Competitor backlink analysis is one of the most effective ways to improve your website’s SEO strategy.
It involves studying where your competitors are earning backlinks, understanding the quality and sources of those links, and using that information to strengthen your own backlink profile.
By finding competitor backlinks, you can identify link-building opportunities, discover successful content types, and close gaps that may be affecting your rankings.
Related tools like Ahrefs, SEMrush, Moz Link Explorer, SEOReviewTools, and Google Search Console make this process easier by providing detailed backlink reports and analysis options.
Marketers, SEO professionals, digital agencies, and business owners use competitor backlink analysis to create stronger, more targeted link-building campaigns.
It’s essential for anyone who wants to improve their domain authority, increase organic traffic, and outperform their competition in search results.
In this guide, you’ll learn how to find competitor backlinks step-by-step, how to use top backlink analysis tools, how to identify replicable link opportunities, and how to ethically build a stronger, safer backlink profile.
How to Analyze Competitor Backlinks Effectively
To analyze competitor backlinks effectively, you need to evaluate who links to your competitors, assess the quality and context of those links, and extract patterns that guide your own SEO strategy.
This process reveals what’s already working in your niche and helps you build smarter, data-driven link-building campaigns.
To break it down properly, let’s start with a clear definition.
What Are Competitor Backlinks?
Competitor backlinks are inbound links from external websites that point to your competitors’ pages.
These links act as signals of trust and authority—helping those pages rank higher in search engines.
Understanding competitor backlinks helps you:
- Identify the websites that trust your competitors enough to link to them
- See which types of content attract the most links
- Spot opportunities to earn similar or better backlinks
In short, competitor backlinks reveal successful off-page SEO strategies you can study and improve upon.
How to Analyze Competitor Backlinks
To analyze competitor backlinks effectively, you need to extract actionable insights from their link profile using SEO tools. This helps you understand what’s working in your industry—and how you can replicate or improve it.
Follow these steps for a focused and strategic backlink analysis:
- Enter a competitor domain or specific page into tools like Ahrefs, SEMrush, Moz, or SEO SpyGlass.
- Access the “Backlinks” or “Referring Domains” report to view the sites linking to them.
- Filter and sort the backlinks using criteria such as:
- Domain Rating (DR) or Domain Authority (DA)
- Referring traffic
- Follow vs. nofollow links
- Topical relevance to your niche
- Analyze anchor text distribution to see which keywords are being targeted and whether the links look natural or over-optimized.
- Review the content formats attracting backlinks—look for patterns like:
- Ultimate guides
- Tools or calculators
- Industry reports or data studies
- Infographics or case studies
- Identify recurring referring domains that link to multiple competitors. These are high-probability outreach targets.
- Track link velocity—observe whether competitors earn links steadily or in aggressive bursts. This reveals their promotional intensity.
- Spot common link-building tactics, such as:
- Guest blogging
- Resource page inclusion
- Niche edits or contextual mentions
- Digital PR or original research campaigns
By applying this process, you gain deep visibility into your competitors’ off-page strategy—and a roadmap to outperform them through smarter, targeted link-building.
Why You Should Analyze Competitor Backlinks
Studying competitor backlinks is crucial if you want to build a strong, competitive SEO strategy.
Here’s why it matters:
1. Discover Competitor Link-Building Strategies
You’ll see exactly how your competitors are earning backlinks:
- Are they guest posting?
- Are they creating studies or infographics?
- Are they getting featured in resource lists?
Knowing this helps you understand which techniques are effective in your industry.
It gives you clear direction on what types of actions to take for your own website.
2. Identify New Link-Building Opportunities
If a website linked to your competitor, it’s often willing to link to you too—especially if you offer even better content.
Analyzing competitor backlinks creates a ready-made list of websites you can reach out to.
This saves you time compared to starting outreach without any research.
3. Refine Your Backlink Strategy
Not all links are equal.
By analyzing competitor backlinks, you can focus on getting links from high-authority, trusted websites—and avoid low-quality links that could harm your SEO.
This way, you don’t waste effort chasing backlinks that provide little or no benefit.
You build a cleaner, more powerful backlink profile over time.
4. Spot Gaps in Your Link Profile
Backlink analysis reveals areas where your competitors are ahead.
By targeting those areas, you can close the gap and strengthen your domain authority.
Spotting these gaps early helps you plan better link-building campaigns.
It also helps you understand why certain competitors might be ranking higher than you.
5. Create Better, Linkable Content
By seeing what types of competitor content attract backlinks (like ultimate guides, tools, or research reports), you can create similar—but even stronger—resources.
Creating linkable content makes it easier to naturally earn backlinks.
It also helps your content perform better in organic search results over time.
6. Understand Competitor SEO Tactics
Competitor backlinks often reveal more than links:
- What keywords they target
- What content formats they prefer
- How they structure their off-page SEO strategies
Knowing this allows you to build a smarter SEO strategy.
You can adapt successful tactics and avoid ones that aren’t working.
7. Gain a Competitive Advantage
The more you understand your competitors’ backlink strategies—and the more you act on this data—the faster you can outrank them.
Instead of guessing, you work with real, proven data.
This approach gives you a real edge in building your authority and improving your search rankings.
Pro Tip:
Don’t aim to copy competitor backlinks exactly.
Instead, use their success as inspiration to build a cleaner, stronger, and more sustainable link profile for your site.
How to Identify Your Real Competitors
Identifying your true SEO competitors is the first and most important step before analyzing backlinks.
Your real competitors in SEO are not always your direct business rivals. They are the websites that consistently rank for the keywords you want to target, regardless of what products or services they offer.
Choosing the right competitors ensures that your backlink research is focused, efficient, and actionable.
Types of SEO Competitors
When evaluating competitors, you need to look at two types:
Page-Level Competitors and Domain-Level Competitors.
Each type plays a different role in your backlink strategy.
Page-Level Competitors
Page-level competitors are individual pages that compete with your specific page for the same keyword or search intent.
Example:
You publish a blog post about “best link-building strategies.”
Even if your website is new and your competitor is a bigger brand, their specific blog post on that topic becomes your page-level competitor.
How to Find Page-Level Competitors
- Google Search:
Enter your target keyword and review the top-ranking pages.
These are your page-level competitors. - SEO Tools (Ahrefs, SEMrush):
Enter your keyword into the tool and view the top-ranking URLs.
Analyze which pages consistently perform well for that keyword. - Backlink Analysis:
Use Ahrefs or Moz to check where these pages are getting their backlinks.
Focus on domains that could also link to your improved or updated version.
Screenshot Example for Page-Level Competitors
This screenshot shows Google search results for the query “best link-building strategies.”
The top-ranking pages from sites like Semrush, BuzzStream, Moz, and Backlinko are examples of page-level competitors.
Each page competes for this specific keyword, even if their overall website focus may differ.
Why Page-Level Competitors Matter
Focusing on page-level competitors is important when:
- You want to optimize or outrank a single piece of content.
- You are targeting long-tail keywords or specific blog topics.
- You need fast, keyword-specific backlink opportunities.
By understanding which pages compete with yours, you can tailor your backlink outreach and content upgrades more precisely.
Domain-Level Competitors
Domain-level competitors are entire websites that consistently compete with your domain across many keywords in your niche.
Example:
If your website focuses on “SEO training,” competitors like HubSpot Academy, Ahrefs Academy, and SEMrush Academy become domain-level competitors because they cover broad SEO topics across multiple pages.
How to Find Domain-Level Competitors
- SEMrush Organic Competitors Report: Enter your domain and see which websites overlap with yours across multiple keywords.
- Ahrefs Competing Domains Tool: Analyze which domains share the highest number of keyword rankings with your site.
- Backlink Profile Review: Check the backlink profiles of competing domains to spot recurring authority sites that link within your niche.
Screenshot Example for Domain-Level Competitors
This screenshot shows Google search results for the query “SEO training.”
Top-ranking sites like HubSpot Academy, Ahrefs Academy, SEMrush Academy, and Coursera are examples of domain-level competitors.
These sites compete broadly across multiple SEO-related topics, aiming to attract a similar target audience.
Why Domain-Level Competitors Matter
Focusing on domain-level competitors is important when:
- You want to improve your overall domain authority.
- You are building a long-term SEO strategy across multiple topics.
- You want to find broader backlink opportunities across an entire site, not just one page.
Studying domain-level competitors uncovers patterns in large-scale link acquisition and long-term content strategies.
Quick Takeaways
- Page-Level Competitors: Focus on keyword-specific pages. Ideal for quick wins and targeted backlinks.
- Domain-Level Competitors: Focus on full websites competing in your industry. Best for authority growth and scaling SEO across many keywords.
Pro Tip:
Combine both approaches: target quick page-level wins while also studying domain-level backlink patterns for long-term growth.
Tools to Find Competitor Backlinks (Free & Paid)
Using the right tools is the first step to uncover competitor backlinks efficiently.
Some tools offer in-depth backlink profiles, while others provide free, basic reports.
Here’s a list of recommended tools to find competitor backlinks:
Ahrefs
Ahrefs Site Explorer is a top-rated backlink analysis tool.
It allows you to check a competitor’s backlinks, filter by domain rating, anchor text, and find linking opportunities through features like Link Intersect.
Best for: Comprehensive backlink audits and advanced competitive research.
SEMrush
SEMrush provides backlink analytics and backlink gap comparison across multiple competitors.
It shows new, lost, and common backlinks, helping you uncover missing link opportunities for your site.
Best for: Competitive backlink gap analysis and ongoing backlink tracking.
Moz Link Explorer
Moz’s Link Explorer offers an easy way to view inbound links, anchor texts, Domain Authority (DA) scores, and Spam Scores.
It’s useful for getting a general sense of your competitor’s backlink strength and risk factors.
Best for: Beginner-friendly backlink overviews.
SEOReviewTools
SEOReviewTools provides a free backlink checker that delivers a basic snapshot of linking domains and page authorities.
It’s good for quick competitor checks but limited compared to premium options.
Best for: Initial backlink research if you don’t have a paid tool.
Google Search Console (Free Option)
Although mainly designed for your own site, Google Search Console can offer indirect insights.
By monitoring branded keyword performance and external linking pages, you can spot new backlink trends in your niche.
Best for: Supplementing your backlink research for free.
Pro Tip:
Combining insights from two or more tools gives you a clearer, fuller picture of competitor backlink strategies.
Step-by-Step Guide to Finding Competitor Backlinks
Once you have selected your preferred backlink analysis tool—whether it’s Ahrefs, SEMrush, or another platform—you are ready to start finding and analyzing competitor backlinks.
In this step-by-step guide, we’ll use Ahrefs as the primary example because it is widely recognized for backlink research.
If you are using SEMrush, you can easily follow the same process, as most steps are quite similar.
Let’s dive into the detailed steps:
Step 1: Export Backlinks from Tools
Start by gathering the raw backlink data from your chosen competitors.
- Enter Your Competitor’s URL:
In Ahrefs’ Site Explorer (or SEMrush Backlink Analytics), type in the competitor’s domain.
- Go to the “Backlinks” Section:
View the full list of external websites linking to your competitor’s site.
In Ahrefs, this is found under the “Backlink Profile” > “Backlinks” menu.
In SEMrush, it’s under “Backlink Analytics.” - Apply Important Filters:
- Focus only on dofollow links.
- Filter by high Domain Rating (DR) in Ahrefs or Authority Score in SEMrush.
- Optional: filter by link type (blogs, forums, news) if needed.
- Export the Data:
Download the filtered backlink list as a CSV file.
This will make analysis easier in the next steps.
Pro Tip:
Export backlinks from at least 3–5 competitors to build a rich database of potential link opportunities.
Step 2: Identify Link Types and Pages
Once you have the backlink data, it’s important to categorize the links.
- Segment by Link Type:
Look at where the backlinks are coming from:- Guest posts
- Resource pages
- Listicles
- Business directories
- Niche edits (links added into existing content)
- Assess the Quality of Linking Pages:
Prioritize backlinks coming from content-rich, relevant pages with strong authority.
Avoid backlinks from spammy sites, low-quality directories, or unrelated industries.
Proper categorization will help you design a targeted link-building strategy.
Step 3: Reverse Engineer Their Tactics
Next, figure out how your competitors earned those backlinks.
- Analyze Content Types:
Review the linked pages and check what type of content attracted backlinks:- In-depth guides
- Case studies
- Industry reports
- Infographics
- Expert interviews
- Look at Anchor Texts:
Identify if competitors are using keyword-rich anchors, branded anchors, or natural language phrases.
Anchor text patterns help you plan your content structure and outreach messaging.
Pro Tip:
Studying your competitors’ content and link-building tactics gives you clear ideas for replicating or improving upon their strategies.
Step 4: Prioritize Replicable Links
Not all competitor backlinks are worth pursuing.
Focus on backlinks that you can realistically and ethically replicate.
- Target Editorial Links:
Backlinks earned naturally through high-quality content are the most valuable.
Focus on guest posts, mentions in listicles, and features on resource pages. - Find Broken Link Opportunities:
Identify backlinks pointing to 404 or outdated competitor pages.
Create better content and suggest your page as a replacement (broken link building method). - Build a Target List:
Prioritize sites based on:- Domain authority
- Relevance to your niche
- Link placement (within content is better than footers or sidebars)
Plan your outreach carefully by offering real value rather than just asking for a link.
How to Get the Same Backlinks (Ethically)
Once you complete your competitor backlink analysis, the next step is to build a targeted action plan.
Start by categorizing the backlinks you discovered.
Look carefully at how your competitors earned each backlink:
- Through guest posting?
- Through business directory mentions?
- By earning placement on resource pages?
- Through broken links that could be replaced?
- By being quoted by media outlets (using platforms like HARO)?
By categorizing backlinks based on their method of acquisition, you can apply the right ethical strategy to replicate and even improve upon your competitors’ link-building efforts.
Here are four proven, ethical methods to help you earn similar backlinks:
1. Replicate Guest Post or Directory Mentions
Guest posting and directory submissions are among the most accessible backlink types to replicate.
How to Do It:
- Identify Guest Post Opportunities: Find websites where your competitors have published guest posts.
- Submit Your Own Guest Content: Reach out to these websites with a fresh, relevant article idea tailored to their audience.
- Apply for Trusted Directories: If your competitors are listed in reputable business or industry directories, submit your site for inclusion as well.
Why It Works:
Guest posting allows you to earn editorial backlinks while showcasing your expertise.
Directory listings help you build trust and improve local or niche SEO visibility.
Pro Tip:
Always customize your guest post pitches according to the site’s submission guidelines to increase acceptance chances.
2. Replace Broken or Outdated Links
Broken link building is a smart, white-hat strategy to win backlinks by offering value.
How to Do It:
- Locate Broken Backlinks: Use Ahrefs or SEMrush to find competitor backlinks pointing to dead or outdated pages.
- Create a Better Replacement: Develop fresh, high-quality content on the same topic.
- Reach Out to Website Owners: Inform them about the broken link and suggest your updated content as a useful alternative.
Webmasters appreciate when you help fix broken links on their sites.
Replacing dead links benefits them and gives you a chance to earn a backlink ethically.
Pro Tip:
Be polite and highlight how your suggestion improves their user experience, not just your SEO.
3. Pitch Upgraded Resources
Many competitor backlinks come from resource pages or recommendations for helpful content.
How to Do It:
- Analyze Top-Linked Content: Identify the guides, studies, or tools from your competitors that have attracted the most backlinks.
- Create Superior Content: Make your version more detailed, updated, visually rich, or comprehensive.
- Contact Linking Sites: Offer your upgraded resource as a better alternative that benefits their readers.
Websites want to link to the best and most updated resources.
If your content is clearly better, many will prefer linking to you instead of outdated competitor pages.
Pro Tip:
Focus on real improvements like updated data, better visuals, or deeper insights — not just longer word counts.
4. Use Tools Like HARO and SourceBottle
Earning media backlinks through journalist platforms is an ethical and high-value tactic.
How to Do It:
- Sign Up for HARO and SourceBottle: These services connect journalists looking for expert quotes with industry specialists.
- Respond Quickly to Queries: Send clear, helpful, and concise responses to journalist requests.
- Gain Authoritative Mentions: If selected, you’ll earn a backlink from reputable news outlets or industry blogs.
Why It Works:
Media backlinks from trusted publications carry strong authority signals for SEO.
They also enhance your brand credibility in your industry.
Pro Tip:
Monitor HARO emails daily and respond within a few hours to increase your chances of being featured.
Mistakes to Avoid When Analyzing Competitor Backlinks
While analyzing competitor backlinks can reveal great link-building opportunities, making mistakes during this process can harm your SEO instead of helping it.
Avoid these common mistakes to build a stronger, safer backlink strategy:
1. Prioritizing Quantity Over Quality
Focusing only on getting a large number of backlinks without checking their quality can hurt your SEO.
Low-quality backlinks from spammy or irrelevant sites can damage your site’s reputation.
It’s better to focus on earning fewer, high-quality backlinks from trusted, relevant websites.
Always check the authority and relevance of a site before aiming for a backlink, not just the number of links you can get.
2. Ignoring Relevance and Authority
Getting backlinks from websites that are not related to your niche or have low authority offers little SEO value.
Always aim for backlinks from sites that are both relevant to your industry and recognized as authoritative by search engines.
Links from unrelated or weak websites might even confuse Google about your site’s topic, making it harder to rank for the right keywords.
3. Using Over-Optimized Anchor Text
Using the same keyword-rich anchor text repeatedly can look unnatural and trigger spam signals, leading to penalties.
Make sure to vary your anchor text naturally, mixing branded terms, partial keywords, and general phrases.
A diverse anchor text profile looks more natural to search engines and reduces the risk of penalties.
4. Neglecting Internal Linking
While building external backlinks, forgetting about internal links within your site is a missed opportunity.
Strong internal linking improves page authority distribution and helps search engines understand your site structure better.
Internal links also help visitors navigate your site easily, improving user experience and keeping them engaged longer.
5. Relying on Link Exchanges
Directly exchanging backlinks with other websites can appear manipulative to search engines.
Instead of relying on link swaps, focus on earning organic backlinks through valuable content and natural relationships.
Overusing link exchanges might make your backlink profile look unnatural, and search engines could lower your rankings because of it.
6. Overlooking Broken Links
Not checking your backlink profile for broken links can lead to lost SEO value and a poor user experience.
It’s important to monitor your backlinks regularly and update or replace broken links to maintain your site’s authority.
Broken links also create a bad experience for visitors, which can increase bounce rates and reduce trust in your website.
7. Not Monitoring Toxic Links Regularly
Ignoring your backlink profile after building links can expose your site to toxic or spammy backlinks over time.
Regularly reviewing your backlinks and disavowing harmful ones keeps your site healthy and protects your rankings.
If you don’t remove harmful links, they can slowly damage your site’s SEO and even lead to penalties that are hard to recover from.
Quick Summary
- Focus on quality backlinks over quantity.
- Ensure backlinks come from relevant and reputable sites.
- Use a natural mix of anchor texts.
- Strengthen your site with proper internal linking.
- Avoid link exchanges that look unnatural.
- Fix broken backlinks promptly.
- Monitor toxic backlinks regularly to protect your SEO.
Building backlinks carefully and avoiding these mistakes helps ensure your site grows steadily without risking penalties.
How T-RANKS Helps You Outrank Competitors
Finding and analyzing competitor backlinks is important — but executing a strong backlink strategy requires reliable, accurate data and expert support.
T-RANKS makes this process easier, faster, and more effective by providing access to high-quality backlink intelligence and done-for-you outreach solutions.
Here’s how T-RANKS helps you move ahead of your competition:
1. Access to Clean and Verified Backlink Intelligence
T-RANKS offers a curated backlink database that filters out spammy or low-quality links.
You get reliable, updated data that focuses only on high-authority, real opportunities — saving you time and protecting your site’s SEO health.
2. Done-For-You Competitor Backlink Gap Audits
We help you identify backlink gaps between you and your top competitors.
T-RANKS analyzes competitor profiles, highlights missed link opportunities, and delivers clear action plans you can use to outrank them.
3. Scalable Outreach and Link Acquisition Support
T-RANKS doesn’t just find opportunities — we help you reach them.
With proven outreach templates, contact databases, and relationship-building tactics, we make it easier for you to secure quality backlinks at scale.
4. Manual, Ethical Link Building Services
Our approach avoids shortcuts and automation that risk penalties.
T-RANKS focuses on ethical, white-hat link-building strategies that strengthen your domain authority steadily and safely.
5. Expert Guidance and Support
Whether you’re new to backlink analysis or managing a growing SEO campaign, our team provides strategic support tailored to your needs.
From planning your outreach to refining your competitor strategies, T-RANKS helps you stay ahead with confidence.
Ready to Outrank Your Competitors?
Book a FREE Backlink Competitor Gap Audit with T-RANKS today and start building a smarter, stronger backlink profile.
Conclusion
In conclusion, analyzing competitor backlinks is one of the most effective ways to uncover what works in your niche and use that knowledge to grow your own search visibility. By identifying real competitors, studying their backlink profiles, and understanding how they earn links, you can create a targeted strategy that drives long-term SEO results.
From guest posting and directory mentions to broken link outreach and upgraded resource pitches, there are ethical, proven methods to earn similar backlinks without cutting corners. Success comes from taking informed action, focusing on quality over quantity, and building a link profile that supports your authority and rankings.
Start making smarter link-building decisions today —
👉 Book your FREE Competitor Backlink Gap Audit with T-RANKS and take the lead in your niche.
FAQs About Finding Competitor Backlinks
How can I find my competitors’ backlinks for free?
You can use free tools like SEOReviewTools Backlink Checker or the limited free versions of Ahrefs and SEMrush.
Google Search Operators like link:competitorwebsite.com can also reveal some backlinks, but this method is not very comprehensive.
What should I focus on when analyzing competitor backlinks?
Focus on the quality, relevance, and authority of the linking sites.
Look for backlinks from trusted, niche-related websites with strong domain authority, and study what content types are earning those links.
Is it ethical to replicate competitor backlinks?
Yes, if done correctly.
Ethical replication means reaching out to the same sites with better or updated content, or by offering value, without using spammy or manipulative tactics.
Can I just copy all my competitors’ backlinks?
No, and it’s not advisable.
Some backlinks are not replicable (like organic mentions, relationships, or editorial features).
Focus on replicating high-quality, achievable backlinks that match your site’s strengths.
What is the difference between page-level and domain-level competitors?
Page-level competitors are individual pages that compete with your page for specific keywords.
Domain-level competitors are entire websites that consistently rank across multiple topics related to your niche.
How often should I monitor my backlink profile?
You should review your backlink profile at least once a month.
Monitoring helps you identify new backlinks, spot toxic links early, and stay updated on competitor movements.
What is a backlink gap analysis?
A backlink gap analysis compares your backlink profile to your competitors’.
It identifies websites linking to your competitors but not to you, helping you uncover easy and high-potential link opportunities.
Do broken links matter when analyzing competitors?
Yes.
Finding broken backlinks pointing to competitors can give you easy opportunities to offer your content as a replacement and earn new backlinks ethically.
Is internal linking important for backlink success?
Absolutely.
While external backlinks bring authority, strong internal linking distributes that authority across your website and improves overall SEO performance.
