Google Search Console is a free service offered by Google that helps you monitor, maintain, and troubleshoot your site's presence in Google Search results. You don't have to sign up for Search Console to be included in Google Search results, but Search Console helps you understand and improve how Google sees your site.

“Links” is a report within Google Search Console (GSC) that shows how other sites link to your site and how your site links internally. Tracking external links, or backlinks, and internal links is important. It lets you see sites that link to you the most, your most influential pages, and more.

Get a Google account if you don't have one. That's the only requirement to use Search Console. Open Search Console, then add and verify ownership of your site.