How to Find and Replicate Competitor Backlinks: Step-by-Step

Intro

Creating links from other websites to yours is a key aspect of a successful SEO plan. These links, called backlinks, lead users from one site to another. They are created when another website mentions your content and links to your site. They are also called inbound or incoming links.

But why are these connections so important? And why should you find and replicate your competitors' links?

The answer is simple. Backlinks significantly impact how well your website ranks on search engines. Experts believe link building is the third most important aspect of SEO behind content and keywords.

One effective way to establish these backlink connections is by emulating the ones your competitors have created. In this article, we’ll give you everything you need to know to make that happen.

Ready to find and replicate your competitors' backlinks? Let’s jump in!

Why competitor backlinks matter

Backlinks are vital for SEO. They show search engines that your site is trustworthy and authoritative. So, why should you pay attention to your competitors' backlinks? The key lies in the competitive edge they can provide.

When another website links to your competitor, it signifies confidence in their content. Search engines, like Google, consider this endorsement when ranking pages. High-quality backlinks boost a site's search engine ranking.

That’s why you need to study and emulate your competitors' backlinks. This can help you find valuable opportunities. It also may boost your rankings, which means you’ll attract more visitors to your site. And that leads to more potential leads and conversions.

Here’s another reason you should find and replicate competitor backlinks: it gives insights into what resonates within your industry. Backlinks show which types of content appeal to your target audience

This knowledge is priceless when developing your content and link-building strategies. Instead of starting from scratch, use what works. It will save time and resources.

In essence, competitor backlinks serve as a pathway to success. Your rivals have already validated some link-building prospects. Their work helps you pinpoint where you should put your efforts.

5 steps to find and replicate competitor backlinks

You can build a competitive edge with backlinks by using a systemized method. Here are five key steps to help you find and copy the backlinks that drive your competitors' success.

Step 1: Select competitors for backlinks

Choosing the right competitors to analyze is crucial for a successful backlink strategy. Here are four categories to consider when identifying potential competitors:

• Direct competitors: They offer similar products, services, or content and rank well for your target keywords. These competitors target the same audience as you. So, their backlinks are immediately relevant.
• Industry: Once you have a list of direct competitors, consider expanding it to include industry leaders and niche players. Industry leaders often have many backlinks. They can provide valuable insights.
• Niche: Next, narrow it down to your specific niche. Niche competitors may have links from highly specialized, authoritative sites. Not all SaaS companies are direct competitors, however. Attorneys of Chicago is a personal injury law firm, which would be their niche. They would be looking at other law firms and seeing where those firms are getting links form as their starting stage.
• Keyword competitors: These sites aren't direct competitors to your overall business, but they might vie for the same keywords or search topics as you. Law firms Curiel & Runion Personal Injury Lawyers and Norden Leacox operate in different states but compete over search terms since they serve clients who have been in car accidents (which would be a primary keyword for both firms).

You could use Ahrefs’ link insert feature to see which domains are linking to your competitor but not to your sites so you then have a list of who to reach out to. This is what the tool looks like in action:

To identify these competitors, choose one of your posts and search for its main keyword. Tools like Ranktracker’s Keyword Finder can help you see which sites rank well for that keyword.

Remember, there's often overlap between competitors for your entire site and those competing on specific pages. For this step, concentrate on sites that challenge you on a particular page level.

Another crucial aspect is to assess the quality of the competitors’ websites. Avoid analyzing competitors with poor link-building efforts. Focus on those with strong domain authority, high traffic, and consistent ranking performance. These factors suggest that their backlinks are contributing significantly to their SEO success.

Finally, focus on competitors with a good mix of backlinks. These include editorial links, guest posts, and directory listings. This diversity shows a strong link-building strategy and gives you more chances to replicate it.

Step 2: Set up your backlink gap analysis

Once you've chosen your main competitors, it's time to conduct a backlink gap analysis. It helps you find your competitors’ backlinks that your site lacks. By filling in these gaps, you can enhance your backlink profile and improve your rankings on search engines.

Start by selecting a reliable tool for analyzing backlinks such as Ranktracker’s Backlink Checker. A tool like this allows you to compare the backlink profiles of your website and those of your competitors.

You’ll see sites linked to your competitors but not to you. This highlights valuable opportunities for building backlinks.

Once you get set up, enter your website URL. Alternatively, you can enter the URLs of the identified competitors. The tool will pull all relevant links about the website from our enormous database of almost 3 trillion links. (Yes, we mean “trillion.”)

This compilation represents the gap in your backlink profile.

Review the list of websites linking to your competitors but your site. Pay attention to the quality of these sites. Are they reputable and authoritative? Do they relate to your industry?

If you work in email marketing, you might find that a top competitor has links from popular marketing blogs and industry sites. These targets hold significant value for your link-building endeavors.

While examining the data, find the content or pages attracting backlinks to your competitors. For example, many high-authority sites link to a competitor's blog post on "email marketing best practices."

This suggests a chance for content creation. Develop a similar, top-notch post, or explore other content formats to attract similar backlinks.

Upon analyzing the gap, export the potential backlink opportunities list from your tool. Categorize them into sections like guest posting, broken link building, or content development. If you see a trend of backlinks from guest posts about your topic/keyword, then prioritize those sites. You might even approach those sites with your guest post proposals on relevant topics. We’ll talk about this more in a minute.

Step 3: Analyze the backlink gap

After completing the backlink gap analysis setup, it's time to dig into the data. The aim now is to spot the distinctions between your site's backlinks and those of your competitors. This examination will unveil opportunities to enhance your link-building strategies.

This procedure is vital. It will help you stay competitive and secure the backlinks that drive your rivals' success.

Begin by contrasting the backlinks that your competitors have but you lack. These gaps are where you should focus your efforts. For example, if you manage a fitness blog, a competitor may have links from reputable health and wellness sites that you lack. These serve as valuable opportunities for you to pursue.

Evaluate the links' quality next. A link from a top website is more valuable than one from a lesser-known source. This includes links from a prominent industry site or a popular blog.

Next, examine the types of content attracting these backlinks. Are your competitors earning links through in-depth how-to guides, product reviews, or industry analyses? Create better, more detailed content pieces that others will want to link to.

Finally, take a look at the variety of sources linking to your competitors. Are they getting links from various places like blogs, news websites, forums, and directories? It's wise to diversify your backlinks similarly.

By studying the differences in backlinks, you can find where your site needs improvement. Then, you can make a plan to fix it. This will help boost your search engine rankings and enhance your online presence.

Step 4: Specific tactics for replicating competitor backlinks

Now that you know how to identify backlink gaps and do an analysis, let's get into the nuts and bolts of replicating your competitors’ backlinks on your site.

Here are 9 specific ways you can replicate competitor backlinks:

1. Craft compelling content

Study the most popular content of your competitors and evaluate its strengths and weaknesses. Make content that is better than theirs. It should be deeper, better organized, and include engaging visuals like infographics or videos.

Ensure your content delivers greater value or delves into the topic more comprehensively. This will make it more appealing to potential link sources. They'll be more likely to link to your great content.

2. Leverage homepage links

Start by analyzing backlinks to your competitors’ homepages using a tool like Ranktracker. Check why these sites are linked to your competitor's homepage. Look at the anchor text, page context, and content quality.

Reach out to these sites with improved or complementary content. Explain why they should link to your site instead. Show how your content is more valuable or better at addressing the topic.

3. Identify sites linking to many competitors

Use a backlink analysis tool to discover domains that link to many of your competitors. These are often hub sites for links, like niche-specific blogs, industry directories, or forums.

Align your content with their themes. Or, provide valuable insights. This will help get your site featured on those platforms. Getting listed on these sites can drive large amounts of traffic to your website.

4. Build relationships with sites connected to your competitors

Discover websites or blogs that frequently mention your competitors. Engage with these platforms by providing high-quality content or useful resources. Foster relationships by interacting through comments, social media, or direct communication.

Show how your content offers distinct value. Building these connections can gain backlinks. This will boost your website's credibility.

5. Identify your competitors’ broken links

Identify broken links on pages that are linked to by your rivals. Once again, Ranktracker has you covered on this. Reach out to the site owners and propose offering your content as a substitute.

Make sure that your content directly relates to the subject of the broken link. This enhances the chances of a successful replacement and enhances the user experience on the website.

6. Stay updated on new competitor backlinks

Set up notifications using a tool like Google Alerts to track new backlinks obtained by your competitors. Examine the context and sources of these fresh backlinks.

Promptly engage with these websites and introduce your content as a pertinent and valuable addition. Timely outreach can assist you in securing backlinks and remaining competitive.

7. Write guest posts for sites your competitors have written for

Research the platforms where your rivals have written guest posts. Reach out with a proposal to contribute guest posts yourself.

Offer to create high-quality, relevant content that resonates with their audience's interests.

Explain why your content would bring more value to their readers compared to previous posts. This strategy not only helps in earning backlinks but also boosts your credibility.

8. Offer to update content

Identify websites linking to your competitors that feature outdated or irrelevant information. Contact the site owners. Suggest replacing the old content with your relevant, new material.

Highlight the enhanced value and accuracy of your update. This method can assist in securing backlinks by rejuvenating valuable resources.

9. Utilize unlinked mentions of your brand

Finally, use a tool like Google Alerts or similar to find unlinked mentions of competitors. Contact these sites and propose a backlink by offering more insights or value related to the mention.

Stress how linking to your website can benefit their audience. This strategy helps convert brand mentions into valuable backlinks.

Measuring and Tracking Your Backlink Success

To make sure your backlink plan is effective, it's crucial to consistently measure and track its performance. Here’s a simple checklist to do just that:

• Monitor your backlink profile: When you use a tool like Ranktracker, be sure to check your profile often to gauge the quantity and quality of your backlinks. Without a tool like this, you won’t have insight into the websites linking to you and the strength of those connections.
• Check your referral traffic: Our Backlink Monitor tool shows your backlink traffic. Google Analytics does as well. Analyze the referral sources to identify which links are bringing in the most visitors to your site.
• Assess SEO impact: Keep an eye on changes in your search engine rankings for key keywords. Positive changes in rankings often indicate successful backlink acquisition. Use Google Search Console to track keyword performance and indexing status.
• *Evaluate link quality: Not all backlinks hold the same value. Focus on quality by examining metrics like domain authority and relevance of linking websites. High-quality links provide better SEO benefits and enhance credibility. You’ll be able to find the link quality in your Ranktracker profile.
• Be flexible and adjust your approach: Based on the data gathered, refine your backlink strategy accordingly. Increase focus on tactics that yield positive results while addressing areas that show less impact.

Regularly measuring and monitoring these aspects ensures your backlinks work. Be patient–things won’t change overnight. But eventually, this will boost your site’s ranking.

Wrapping it up

When you find and replicate your competitors’ backlinks, it can help improve your site's linking profile. The nine tactics we mentioned will help you start to get backlinks from your competitors. Whether you go with guest posting, finding new links, engaging with your competitors' audiences, or another tactic, all of them will take precious time and energy.

The important thing to remember is that this process takes time. And quality matters more than quantity. Prioritize links from reputable, diverse sites. Studying where your competitors get their backlinks can help you.

Remember that while mimicking backlinks is effective, it's crucial to set achievable objectives. Use various link-building strategies. Strive to outperform, not just match, your competitors.

Emphasize producing top-notch content within your niche. With effort and smart link-building, your site can rank higher. It may even beat your toughest rivals.

Ready to take your backlink game to the next level? Our Backlink Checker lets you see every one of your competitors’ backlinks. Create a free account to get started today.