The Competitor Backlink Playbook: Steps to Naturally Acquire Backlinks That Matter

As a business or brand owner or an SEO professional working for one, you are familiar with the importance of building a repertoire of high-quality, relevant backlinks from websites with high domain authority.

Simply said, they are like stamps of endorsement from other relevant websites. They let search engines know your content is high-quality, valuable, and trustworthy. 

Also, analyzing competitors’ backlinks is quite the game-changer when it comes to outranking them.

Imagine having a map that reveals exactly how your competitors have built their authority and visibility online. That’s what competitor backlink analysis offers. 

If you’re ready to uncover these insights and learn how to use them to acquire quality backlinks naturally, we at Mavlers have our in-house subject matter expert, Shubham Verma, sharing his tried and tested insights as your blueprint.

Table of contents

• Why backlinks and competitor analysis matters
• How to check competitor backlinks
• An insight into how to acquire competitor backlinks naturally
• Advanced tactics for competitor backlink analysis

On that note, let’s hit the gas!

Understanding why backlinks and competitor analysis matters

Let’s start with gaining clarity on the basics. 

Simply put, backlinks are links from one website to another. When a reputable, relevant site links to your content, it tells search engines, “Hey, this is worth checking out!” 

The result? Higher rankings, increased visibility, and more traffic.

Well, here’s the kicker: Websites with a solid backlink profile tend to rank higher on search engine results pages (SERPs). 

In fact, studies show that pages with more backlinks are 3.8 times more likely to rank in the top positions on Google.

But how do you get these precious backlinks naturally? 

The answer lies in analyzing your competitors’ strategies.

To help you understand the concept better, competitor backlink analysis is a process wherein you examine the backlinks pointing to competing websites. You may think of it as reverse-engineering their SEO strategy. It helps you identify the sites linking to them, understand why they’re linking, and replicate (or even improve) their approach.

Here’s why you should care about investing time and efforts in competitor backlink analysis;

Find new opportunities: Identify untapped websites that might also link to you.

Spot current trends: Understand the type of content and industries that naturally attract links.

Stay one step ahead: Learn from competitors’ successes and avoid their mistakes.

Analyzing competitors will help you better understand where to focus your efforts, saving time and resources while achieving better results.

How do you check competitor backlinks?

Now that we have clarified the concept of competitor backlink analysis let’s understand how to conduct it step-by-step. 

Step 1: Identify your competitors

Start by figuring out who your real competitors are. These aren’t just businesses in your industry but the sites ranking for your target keywords.

Try searching for the terms in SEMRush or Ahrefs that you are aiming to rank for, and the sites that pop up on the first page are your competitors. 

Yep, that’s as simple as 1,2,3!

Step 2: Use the right tools

Now comes the fun part—diving into competitor backlinks!

Here’s a quick dive into the tools that can help you get the job done:

• Ahrefs:

Go to Site Explorer, enter your competitor’s URL, and examine their backlink profile. You’ll see a detailed view of their referring domains, anchor texts, and which links bring the most value.

• Semrush:

Use the Backlink Analytics tool to explore your competitor’s links. The Link Building Tool also helps you find fresh link opportunities.

• Moz and Majestic:

Moz shows domain authority and spam scores, while Majestic focuses on trust flow and citation flow, both of which are important metrics for measuring link quality.

• Google Search:

Last but not least, don’t forget Google! A quick search using “link:competitorwebsite.com” will show you which pages link to your competitor’s site. It’s simple but effective for spotting backlinks.

And that’s it! Armed with these tools, you can analyze your competitors’ backlinks and discover valuable link-building opportunities for your site.

An insight into how to acquire competitor backlinks naturally

Once you have the data, it’s time to dig deeper. It’s important to know that not all backlinks are worth pursuing, so focus on quality over quantity.

Here are some pointers that make a backlink valuable;

• Relevance: Is the linking site related to your niche?

• Authority: Does the site have high domain authority (DA)?

• Traffic: Does the linking site drive actual traffic?

• Spam score: Avoid links from spammy or low-quality sites.

We have also round up some patterns that you must take note of:

• Types of backlinks competitors are earning (e.g., guest posts, resource links, infographics).

• Industries or topics attracting the most links.

By identifying these trends, you can tailor your content and outreach strategies to align with what works.

Now that you’ve uncovered where your competitors are getting their backlinks and how to identify the ones worth acquiring, it’s time to use that info to boost your own site. Here’s how to acquire those links in a natural, effective way:

1. Build relationships

Backlink building is about connection. Consider reaching out to sites linking to your competitors and let them know why your content would be a great, value-adding addition.

You could try experimenting with the following outreach tips:

• Keep emails friendly and personalized.

• Highlight in a fun, non-salesy way how both sides stand to benefit.

• Offer something valuable, like an exclusive piece of content or a partnership.

2. Create link-worthy content

High-quality content naturally attracts backlinks. You could begin by focusing on creating valuable resources such as:

• In-depth guides

• Research-backed articles

• Case studies or infographics

Once the content is ready, spread the word via social media, email, and influencer outreach to get more eyes on it.

3. Guest posting

Guest posts are a great way to score backlinks. Find websites open to contributions using tools like Ahrefs’ Linked Domains feature.

Here’s our expert’s insights on how to stand out:

• Pitch ideas that align with the site’s audience.

• Write compelling, well-researched posts that add value.

4. Resource links & roundups

Try looking up resource pages or industry roundups where your competitors are listed. You could then consider reaching out and offering your content as a valuable addition.

With these simple steps under your armor, you’ll be well on your way to earning quality backlinks—without the gimmicks!

Advanced tactics for competitor backlink analysis

So, are you ready to sharpen your backlink strategy? These advanced techniques will help you stay ahead of your competitors and uncover valuable opportunities:

1. Refine your anchor text strategy

To begin with, anchor texts are more than just clickable words—they’re like a blueprint for how competitors approach SEO. You can uncover trends and refine your strategy by analyzing your competitors’ anchor text usage.

Here’s how you could consider leveraging this insight:

• Identify frequently used anchor text types: Are they focusing on keywords, branded terms, or generic phrases?

• Align your anchor text distribution to strike a balance between relevance and natural usage.

• Avoid over-optimization; keep your anchor text varied to mimic an organic link profile.

This ensures your strategy is targeted yet diverse, thereby boosting your chances of higher rankings.

2. Monitor competitor backlink profiles

Backlink profiles are dynamic, and competitors are always gaining or losing links. Staying updated helps you seize opportunities before they become mainstream.

You could try implementing the following actionable steps:

• Use tools like Ahrefs, Semrush, or Moz to track changes in competitors’ backlink profiles.

• Set alerts for new backlinks they acquire and analyze the linking sites for opportunities to pitch your content.

• Study the links they’re losing—if a link is broken or removed, offer your content as a replacement.

Pro tip: Watch out for trending patterns. For instance, if a competitor is gaining links through seasonal guides or industry surveys, it might be worth replicating a similar strategy.

By applying these advanced tactics, you’ll not only match your competitors’ efforts but also outsmart them by staying proactive and strategic.

The road ahead

By studying and building on backlink competitor analysis strategies, you can create a stronger, more effective backlink profile that drives real results.

We can sum up the key takeaways from the discussion here;

• Backlinks are critical for SEO, but quality beats quantity every time.

• Use tools like Ahrefs and Semrush to uncover backlink competitor analysis strategies.

• Focus on building relationships, creating valuable content, and leveraging proven tactics like guest blogging and resource pages.

Once you are done with backlink competitor analysis, you might want to gather value-adding backlinks through relevant podcasts as well. Guess what? We have the perfect guide for that as well ~  Leveraging Podcasts as a Secret Weapon for Quality Backlinks.