Competitor backlink analysis is my favourite link building strategy of all time.
I have been using it for the last 10 years and it’s the only link building method that has stood the test of time.
With a simple competitor backlink analysis you can:
And then use them in your own strategy to outrank them.
Here is how to do it…
What Will I Learn?
Competitor backlinking is an SEO technique where you routinely analyse the backlinks of competing sites to see what types of links they have, how many, and the quality of links.
This is called competitor backlink analysis, and it helps you reverse engineer their link building strategy and use it for your own site. This will help your SEO and get you more traffic from Google.
Through this link profile analysis, you can get access to your competitor’s website performance from their number of external links and link metrics to their overall online authority – including page authority & domain authority.
A competitor backlink analysis helps you build (or improve) your strategy – the right way and allows you to:
Pretty cool, right?
Bellow, I’ll explain how to conduct this analysis to get great and fast results!
If you go to Google right now and search for your target keyword.
You’ll get on the first results page…
…The top 5x ranking sites that have all one important thing in common:
The idea of competitor backlink analysis is to-
Why waste time and money figuring out what works?
There’s already a proven link building blueprint out there waiting for you.
But to pull it off, you need a backlink analysis tool and you can get access to some incredible data without spending any money.
Before we do anything else we need to find all of the backlinks that are pointing to our competitor’s site.
Doing that is easy because we can take advantage of a number of tools that allow us to download all of our competitor’s backlink portfolio easily.
The 3x best backlink analysis tools on the market right now are:
They will return high numbers of links for every competitor website that you run through them. This is important because the more quality links you find, the more you can replicate!
Let’s take a closer look…
Ahrefs was the best tool on this list to find insight into competitors’ backlink profiles.
But in my more recent best backlink checker case study, they got absolutely blown away.
You can view all of your competitor’s backlinks (including their anchor text) in one dashboard thanks to Ahrefs Site Explorer.
You can then export them in a CSV file to form the foundation of your strategy.
Bonus: Ahrefs also allows you to monitor backlinks and set up backlink alerts so you can keep track of your competitor’s new backlinks!
The free SEMRush trial gives you access to a powerful tool with a very easy to use interface and relevant data sources that you can trust.
It’s certainly the best Ahrefs alternative out there to execute a backlink profile analysis.
But don’t be fooled by the high number of links it shows for my site.
SEMRush counts every link from a domain, but Ahrefs groups them together!
Either way, they give you a ton of data.
SEMRush has a freemium version of their tool that allows you to perform 10 data searches each day and you can also take advantage of a 100% free 14 day trial I set up for my readers.
Bonus: SEMrush offers the most comprehensive backlink audit you can find on the market.
See how Semrush stands against Ahrefs in my Ahrefs vs Semrush ultimate comparison.
SEO SpyGlass is the best desktop based backlink checker tool.
Although the link count is less than the last two tools…
It still gives you a significant number to work with:
However, their database is ever-growing with currently stands at 1.6x trillion links so it’s always going to find more than a handful for you.
SEO SpyGlass comes in two versions:
- Free: you can access data for 1,000x backlinks (but can’t export them)
- Paid: you can access data for unlimited backlinks and export them
But it doesn’t have an expensive monthly subscription like other tools.
Don’t worry, I understand these tools can be expensive if you’re starting out so feel free to take a look at my free seo tools list.
Honestly, you can’t make a wrong decision here. Each tool is going to provide you with more than enough backlink data to keep you busy.
And remember, if you are on a budget you can use the free trials to grab as much data as possible for your campaign.
| Ahrefs | SEMRush | SEO Spyglass | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $99/Month | $99.95/Month | $31.49/Month |
| Trial Available? | No. | Yes. 14 Day Trial & Freemium Model. | Yes. Freemium Model. |
| # Links Found | 69,600 | 1,600,000 | 35,500 |
But don’t do anything just yet!
First I want to show you precisely how we are going to use this data to grow our own search traffic!
Using the tools above I’m going to show you exactly how to steal your competitor’s links.
This is the proven repeatable method I’ve been using for years.
Better still:
Here’s what you need to do…
Your starting point is to get a list of the top #5 ranking URLs for your target keyword.
Select the keyword you want to target.
Then do a search in Google and make a list of the first 5x organic search results:
Your final list of URL’s should look something like this:
- https://backlinko.com/ecommerce-seo
- https://ahrefs.com/blog/ecommerce-seo/
- https://www.bigcommerce.com/blog/ecommerce-seo/
- https://neilpatel.com/blog/seo-for-ecommerce-websites/
- https://www.shopify.com/blog/ecommerce-seo-beginners-guide
Head to this page to download my free competitor backlink analysis spreadsheet.
This is the intelligent sheet I have developed over the years for this specific task – you are going to love it!
Just paste the 5 links from step #1 above into column A on the first sheet-
Click on the “Click Here” links to automatically open the right report you need.
Export the data as a .CSV file.
You can export as much data as the tool will allow.
The more, the better!
Once exported, let’s put it into the tool…
Head over to tab #2 – Data in the sheet to Import each of the files you just exported.
The quickest way is to:
This is how you should do it:
Once you have loaded all the data you are ready for…
Head to Tab #3 – Plan Of Attack.
You’ll see a table of links.
These are the best competitors backlinks for you to target.
The tool has already:
That means in just a small amount of time you can put together a near-perfect link building strategy for your site.
(There’s that “keep it simple” motto in action again.)
That means it’s time to put your balaclava on and…
You have all of the actionable data you need to get started.
What you’re looking for in your Plan Of Attack tab is:
For example…
…If the link came from a blog comment, you’ll just need to write your own:
…if it was a forum post or a blog post, join the discussion and include links in relevant places:
…if it was a guest post, you’ll need to pitch your own for publication:
Take a look at each link and reverse engineer the process to figure out how to do it.
Just work through the Plan Of Attack tab and replicate each link – it really is that easy!
Stealing your competitors backlink strategies is one of the most effective ways to boost rankings and increase your traffic – including organic traffic & referral traffic.
It can save you:
By giving you an easy-to-follow blueprint that is proven to rank for your keyword.
To quickly recap:
This is the only link building strategy that has stood the test of time and it’s the first link building strategy I have applied on all of my sites for the last 10 years.
If you have any questions/thoughts about this strategy or if you need any SEO tips, please leave a comment below and I’ll be happy to help!
Just remember… Before starting building links, make sure you have read the full link building checklist that explains all the link building process.
Or, if you want to outsource it, check out my review of the top link building services.
Next I want to introduce you to resource page link building.
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This is just what I needed, thanks Matthew. I’m starting a new business site and this is the foundation I need for success. I always here you need to build links, but this is the first time anyone broke it down like this. Great job!Thanks A Million,Rodney
No worrys glad it helped you out!
Hi Mattthanks for the valuable infoJust i get all the backlinks from competitors with the help of Rank Cracker.I begin with the list of GSA software to publish.What % anchors for GSA campaign have to use ?Have to use the same anchor with competitors of each link?What is the frequency time getting links from GSA ?thanks again
What % do your competitors use?
Great Work Matt!! 😀 ….. you are amazing!! i have followed your instructions! got my competitors backlinks from Spyglass, i have GSA and Magic submitter, but i don’t know how to replicate backlinks in them…. can you please make step by step video tutorial of them? or simply tell me the method………. i really appreciate you for this…. waiting for your smile!! 😛 thanks!!-Muhammad Sameer
Well not all backlinks can be replicated with software, sometimes you need to use your noggin a bit and perhaps send out an outreach email, publish your own guest post, pick up the phone and get your hustle on etc
Hi,The other links section means GSA can’t post to them and you need manual outreach. You could import them into GSA anyway though!
Hi Matt,I really appreciate you tutorial. Thanks a lot for this.does “rank tracker” completely filter all backlinks for GSA?-thanks
i mean how to filter “Other Links” section in “rank cracker”.as non GSA links still can be usable with GSA.. how to filter them fast and easily?
Hi MattRank cracker only works on windows? : (
Yeah sorry =/
Thanks for the in-depth explanation as well as all the backlink analysis links. I was not aware of many of these, so I found it all to be pretty darned useful. I also appreciated the points made by many of the commentors, including avoiding spamming forum posts with irrelevant links and making sure to use the backlink tools in incognito mode so as not to trigger google’s customized search results. I occasionally read through articles on SEO in my slow quest to educate myself a little more on the process, and I can honestly say this was one of the most helpful and thorough articles I’ve seen so far. Appreciate ya!
Thank you – glad it has helped you out 🙂
Very Cool post. however, the first step may not be a good way to start. as you said “Step 1 – Get The Top 10 ResultsThe first thing you need to do is gather the top 10 organic results for the keyword you want to rank for.Just do a quick Google Search and make a note of each URL.”Since google search resule is based on your user setting and cache/cookies.The top 10 resules may not be the true top 10s.Any better way to get the real top 10s?Thank you
Just jump into private browsing/incognito mode
Really a good article ! I usually traffic travis, because I am familiar with it.
Ahh I don’t have so much experience with it
Dear @Raul, I don’t think it’s a good idea to place many links(30, as your competitor did) on a Forum on different discussion…first of all same links can’t be suitable for 30 different threads….hence the links are used to spammed on forum by Forum admin or other…I’d like to say at first not to put links, first just participate on threads, leave suitable answers with a signature link…and gradually try to put links into only niche discussion…you must be useful not getting links but also visitors…hope @Matthew will agree
Dear @Koushik, Yes I am thinking the same thing, because it will look that was added by software not naturally, in my opinion.
Thanks for the tip Matthew :DJust one last thing, I promess is last 😀 … I just checked and he seems to put all 30 forum threads on the same day and post them all like in an hour, I do the same? Isn’t this suspicious on Google eyes?Thanks again for the time you are dedicating to me.Raul
Hi,Look at what your competitor did, how they placed the links and copy it 🙂
Hello Matthew,thanks for your reply, and yes you are right thanks for clearing that for me! But, I have one last question about the tutorial process that I appreciate if you can answer for example I am doing your process and I see that one of my competitors have about 30 links on a forum on different threads and as you say on tutorial “register and enter on discussion with your link” but, my question is how do I add the 30 links? What I mean is do I add the 30 links in one go in each thread or how you recommend to proceed?Thanks again!Raul
Hello Matthew,first of all awesome tutorial, I have a question I asked about using this type of method Google Webmaster Forum and they tell me that this method goes against Google Guidelines since links are not build natural like they called or basically that other people create them not the webmaster like happens in this case. So, my question is would Google penalize my website by using this method? Since links are not natural in Google eyes? I would appreciatte if you can resolve me this doubt since I dont want to be penalize again by Google.I am not trying to scare anyone just want to be sure nothing more.Thanks,Raul
If you build any link of any type to your website you violate Google webmaster guidelines pure and simple.SEO is nothing more than risk management.If you don’t want to get penalised, don’t build any links of any type. But even then, you can still get penalised.
Is there any way in getting your backlinks Index faster or we just have to wait for Google to naturally discover your backlinks.
Here you go https://searchlogistics.com/seo/tools/backlink-indexers-test/
Any link can contribute to a penalty, just be smart and review each one 🙂
A classic post Matthew. I have been avoiding this due to time constraints but honestly, it has to be done! I guess I could outsource the research to save time. I have some of the tools and services, but not all. Can you recommend a good service to use for the research aspect? I would want to personally manage the link building process, however.
All the tools I use are mentioned in this post and you can take a look at https://searchlogistics.com/seo/tools/backlink-checkers/
Hi Matthew,If you’re doing this for a client, how would you know that they don’t already have a link from the domain you’re looking at? Would you have to download all of the client’s links and highlight the duplicates between their domains and the domains you’re about to check? Or is their a tool that could eliminate the need to do that?Thanks
Even if they did already have a link from that domain a second one never hurts!
Very good tutotial, thank Matt, you’re awesome! I do step by step carefully!
Thanks Andy! Hope it helped you out!
Great to hear that it still works today. I have just read the entire blog again and you mention twice about linking to your competitors. Please expand1. Do you use Do Follow links to them2. Do you link from your main site or blog or a tiered siteThanksRonan
It allows you to become more of an authority/central source of information on a topic.
Hi Matthew,I’ve recently started doing this so hopefully will see some results over the coming month. I read previously that the recent updates were diminishing the usual back link building strategies – is going after links like this likely to incur penalties? Or would it be worst case that they just didn’t didn’t count?Thanks!
Hi Matthew,Great post – really helpful. I intend to get a VA to help with this. As the article is nearly a year old is the anything that has changed since then?ThanksRonan
Hi,Not at all its an age old technique I’ve been using for years!
Hi Matthew, Correct me if Im wrong here, but SEOspyglass seems to be a viable analyzer tool for discovering backlinks from sites using their robots.txt/htaccess to from blocking ahrefsbot, rogerbot, and the other usual suspects right?
Yes although I guess it would be possible to block the sources that spy glass uses as well
Thanks Matt for another great tutorial and showing that it is not always necessary to get the latest, greatest SEO tool or service out there to get started in building quality backlinks.All we need is a little bit of elbow grease, some smarts and lots of good help from you!
No worrys glad it helped you out!
I’m currently using Moz, but it always takes too long to discover new links. I’ve noticed that it can sometimes take months for Moz to discover them. I’ll consider using Ahrefs. Thanks for the great article!
Hope it helps you out!
liked your postliked your post
liked your reply ^^
I am new to all this stuff.. So if I start copying competitor’s links you have to go through all of them one by one to rebuild them? Cause in my niche this guy has 36000 back links..
Well that depends, if you invest in tools – no. But all you need is your web browser and time if your not willing to invest
This is an awesome article! Ripper list of tools to check all the back links, there’s a few I hadn’t come across so will be trying them out. Thanks mate.
No worrys hope it has helped you out!
Thank you for the tutorial Matthew, By the way. Is this method safe for adsense?Regards
As safe as anything else
Hi again Matt, I hope I am not being too annoying with all my questions. I am running a campaign for a client using the same strategy that you thankfully shared above. The issue I am facing in this campaign is that the top 10 sites of SERPs have too few backlinks. Like Only 500 in total. But all the sites ranked are sites with very high DA but the issue is that I can only mine the subpages backlinks in most cases as the TLDs target on more than one niche. What would you recommend in such a case? Increase my DA? Any tutorial on how to do that? PS: I’ve recommended your blog and this post in particular to a good few people. Thanks very much for your help.
Perhaps look at building your own blog network to drive the rankings
Matthew I am seriously impressed. As a Coach I like to be complete in my execution but this is fantastic. A thorough, smart and in-depth article that has given me more than enough ammunition to kick butt from tomorrow when I wake up! 🙂 I never thought I would be excited to learn SEO tactics as I really wanted to outsource but, I am sure that I can ‘do better’ as my old teachers once said! Thanks for a meaty piece of writing for me to get stuck into!Have a great nightGreg:)
Any advice as a coach to how I could improve things?
Thats a wise move!
I feel that I should download all the backlinks of the TLD only if the whole TLD is relevant to my niche. If its only the sub page that’s relevant, I should go after only the sub page. Do you agree?
Makes perfect sense. Thanks 🙂
what will I say? I am impressed. My core feelings says- Love you Mattew.
Thanks =D
Thanks Matt!I’m a photographer changing location from Berlin to my home land Colombia, I’m learning more and more about this important strategies so I can compete better over there, you just became number one source for learning all this stuff.
Thanks – good luck with it all mate!
Huge information..Thanks for you free excel too 🙂
No worrys 🙂
One more question: should I go after mining the backlinks of the exact URL of competitor (www.brand.com/cheap-running-shoes) or should I download all backlinks of the TLD (www.brand.com)? I will also appreciate if you can share the reason for choosing whichever of these two options you opt for. Thanks 🙂
Both ^^
Hi Matt, great article indeed. Going to use your strategy on more than one projects. I’ve one question. What anchor text ratio should I use? As in, what should be the percentage amount of anchor text for my chosen primary keyword and the same for secondary and generic keywords? I am sorry if this is a repeat question; I did search the site but could not find what I am looking for. Thanks
Look at the current top 10 to see how they break down
Hey Matthew i had tried to download the rank cracker Seo tool for my blog http://worldtechbuzz.com but it shows one problem saying that it required .net upgradation but when i tried to update it get hanged no tell me any other way to overcome this
Just be patient it takes a long time to complete the .net install
Thanks for these free tools!!!You saved a lot of my time which would have otherwise got wasted in geting first hand experience on those tools
No worrys 🙂
Hi Matthew,I really liked your post, I gone through the post above & it was what I was looking for. I am new to SEO and this kind of articles help us improve our knowlegde. I didn’t had any idea that Backlinks can be built by this way too. Tools you mentioned and the free one’s 😉 look compelling. I’ll also try the ranktracker and let you know my experience. Keep sharing your ideas, and thank you for sharing this incredible ideas.Tanveer Kazi
Thanks Tanveer 🙂
Thanx for these tip, I just used the backlinks checker and wanted to know that does it matter that a backlink should be a dofollow one to increase ranking or it could be nofollow one also.
Some people will say yes, but personally I don’t care about that.
hey buddy,would you recommend nofollowing the links to competitor sites and would there ever be a point when you’d consider removing them (as your rankings mature/improve).cracking blog btw!cheers,mb
No that would only hurt you – linking to your competitors is a great way to boost your rankings.
Great tutorial! Can you tell me which software you use for making professional video tutorial and adding animation??
Adobe After Effects
Extremely Helpful. I use ahref and backlinkwatch. I gonna try ur free rankchecker. thnx for the useful info
No worrys ^^
Thank Matt, An inspired article and a bog help for our own seo! Much appreciated 🙂
No worrys 🙂
Big help! Hit the wrong key. LOL 🙂
Hi Matthew, this probably out of topic question. But my site just got slapped by google.. my friend already sent me my backlink profile through his ahrefs account.. do you have any idea/tips to define/detect what probably consider as bad links ? coz i’m about to use disavow tools
You could use https://searchlogistics.com/seo/link-building/backlink-analysis/ to get a top down look.
Hey Matthew, 1st I salute you for your all posts, You are a real Mentor for me.But I have a query regarding my experience on linkbuilding,,,,I found My competitors backlinks on twitter, pinterest, google+ too and but when I create my own baclink there it does not count as my backlink. I waited for 1 month and but I don’t find any backlink through these platforms.I have submitted my blog to many places but still It has not got any backlink or link juice. hel me please????and I am thinking to use your tier link building method to increase my SERPs, I want to know how much tier 1 backlinks should I create per week to not hit by any google update. ?????
Hi,Just create a profile with a link to your site, the link exists. What makes you think it doesn’t ‘count’ ?
thank matt for your advice tools
No worrys 🙂