google webmaster Tool or open site explorer? It only show the most powerful links?

[KeriMorgret]

It's less accurate than what a teenager tells their parents is going to happen on prom night. It's not accurate at all, and Google has said this for years. Rand actually wrote about it four years ago at http://moz.com/blog/google-link-command-busting-the-myths.

[Travis_Bailey]

Yep, and Christoph Cemper has stated that you see ~15% of your actual links in Google WMT.

[gazzerman1]

How often do you guys use the search operator "link:"?  Not very Often

How accurate is the data? Its accurate, but it only shows a small percentage of the links

Why the numbers of links when we use the parameter is way lower than the number on Google webmaster Tool or open site explorer? It is lower because in the past people used this search operator to find links pointing to competitors to help with their own link building plan

It only show the most powerful links? No it shows a random selection most of the time.