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How-to guide · 5 steps

How to Analyse Competitor Backlinks (Step-by-Step)

Your competitors' backlink profiles are a goldmine of link building opportunities. Every site that links to them is a site that might link to you. Backlink analysis turns competitor research into a concrete list of link targets — here's how to do it properly.

  1. All referring domainsEverything linking to the competitor.
  2. Relevant and realDrop spam, directories and unrelated sites.
  3. PatternsWhich content types earn their links?
  4. GapsSites linking to rivals but not to you.
  5. Outreach listPrioritised by relevance, then authority.

  1. Step 1: Pull the full backlink profile of your top competitor

    Enter your strongest competitor's domain into a backlink analysis tool. Look at their total referring domains (not just links), Domain Rating or Authority Score, and the spread between dofollow and nofollow links. This gives you the baseline.

    Tool for this stepAhrefs

    from £23/mo

    Ahrefs focuses heavily on backlink data. It reports referring domains alongside links, and its 'New' and 'Lost' filters let you follow link velocity over time.

    Ahrefs plans and catches

    Alternative to consider: Moz Pro (from $99/mo)

  2. Step 2: Filter for high-authority, relevant referring domains

    Don't chase every link your competitor has. Filter by Domain Rating 40+ and sort by relevance to your niche. A link from a strong site in your industry is usually worth more than a pile of links from unrelated directories.

    Tool for this stepAhrefs

    from £23/mo

    Ahrefs' referring domains filter lets you set DR minimums instantly. Majestic's Trust Flow metric is an alternative measure of quality — sites with high TF are worth prioritising.

    Ahrefs plans and catches

    Alternative to consider: Majestic (from £39.99/mo)

  3. Step 3: Identify link patterns — what types of content earn links

    Look at your competitor's top linked pages. Are they long-form guides? Data studies? Free tools? This tells you what content earns links in your niche. Build something in the same format, but better.

    Tool for this stepAhrefs

    from £23/mo

    Ahrefs' 'Best by Links' report shows which pages attract the most backlinks — the content types that naturally earn links in your niche are right there.

    Ahrefs plans and catches

    Alternative to consider: Semrush (from $139/mo)

  4. Step 4: Find link gaps — who links to competitors but not you

    Run a Link Intersect or Link Gap analysis. Enter 3-4 competitors and your own domain. The tool shows sites that link to all of them but not you — these are your most targetable prospects because they're clearly open to linking in your niche.

    Tool for this stepAhrefs

    from £23/mo

    Ahrefs' Link Intersect tool is purpose-built for this. Semrush's Backlink Gap tool does the same job, so use whichever suite you already pay for.

    Ahrefs plans and catches

    Alternative to consider: Semrush (from $139/mo)

  5. Step 5: Export and prioritise your outreach list

    Export the referring domains to a spreadsheet. Remove any clearly irrelevant or low-quality sites. Prioritise by: relevance first, then DR, then whether they have a contact email. Aim to reach out to 20-30 prospects per week.

    Tool for this stepSemrush

    from $139/mo

    Semrush's Backlink Analytics data can be exported for filtering in a spreadsheet, and it pairs well with an outreach tool for the follow-up process.

    Semrush plans and catches

    Alternative to consider: Moz Pro (from $99/mo)