Competitor Backlink Analysis: Find the Links Your Rivals Have That You Do Not

Competitor Backlink Analysis: Find the Links Your Rivals Have That You Do Not

Every business that outranks you in search results has a backlink profile you can study. Competitor backlink analysis reveals exactly which sites link to your rivals, what kind of content earns those links, and where the gaps in your own profile exist. This intelligence transforms link building from guesswork into targeted strategy. If you are investing in link building services, a competitor analysis should be the first thing any provider delivers before they build a single link.

This guide walks through the full process of analyzing competitor backlinks, interpreting the data, and converting findings into an actionable link building plan.

Step 1: Identify the Right Competitors to Analyze

The competitors you analyze should be the ones ranking for your target keywords, not necessarily the businesses you consider direct competitors offline.

Finding Your Search Competitors

1. Search your top 5-10 target keywords in Google.
2. Note which domains appear most frequently in the top 5 results.
3. For local SEO, check both the map pack and organic results.
4. Compile a list of 3-5 domains that consistently outrank you.

Important distinction: Your search competitors may differ from your business competitors. A national directory, a local blog, or a franchise location from a different brand may outrank you without being a direct business rival. Analyze them anyway, because they hold the same positions you want.

Filtering for Relevant Competitors

Exclude domains that are not realistic comparison targets:

• Major national platforms (Yelp, Angi, HomeAdvisor) rank through enormous domain authority that is impractical to replicate
• Wikipedia, government sites, and .edu domains operate under fundamentally different link acquisition dynamics

Focus on the local businesses, regional agencies, and niche sites that compete in your weight class. Their link profiles represent achievable benchmarks.

Step 2: Extract Competitor Backlink Data

Use a backlink analysis tool to pull comprehensive data on each competitor’s link profile.

Recommended Tools

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Data Points to Extract

For each competitor, export:

• Total referring domains (unique websites linking to them)
• Backlink list with anchor text, DA/DR, and dofollow/nofollow status
• Referring domain growth over time (link velocity)
• Top linked pages (which of their pages earn the most links)
• Anchor text distribution across their profile

Step 3: Analyze the Data

Raw data requires interpretation. Focus your analysis on these dimensions.

Domain Authority Comparison

Compare your referring domain count and domain authority against each competitor. This reveals the overall gap you need to close.

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If competitors have 2-3x your referring domains, that gap tells you link building needs to be a priority. If the gap is smaller, other factors (content quality, technical SEO, on-page optimization) may matter more.

Link Gap Analysis

The link gap identifies domains that link to your competitors but not to you. This is the most actionable output of competitor backlink analysis.

In Ahrefs, use the “Link Intersect” tool. In SEMrush, use “Backlink Gap.” Input your domain and 3-4 competitors to generate a list of referring domains that link to one or more competitors but not to you.

Prioritize link gap opportunities by:

1. Domains that link to multiple competitors (they are clearly willing to link to businesses in your space)
2. Domains with high authority (DA 30+)
3. Domains with geographic relevance to your service area
4. Domains where you could realistically earn a link through outreach or content

Content That Earns Links

Examine which specific pages on competitor sites attract the most backlinks. This reveals what types of content your market’s linking sources value.

Common patterns you may find:

• Comprehensive guides on topics you also cover (but they did it better)
• Data studies or original research
• Free tools, calculators, or interactive content
• Resource pages or curated directories
• Infographics or visual content

Each high-link page on a competitor’s site represents a content format and topic that has proven link-earning potential in your market.

Anchor Text Patterns

Analyzing competitor anchor text distributions reveals two things:

1. Which keywords they are targeting through link building
2. How aggressive their optimization is relative to yours

If a competitor has a heavily optimized anchor profile with high exact-match percentages, they may be vulnerable to algorithmic filtering. A cleaner, more natural anchor text profile on your site can be a competitive advantage.

Step 4: Build Your Action Plan

Convert analysis into a prioritized link building plan.

Quick Wins (1-4 Weeks)

Pursue link gap opportunities that require minimal effort:

• Directories and listings where competitors appear but you do not
• Business associations that list competitors as members
• Resource pages that already link to competitors and would logically include you

These links are often available simply by submitting a listing, joining an organization, or sending a brief outreach email.

Medium-Term Opportunities (1-3 Months)

Target link sources that require content creation or relationship building:

• Create content that matches or exceeds the competitor pages earning the most links
• Reach out to local media and bloggers who have covered your competitors
• Pursue partnerships with organizations that link to competitors through sponsorship or collaboration

Long-Term Strategy (3-12 Months)

Address structural advantages that competitors hold:

• Build a content library that systematically targets the content formats earning links in your market
• Develop ongoing relationships with the journalists and bloggers who regularly cover your industry
• Invest in digital PR to earn links from the high-authority sources that differentiate top-ranking competitors

Step 5: Monitor and Repeat

Competitor backlink analysis is not a one-time exercise. Set up ongoing monitoring:

• Monthly: Check competitor new referring domains for fresh link opportunities
• Quarterly: Re-run the full link gap analysis to identify new gaps and track your progress in closing existing ones
• After ranking changes: When a competitor gains or loses significant rankings, check their backlink profile for explanations

Set up alerts in Ahrefs or SEMrush to notify you when competitors acquire new backlinks from high-authority sources. This gives you a real-time feed of link opportunities to pursue.

What Competitor Analysis Cannot Tell You

Backlink data has limitations:

• No tool captures 100% of backlinks. Different tools index different portions of the web. Using multiple tools provides a more complete picture.
• Correlation is not causation. A competitor’s links may not be the primary reason they outrank you. Technical SEO, content quality, and user signals also play significant roles. A thorough SEO audit evaluates all of these factors together.
• Not every competitor link is worth replicating. Some competitor links come from PBNs, paid placements, or other manipulative sources. Replicating these would harm rather than help your site. Filter out suspicious links before building your outreach list.
• Past links do not guarantee future availability. A site that linked to a competitor two years ago may have changed its editorial policy, gone dormant, or shifted its focus. Verify that link targets are still active and accepting content or listings.

FAQ

How often should I run a competitor backlink analysis?

A comprehensive analysis every quarter is sufficient for most businesses. Between full analyses, set up automated alerts for competitor new backlinks to catch high-value opportunities in real time. If you are in a highly competitive market or actively investing in link building, monthly mini-analyses focused on competitor new referring domains keep your strategy current.

Which competitor backlink tool is best for local businesses?

Ahrefs offers the most comprehensive backlink database and the strongest link gap analysis features. For local businesses on a budget, SEMrush provides solid backlink analysis combined with local SEO tools in a single subscription. If you only need basic competitive link intelligence, Moz Link Explorer’s free tier allows limited analysis without a paid commitment.

What if competitors have significantly more backlinks than I do?

A large gap does not mean you need to match their total link count. Focus on the quality and relevance of your links rather than raw volume. Many businesses rank competitively with fewer total referring domains by concentrating on high-relevance, high-authority links from locally significant sources. Close the gap strategically by targeting the highest-impact link building opportunities first.

Should I try to copy every link my competitors have?

No. Evaluate each competitor link opportunity individually. Some of their links may come from sources that are irrelevant to your business, no longer active, or obtained through practices you should not replicate. Focus on the links that are both achievable and genuinely valuable for your specific site and market position.

See How Your Link Profile Compares

A competitor backlink analysis is most valuable when combined with a complete assessment of your own SEO performance. Order an SEO audit(/services/seo-audit/) and we will analyze your backlink profile against your top local competitors, identify the most impactful link gaps, and deliver a prioritized plan for closing them.