Story Based Question
You’ve recently launched a new tech startup that specializes in smart home devices, and although your site has decent traffic, you’re not ranking as high as some of your bigger competitors. Curious about how they’re consistently outranking you for terms like “best smart home devices” and “home automation systems,” you decide to do a deep dive into their backlink profiles.
After using a competitor backlink analysis tool, you’re ready to figure out how their links compare to yours and, more importantly, what they’re doing right. But what are the steps to conduct a proper competitor backlink analysis, and how do you use that information to your advantage?
Exact Answer
To conduct a competitor backlink analysis, use SEO tools to gather a list of backlinks pointing to your competitor’s site. Identify high-quality, authoritative links, analyze the sources and types of content, and look for opportunities to replicate their successful strategies.
Explanation
Competitor backlink analysis is all about identifying where your competitors are earning their backlinks and using that data to inform your own link-building strategy. Here’s how you can go about it:
- Choose Your Competitors:
Start by identifying your top competitors. These are the sites that rank for the same or similar keywords that you’re targeting. You can use search engines, tools like SEMrush, or tools like Ahrefs to find these competitors. - Use Backlink Analysis Tools:
Tools like Ahrefs, SEMrush, Moz, or Majestic provide detailed information on backlinks. Input your competitor’s URL into the tool to generate a list of backlinks pointing to their site. These tools will show you the domain authority, type of link, anchor text, and more. - Analyze the Link Sources:
Look for high-quality backlinks from authoritative websites. Pay attention to the domains that are linking to your competitor and check the relevancy of these sites to your niche. Are they industry blogs, news outlets, or influencers? - Study the Link Types:
Determine what types of links your competitor is getting. Are they from guest posts, press releases, partnerships, or resource pages? Knowing the types of links that work can help you prioritize similar strategies for your own site. - Look for Patterns in Content:
Often, the links are tied to specific types of content, like in-depth guides, case studies, or product reviews. Identify what kinds of content are generating the most backlinks for your competitors. This helps you understand what kind of content your audience and other websites find valuable. - Identify Link Gaps and Opportunities:
After gathering data, look for opportunities where your competitors are succeeding, but you haven’t tapped into yet. For example, if they have multiple links from industry blogs that you haven’t reached out to, you can target those same blogs with your own pitches. - Replicate and Improve:
Once you identify the valuable links your competitor has, you can work to replicate them. This could mean reaching out to the same sources or creating better content to earn those links. Also, think about ways to improve on what your competitors are doing. If they’re getting links from certain blogs, see how you can offer even more value in your content to earn those links.
Example
Let’s say your smart home tech company is competing with a well-established brand in the same niche. You input their domain into Ahrefs and discover they have backlinks from several popular tech blogs, home automation forums, and product comparison websites.
By going through the list, you spot some major link-building strategies:
- Guest posts on tech websites: Your competitor has written guest posts on blogs like TechGizmo and HomeSmartLiving, which have high domain authority.
- Product reviews on YouTube: Influencers in the tech space have reviewed their products and linked back to their site.
- Backlinks from product directories: Their products are listed on top tech directories that feature trusted brands.
From this, you decide to pursue similar tactics. You start by pitching guest posts to the same tech blogs, creating video content for influencers to review, and submitting your products to trusted directories. Additionally, you realize your competitor isn’t getting many backlinks from sustainable tech sites, so you decide to target eco-friendly tech websites for product reviews, which aligns with your brand’s values.
A few months later, you start to see your own backlinks increase, your domain authority rise, and your rankings for key terms like “best smart home devices” climb higher.
Competitor backlink analysis is an essential strategy for understanding what’s working in your industry and replicating successful link-building efforts. By identifying quality backlinks and the strategies behind them, you can boost your own website’s authority and improve rankings.