Competitor backlink analysis

Your competitors' backlinks show which sites in your field link out, and why.

Steps

1. Find competitors with the competitor finder.
2. List their referring domains with the referring domains tool.
3. Look for sites linking to several competitors but not to you. These are your best prospects.
4. Look at which pages earn their links: guides, tools, data.

Turn findings into action

• Directories and associations: get listed.
• Articles and resource pages: offer your better resource.
• Content that attracts links: create something more useful on the same topic.

Repeat every quarter as their profiles grow.

Common link sources you will find

• Directories and listings: business, industry and local directories.
• Associations: trade bodies and chambers of commerce.
• Suppliers and partners: dealer and installer listings.
• Media: news articles and interviews.
• Resources: guides and tools that others reference.

Prioritise

Start with sources that link to several competitors and are relevant to you. They have shown they link to businesses like yours.

What not to copy

If a competitor's links come from spammy networks, do not follow them there. Those links may already be ignored, or may harm them later.

Measure

Track your number of referring domains each month next to your top competitors' and watch the gap close.