Want to boost your website’s visibility without guessing where your next backlink might come from? Easy. Just take a peek at what’s working for your competitors!
In this guide, we’ll show you how to analyze competitor link profiles and find great backlink opportunities. We’ll break it down step-by-step in a way that’s fun and simple.
Why Should You Care About Competitor Link Profiles?
Think of backlinks as votes of confidence from other websites. The more you have — from trustworthy sources — the better your site performs in search engines.
But finding these links can be hard. So why not let your competitors do some of the work for you?
By looking at their backlink profiles, you can:
- Discover websites that link to others in your niche
- Find content and strategies that attract links
- Spot gaps in their backlink strategies that you can exploit
Step 1: Know Who Your Competitors Are
First, identify your real competitors. These aren’t always the businesses you fight with on price. Instead, look at who’s ranking on Google for your target keywords.
For example, if you’re selling organic dog treats, search “buy organic dog treats” and note the top 5-10 websites.
They’re your SEO competition.
Step 2: Get the Right Tools
You’ll need a backlink analysis tool for this. Here are a few good options:
- Ahrefs
- SEMrush
- Majestic
- Moz Link Explorer
All of these tools can give you a detailed view of any website’s backlink profile. Most have free trials!
Step 3: Enter Your Competitor’s Domain
Once inside your chosen tool, enter the competitor’s domain name into the search bar. In seconds, you’ll see a goldmine of data.
Look out for:
- Total backlinks
- Referring domains
- Top linked pages
- Anchor text used
- Link type (dofollow vs. nofollow)
Focus on referring domains, not just backlinks. A site with 100 links from 1 domain means less than 100 links from 100 different domains.
Step 4: Filter Out the Junk
Not all backlinks are created equal. Some are spammy and won’t help you rank — they might even hurt you.
Skip sites with:
- Low domain ratings (under 20, usually)
- Foreign language content that doesn’t match your audience
- Spammy anchor texts
Stick with quality over quantity.
Step 5: Spot the Link Patterns
Now look for patterns. Ask questions like:
- What type of content attracts the most links?
- Are most links coming from blogs, news sites, or forums?
- What style of anchor text do people use?
For example, if your competitor’s blog post on “5 Healthy Ingredients for Dog Treats” has dozens of backlinks, you might want to create something even better.
Step 6: Find Link Gaps
Many tools let you compare backlink profiles. This shows you where competitors have links—and you don’t.
Plug in your domain and 2-3 competitors. These tools will show “link gaps” — backlinks you’re missing.
This is pure gold. Websites that linked to three of your competitors are likely to link to you too — if you have something valuable to offer.
Step 7: Plan Your Outreach
Now that you know who’s linking to your competition, it’s time to say hello!
But don’t send boring, copy-paste emails. Stand out.
Here are fun ways to approach them:
- Show them an even better resource
- Offer to guest post on their blog
- Mention where their link is broken and offer a fix
- Share new data, tools, or research you’ve created
People link to: value. So give them something worth sharing.
Step 8: Organize Everything
Keep a spreadsheet or use tools like Trello or Notion. Record:
- Target website
- Contact info
- Link opportunity (e.g. blog post, broken link)
- Date contacted
- Follow-up status
Don’t let all your hard work go to waste. Follow up, track replies, and keep relationships warm.
Bonus Tip: Use Alerts to Stay Ahead
Want to know when your competitors land new backlinks? Set up alerts!
Most backlink tools let you create email notifications. Google Alerts works too.
Every time your competitor gets a new link, you’ll be notified. You can then reach out to the same site and pitch your content.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
As fun as this process is, there are a few traps to dodge:
- Copying content – Don’t steal, improve
- Mass emailing – Personalize every message
- Ignoring context – Not all links are relevant to your niche
- Only chasing big sites – Smaller blogs often have friendlier editors
Final Thoughts
Analyzing your competitors’ link profiles isn’t sneaky. It’s smart!
They’ve already paved a path to high rankings. You just need to follow it — and maybe build an even better road.
Backlinks are essential, but they don’t have to be a mystery. With a bit of detective work and some friendly outreach, you’ll be climbing those Google rankings in no time.
Now pick a competitor, fire up your backlink tool, and go hunting!