Competitor Backlink Analysis: How to Master Without Expensive Tools
Jul 14, 2025
The number one ranking page on Google has an average of 3.8 times more backlinks than those ranking in positions two to 10. It's extremely difficult to rank without links! In fact, 67.5% of SEO experts believe backlinks directly impact search engine rankings. However, you don't need expensive software to conduct effective competitor backlink analysis.
You can find chances for your link-building plan by looking at the links that lead to your competitors’ websites. This blog covers tips on how to perform competitor backlink analysis without going over budget, identify high-value link opportunities, and build a stronger backlink profile than your competitors.
What is a Backlink, and Why Does it Matter
Backlinks are links from other websites that point to your website. They tell search engines that "this content is valuable, credible, and useful". Despite thousands of algorithm changes since Google's original PageRank system, backlinks remain one of their three most important search engine ranking factors.
They're powerful because they act as endorsements, signalling to search engines that your content deserves attention. High-quality backlinks deliver two key benefits:
They improve your rankings and drive direct referral traffic to your site.
The more authority a linking site has, the more authority it can pass to your website.
How Competitor Backlink Analysis Helps SEO
Competitor backlink analysis is the process of examining the links pointing to competing websites. This technique reveals your competitors' total number of backlinks, linking domains, and top-linked pages. Here's why this matters:
You can transform scattered backlink data into actionable link building strategies.
The process helps you identify valuable link-building opportunities where competitors have already succeeded.
10 Tips To Identify and Analyze Your Competitors
Before you can analyze anyone's backlink strategy, learn who your competitors are. Surprisingly, your search competitors may differ from your traditional business rivals. Learn how to find the websites you should be studying:
1. Find domain-level competitors
Domain-level competitors are websites that compete with you across multiple keyword categories and search terms. These sites consistently appear in search results for the same keywords as your business and target similar audiences. Here's how to identify them:
Search for your most important commercial keywords and examine who repeatedly ranks in the top positions
Look for websites that share a high number of common keywords with your domain
Record these competitors in a spreadsheet for later analysis
2. Find page-level competitors
Domain-level competitors compete with your entire website, but page-level competitors target specific keyword topics on individual pages. These might not be your direct business competitors, but they still compete for visibility on particular search terms. To identify page-level competitors:
Perform searches for specific keywords relevant to individual pages on your site
Note which pages consistently rank for those terms
Analyze whether competitors are ranking with homepages or specific content pages
3. Use free tools
Use competitor backlink analysis tools; Google Search is one of the most accessible tools for competitor identification. Simply search your target keywords and examine which websites appear in the results. Ubersuggest offers powerful free competitor analysis features:
Step 1: Enter your domain or a competitor's domain to see a graph showing the main competitors
Step 2: View a table showing common keywords, keyword gaps, estimated traffic, and backlinks
Step 3: Explore the "keyword gaps" section to discover keywords your competitors rank for that you don't
4. Use Moz Link Intersect (free version)
Moz's Link Intersect tool identifies sites linking to your competitors but not to your website. You can use this free tool to uncover immediate opportunities. Below are the steps to get started:
Navigate to Link Explorer's Link Intersect section
Enter your website in the first field
Add up to five competitor URLs in the subsequent fields
Specify whether to analyze root domains, subdomains, or exact pages
Choose to view results as domains or exact pages
Click "Find opportunities"
5. Compare referring domains manually
Manual research takes time, but it's completely free for competitor backlink analysis. This approach works especially well for businesses with limited budgets.
Google Search: Find websites mentioning your competitors by searching their brand names and key topics.
Forums and blogs: Check industry discussions for competitor citations and mentions.
Social media monitoring: Look for relevant industry mentions across platforms.
Browser extensions: Install free tools like MozBar to quickly assess backlink metrics.
6. Spot missing backlinks your competitors have
After gathering data, you need to analyze and prioritize potential backlink opportunities. Focus first on domains linking to multiple competitors. These sites demonstrate a clear interest in your niche and represent your best opportunities for successful outreach. You should evaluate potential links based on:
Quality assessment: Authority, content quality, and overall site health
Relevance: How closely the site aligns with your industry
Placement potential: Whether your content could naturally fit
7. Replicate high-quality competitor backlinks
Start with your competitor backlink analysis and focus on highest-quality links. Look for resource pages, industry directories, expert roundups, and guest post opportunities. These sources actively seek valuable content and regularly update their listings. Here's how to approach this:
Sort backlinks by authority score to identify the most reputable domains first
Research each opportunity to understand what type of content they typically link to
Craft personalized outreach messages explaining why your site adds unique value
Highlight what differentiates you from the competitors already listed
8. Replace broken links with your content
Broken link building works because you're solving a problem while earning backlinks. One tactic you could include in your strategy is identifying broken links on relevant sites and offering your content as a replacement. You can find broken links by:
Using free browser extensions like Broken Link Checker to scan relevant websites
Checking competitors' broken backlinks through basic Google searches
Monitoring industry resource pages for outdated links
9. Create improved versions of top-linked content
The skyscraper technique focuses on finding content with numerous backlinks, creating something better, and earning those same links. Companies that publish high-quality content get significantly more backlinks than those with basic articles. Below is how to implement this strategy:
1. Identify competitors' most-linked pages using the analysis you've completed
2. Analyze what makes them link-worthy; is it the data, format, or unique insights?
3. Create visibly superior content with fresher data, better examples, or improved design
4. Reach out to sites linking to the original with your enhanced version
5. Offer something original that's more recent information, deeper analysis, or better presentation.
10. Reach out to sites linking to competitors
Along with competitor backlink analysis, build relationships with websites that already link to your competitors. These sites have demonstrated interest in your niche and may be open to linking to additional valuable resources. Focus your outreach on:
Sites that link to multiple competitors as they show a clear interest in your industry
Websites that haven't linked to you yet but regularly cover topics in your space
Publishers who frequently update their content with new resources
Common Misconceptions to Avoid
Several myths about backlinks can seriously damage your SEO efforts:
More means better: Quality trumps quantity every time. A single high-quality backlink can outweigh 1,000 low-quality ones.
All backlinks are beneficial: Toxic backlinks from spam sources can harm your SEO performance.
Immediate results: Backlink building is a gradual process that takes months to show full results.
Anchor text doesn't matter: It remains important but needs to be natural and varied.
Directory links are always valuable: Most modern directory links are low-quality and offer minimal SEO benefit.
Wrapping Up
Competitor backlink analysis doesn't have to drain your marketing budget. You need to have a roadmap for uncovering valuable link opportunities without expensive software subscriptions. The strategies help in identifying competitors to conducting backlink gap analysis with free tools to build a stronger backlink profile. Remember, backlink building requires patience and consistency.
Results won't appear overnight, but steady effort will improve your search visibility over time. Your competitors may have bigger budgets for premium SEO tools, but your strategic approach to backlink analysis will help you compete effectively. Focus on building relationships, creating valuable content, and staying consistent with your outreach efforts.
FAQ
What is competitor backlink gap analysis?
It’s the process of identifying websites that link to your competitors but not to you, helping you find missed backlink opportunities to improve your SEO.
What is a good spam score for competitors backlink analysis?
A spam score below 10% is generally considered safe. Avoid links from domains with 20% or higher, as they might be toxic or low-quality.
What is a competitor analysis of SEO?
It’s the evaluation of your competitors' SEO strategies, like keywords, backlinks, content, and rankings, to find areas where you can gain an edge in search visibility.