When you see your competitor’s website ranking higher, it’s a good idea to check what’s helping them grow. 

Often, their success is driven by the strong backlinks they’ve acquired

By looking at where they’re getting their links, you can find ways to build similar links for your own site and improve your rankings, too.  

This article helps you by breaking down how to analyze and replicate your competitor’s backlinks for your own SEO success.

Let’s Explore how competitor backlinks can help your website grow.

What Is A Competitor Backlink Analysis?

A competitor backlink analysis is the process of identifying websites that link to your competitors but not to you. By analyzing these links, you can gain a competitive edge and discover new link-building opportunities to improve your website’s SEO and authority.

7 Steps to Perform Competitor Backlink Analysis

Here are the essential steps to effectively analyze your competitors’ backlinks:

1. Identify Your Competitors

Competitor analysis involves evaluating both page-level and domain-level competitors. Let’s break it down:

A. Page-Level Competitors

These are individual pages from other websites that rank for the same keywords as your content. You can analyze these pages to understand your immediate competition on a keyword-by-keyword basis.

How to Find Your Page-Level Competitors: 

• Keyword Search on Google: Perform a Google search for your target keyword. The top-ranking pages on the SERPs are your direct competitors for that keyword.
• Ahrefs or SEMrush: Enter your target keyword in these tools to see which specific pages are ranking for that term. You’ll also get detailed backlink profiles for each page, helping you discover backlinks competitors are earning.
• Analyze Backlink Sources: Use backlink analysis tools like Ahrefs or Moz to check where these pages are getting their backlinks. Look for opportunities to target the same domains for your own backlink profile.

Why Page-Level Competitors Matter: 

When you focus on pages ranking for the same keyword and tailor your content and link-building strategies to outperform those specific competitors. All this clarity about competitor backlinks reveals what you need to do to close the gap.

This image shows Google search results for the query “how to build backlinks,” displaying top-ranking pages from sites like Semrush and Ahrefs. These are examples of page-level competitors, as they compete for this specific topic, even if their overall site focus may differ.

B. Domain-Level Competitors

Domain-level competitors are entire websites that target the same audience and keywords across multiple pages. Understanding these competitors is key to refining your broader SEO strategy and long-term growth.

How to Identify Domain-Level Competitors:

• SEMrush Competitor Tool: Enter your website URL into SEMrush to see a list of websites that compete with yours based on shared keywords and traffic overlap.
• Ahrefs Competing Domains Tool: This tool will show you the competing domains with the most keywords overlapping your site, thus allowing you to determine huge competition at the domain level.
• Analyze Backlinks: After identifying the domain-level competitors, it is possible to use SEMrush, Ahrefs, or similar tools to study the general backlink profiles of said competitors. This might better indicate where they fetch their competitor links and indicate potential opportunities.

Why Domain-Level Competitors Matter:

Looking at domain-level competition gives you a comprehensive view of how entire websites are performing in your niche. It helps you understand your competitors’ long-term strategies and opens doors for link-building through backlink search across multiple relevant pages and domains.

This image shows Google search results for the term “digital marketing,” with top-ranking pages from sites like Investopedia and Mailchimp. These are examples of domain-level competitors, as they provide comprehensive content on digital marketing topics, aiming to attract a similar audience.

Key Takeaways:

• Page-Level Competitors: Focus on keyword-specific competitors. Tools like Ahrefs and SEMrush will help you find competitors ranking for your target keywords.
• Domain-Level Competitors: Look at whole domains competing in your industry. You’ll find opportunities for backlinks by targeting the same high-authority websites linking to your competitors.

Analysis at the page level, as well as the domain level, would give you a great insight into the competitor backlink analysis process. This will allow you to build a better link profile and improve your site’s authority and rankings.

2. Choose the Right Backlink Analysis Tool

Use these tools to uncover competitor backlinks and identify valuable link-building opportunities.

1. Ahrefs

Ahrefs is one of the best tools for identifying competitor backlinks and analyzing their link profiles. Here’s how to use it:

1. Start by entering your competitor’s URL into the search bar.
2. Navigate to the “Backlink Profile” section, where you’ll find a comprehensive list of all the websites linking to your competitor’s site.
3. Use the filter to focus on high-authority websites that are linking to your competitors. This gives you an idea of the quality backlinks competitor sites are earning.
4. Check the anchor text used in competitor backlinks to understand how they’re using keyword-rich anchors and branded anchors. This helps in creating a more effective backlink competitor analysis for your site.
5. You can export the backlink data and use it for outreach or strategy building to gain links from the same sources.

2. SEMrush

SEMrush is excellent for performing a competitor backlink analysis with additional features like keyword gap analysis. Here’s how to analyze competitors backlinks:

1. Start by entering your competitor’s domain into SEMrush’s “Backlink Analytics” tool.
2. SEMrush provides a detailed breakdown of the referring domains, total backlinks, and follow vs. nofollow links.
3. Use SEMrush’s “Backlink Gap” tool to compare your website’s backlink profile to that of your competitors. This will highlight domains that are linking to your competitors but not to you.
4. SEMrush categorizes the backlinks into text, image, form, and frame links. Focus on text links for high-quality backlink search.
5. Set up a backlink tracking campaign to monitor your progress in gaining new links.

3. Moz

Moz provides a simpler approach to analyzing competitor backlinks with its Link Explorer tool. Here’s how to use it:

1. In Moz’s Link Explorer, type in the competitor’s URL.
2. Navigate to the “Inbound Links” section to see a list of domains linking to your competitors.
3. Focus on high Domain Authority (DA) links to find the most valuable backlinks competitors are acquiring.
4. Similar to Ahrefs, Moz allows you to view the anchor text used for backlinks, helping you refine your backlink competitor analysis by reviewing how anchor texts are distributed.
5. Moz’s Spam Score feature helps you identify toxic or spammy links from competitor sites, which you should avoid replicating.

4. uSERP

uSERP specializes in competitor backlink analysis and provides you with a personalized approach to analyzing backlinks. Here’s how to use it:

1. uSERP offers detailed reports on competitor backlinks, focusing on high-quality domains and referring websites.
2. You’ll get a report showing the types of backlinks competitors are using to rank higher. This includes editorial backlinks, guest posts, and other high-authority links.
3. Use the data provided by uSERP to build relationships with the same referring domains or websites, ensuring your backlink profile grows in authority and relevance.
4. uSERP will also help you monitor your progress as you implement your strategy to gain links from the same sources.

3. Gather Competitor Backlink Data

Input your competitor’s URL into tools like Ahrefs, SEMrush, Moz, or uSERP to find competitor backlinks. These tools provide detailed backlink data, including metrics like:

• Total Backlinks: The number of backlinks pointing to the competitor’s site.
• Referring Domains: Unique domains that are linked to the competitor.

This analysis helps you find competitor backlinks and identify opportunities for your own link-building strategy.

4. Evaluate Link Quality and Relevance 

To thoroughly assess the quality and relevance of competitor backlinks, you can use a tool like Ahrefs. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to do it:

1. Enter Competitor’s URL 

• Open Ahrefs and enter your competitor’s URL into the search bar.
• Go to the “Site Explorer” section to analyze their backlink profile.

2. Check Referring Domains 

• Navigate to the “Backlinks” tab to see all the backlinks pointing to your competitor’s site.
• Look for high-DR websites (Domain Rating) linking to them. Websites with a DR of 60+ are generally considered authoritative and valuable for your backlink strategy.

3. Analyze Link Relevance 

• Check if the referring domains are related to your niche. For example, if you’re in the link-building space, sites that focus on SEO, digital marketing, or content creation would be highly relevant.
• You can check this by reviewing the content of the referring domain and ensuring the context of the link fits your industry.

4. Review Anchor Texts 

• Scroll down to the “Anchors” tab to see the exact text used in the backlinks.
• Look for a variety of anchor texts, including branded, exact-match, and natural keywords. This helps you understand how your competitors are optimizing their links.

5. Assess the DR of Referring Domains 

• Pay close attention to the DR of each referring domain. Focus on replicating backlinks from sites with a high DR to increase the value of your backlink profile.

5) Identify Backlink Gaps

Identifying backlink gaps helps you discover websites linking to your competitors but not to your site. By closing these gaps, you can strengthen your backlink profile and improve your rankings.

1. Use SEMrush’s Backlink Gap Tool 

• In SEMrush, go to the “Backlink Gap” tool under the Link Building section.
• Enter your domain (e.g., Outreach Monks) in the first field and competitors like linkbuilder.io in the other fields.
• SEMrush will show websites that link to your competitors but not to you.

2. Analyze the Missing Backlinks 

• SEMrush will generate a list of domains linking to LinkBuilder.io but not to Outreach Monks.
• Focus on high-authority referring domains relevant to your niche.

3. Prioritize High-Quality and Relevant Domains 

• Filter the results based on Domain Authority (DA) or Domain Rating (DR) and relevance to your industry.
• For example, if LinkBuilder.io is linked from authoritative SEO blogs or industry websites, these are prime targets for your outreach.

4. Replicate Competitor Backlink Strategies 

• Identify the types of backlinks LinkBuilder.io is gaining (guest posts, editorial links, etc.).
• Reach out to these same websites or similar high-quality ones to close the backlink gap for Outreach Monks.

5. Expand Your Backlink Profile

• Use the insights to reach out to websites that link to LinkBuilder.io but not to Outreach Monks, helping to improve your backlink profile and SEO performance.

By regularly conducting competitor backlink analysis and identifying these gaps, you can ensure Outreach Monks stays competitive and continues to grow in the SEO space.

6) Identify Linking Strategies and Opportunities 

When analyzing your competitor’s backlink profiles, you’ll start noticing patterns in how they acquire backlinks. Some effective link-building strategies include:

1. Guest Posting: Writing guest posts for relevant blogs remains a tried-and-true method to build high-quality backlinks.
2. Business Directories: Securing listings in reputable directories provides foundational backlinks that help improve your online presence.
3. Influencer Outreach: Collaborating with industry influencers can lead to organic mentions and valuable backlinks.
4. Niche Edits: Find existing content on websites and offer to add your link to relevant sections. This helps update their content while securing a backlink for you.
5. Broken Link Building: Use tools like SEMrush to find broken backlinks on competitor sites. Reach out to the website owner and offer your relevant content as a replacement. This helps the site owner fix their page and secures you a backlink.

By combining these strategies and consistently monitoring competitor backlinks, you can steadily grow your own backlink profile and outperform your competitors in search rankings.

7. Monitor Competitors’ New Backlinks 

Stay ahead by keeping a close watch on competitors’ latest backlink profile developments.

1. Set Alerts for Competitors: Use tools like Ahrefs, SEMrush, or Moz to set up alerts for when your competitors gain new backlinks. This allows you to react promptly and assess whether the new links present an opportunity for your own outreach or backlink profile building. Monitoring new backlinks helps you stay competitive and continually fill any backlink gaps.

2. Track High-Value Link Sources: Keep a running list of high-quality backlinks your competitors acquire. Add these sites to your outreach list for potential link-building opportunities. Regularly monitoring the backlink profiles of top competitors ensures that you don’t miss out on valuable link-building chances from authoritative domains.

Common Pitfalls in Competitor Backlink Analysis 

Learn how to avoid common mistakes when analyzing competitor backlink profiles to strengthen your SEO strategy.

1. Don’t Rely Solely on Competitor Data: Use competitor insights as a guide, but focus on building a unique and natural backlink profile tailored to your brand’s strengths and goals.
2. Watch Out for Low-Quality Backlinks: Avoid mimicking spammy or low-authority backlinks found in competitors’ backlink profiles—these can negatively impact your SEO and ranking.

Things to Consider Before Starting Competitor Analysis

Learn how to avoid common mistakes when analyzing competitor backlink profiles to strengthen your SEO strategy.

1. Don’t Rely Solely on Competitor Data: Use competitor insights as a guide, but focus on building a unique and natural backlink profile tailored to your brand’s strengths and goals.
2. Beware of Low-Quality Backlinks: Avoid mimicking spammy or low-authority backlinks found in competitors’ backlink profiles—these can negatively impact your SEO and ranking.
3. Focus on Relevance Over Quantity: It’s better to gain fewer high-quality, relevant backlinks than to have a large number of low-relevance ones. Ensure that the links you pursue are valuable and related to your niche.
4. The Source’s Authority: Just because a competitor has a backlink doesn’t mean it’s from a high-quality site. Always evaluate the authority of the referring domain before pursuing similar links.
5. Look for Long-Term Partnerships: Instead of aiming for one-time backlinks, focus on establishing long-term partnerships with high-authority sites for consistent link-building opportunities.

Conclusion: Competitor Backlinks 

Analyzing competitor backlink profiles helps you discover valuable opportunities to strengthen your SEO strategy. Focus on building a unique and natural backlink profile by targeting high-quality links and avoiding spammy ones. To further enhance your backlink efforts, prioritize creating valuable content that attracts high-authority backlinks for lasting SEO success.

Ready to improve your backlink strategy? Contact Outreach Monks for expert link-building services that drive real results.

FAQs On Competitor Backlinks