Backlink Gap Analysis: How to Find the Links Your Competitors Have

This guide walks you through a backlink gap analysis from start to finish: choosing the right competitors, pulling and filtering their links, scoring each opportunity, and deciding which ones to pursue first without copying their spam.

What is a link gap analysis?

A link gap analysis is a comparison of referring domains between your site and several competitors that reveals which sites link to them but not to you. It turns a vague goal, “get more links”, into a specific list of sites that already link to businesses like yours.

The logic is simple. A site that links to three of your competitors has shown that it covers your topic and links out to businesses in your space. That makes it a far warmer prospect than a random site found through a “write for us” search.

Gap analysis is not about copying every competitor link. Some of their links will be paid placements, network sites or old directory spam. Google’s link spam policies apply to you whatever your competitors do, so the filtering step is where the real work happens.

How do I find my competitors’ backlinks?

You find your competitors’ backlinks with a third party backlink tool, since Google Search Console only shows links to sites you own. Most major SEO tools have a backlink gap or link intersect feature that compares up to several domains at once.

Search Console still plays a part. Its Links report shows your own top linking sites, which you need for the “not linking to you” side of the comparison. Google notes the report is a sample, so combine it with your tool’s data for a fuller picture.

Choose competitors carefully. The right ones are the sites ranking for your target keywords, not necessarily the biggest brands in your industry. A local accountant should compare with other accountants ranking in the same city, not with a national firm.

1. Search your 3 to 5 main keywords and note sites that appear repeatedly in the top 10.
2. Pick 3 to 4 direct competitors of similar size and type.
3. Run them with your domain through a backlink gap or link intersect tool.
4. Filter to domains linking to at least 2 competitors and not to you.
5. Export the list with domain metrics, traffic estimates and the linking URLs.

How do you filter a backlink gap list?

You filter a backlink gap list by removing spam, networks and irrelevant sites first, then sorting what remains by relevance, real traffic and how the link was obtained. A raw export of 500 domains often shrinks to 40 to 80 real opportunities in my experience.

Remove these straight away:

• Scraper sites, auto-generated directories and foreign language spam pages.
• Sites that exist mainly to sell links, with dozens of unrelated “sponsored” topics.
• Obvious private blog networks: thin content, no real authors, no audience.
• Links you cannot replicate, such as a competitor’s own sister brands.

Then open the linking pages of what is left. How the competitor earned the link tells you how to approach it.

Which competitor backlinks should I target first?

Target first the domains that link to the most competitors, are closely relevant to your niche, and have a clear, low effort way to earn a link, such as a directory, association or resource page. These quick wins build momentum while you work on harder pitches.

I score each opportunity from 1 to 3 on four points and sort by the total:

• Overlap: links to 2, 3, or 4 or more competitors.
• Relevance: related niche, same niche, or same niche and location.
• Traffic: some, steady, or strong organic traffic.
• Ease: hard pitch, medium pitch, or simple application.

Anything scoring 10 or more goes into the first month’s outreach. If you are unsure how to judge site quality, my link building guide explains the vetting checks in detail.

How do you pitch the sites you find in a gap analysis?

You pitch gap sites by referencing what they already link to and offering something that fits the same purpose, because the existing competitor link shows exactly what kind of content the editor values. A pitch built on that insight reads as relevant rather than random.

For a resource page that lists competitors’ guides, point to your guide and explain in one sentence what it adds, such as updated prices or a checklist. For a “best of” list, ask to be considered and share the facts the author would need: what you offer, who it suits and a short honest comparison. For a news site, offer a quotable expert opinion on a topic they cover regularly.

Keep each email short and personal:

• Use the editor’s name and mention the specific page.
• Say why your page helps their readers, not why you want a link.
• Give the URL and a suggested place where it fits.
• Follow up once, then move on.

Expect a modest reply rate. Even a handful of yes answers from a well filtered list beats a large batch of cold pitches to sites that have never covered your topic. Track every pitch in the same sheet as your gap list so you never contact the same editor twice by mistake.

What does a backlink gap analysis look like with real numbers?

What mistakes should you avoid in a backlink gap analysis?

The biggest mistake is treating the gap list as a shopping list and buying the same paid links competitors have, because a competitor’s risky link does not become safe when you copy it. Other common mistakes:

• Comparing with the wrong competitors, such as huge national brands.
• Sorting only by a domain authority metric and ignoring relevance.
• Sending the same template pitch to every site on the list.
• Pointing every new link at the homepage instead of the page that needs it.
• Running the analysis once and never updating it.

Repeat the analysis every quarter, since competitors gain new links all the time. If you prefer to hand the research and outreach to someone experienced, my off-page SEO service includes a full gap analysis, and the placements are delivered through my link building service with every live URL reported for you to check.

Frequently asked questions