Why competitor backlink analysis needs to be part of your link-building strategies

Knowing that the top-ranking page on Google has about 3.8 times more backlinks than pages that rank low might make you rethink your SEO strategy. But it’s not just about how many links you use – diversity also matters. In fact, some experts will tell you that adopting links from different domains tends to yield better SEO results.

And it follows that if backlinks are primary in SEO, then competitor analysis must be crucial. It’s like uncovering your opponent’s secret stash. It helps you know they find their link juice, the domains contributing to their authority and so on. Of course, any serious marketer will agree that such information is critical, and reading this article will help you understand why you need it.

Get the basics right

More than 252,000 new websites launch every day, thus increasing competition among those who want to stand out. But competition in SEO isn’t everything; you also want to use the right strategy to help you stand out. Or you might be one of those surprised to find out that over nine out of ten pages do not get organic traffic because they fail to implement any kind of effective SEO.

And that’s why you need the right information about strategies like competitor backlink analysis to reap the benefits of SEO. Simply put, this link-building strategy involves analyzing competitor backlinks to identify new tactics and links for your website and launch a link velocity. Once you determine how your competitors approach this technique, you can adjust accordingly.

As such, you may use it to:

• Identify the quantity and quality of links competitors are using and what you can do to reach a competitive parity
• Extract general information into competitors’ link-building strategies
• Identify which domains link to opponents and not yours
• Reinforce your backlinks, enhance rankings and so on

But are backlinks that important? Of course, yes! In fact, studies show that about 96.55% of internet pages receive no organic traffic, mostly because they have no backlinks. Think of them as endorsements you’d receive from a trusted friend about a particular product. Actually, most people will do business with a brand if their trusted friend recommends it. Similarly, search engines normally tend to rank sites with more high-quality backlinks higher than those that don’t have.

And thankfully, tech improvements have made it possible to see how competitors take advantage of such links. That way, you can always ensure your SEO efforts are more focused and, thus, avoid throwing fists into the air.

Why do you need this technique?

We have already hinted at how companies seeking greater SEO results can’t afford to ignore backlinks. And as much as you want to have a number of them, ensuring they are high quality is very important. And do you actually know you could create a snowball effect if you rank high? 

A study by a famous SEO company noted that the top-ranking page on Google receives 5% – 14.5% more do-follow backlinks from new sites monthly. As the page continues to attract more backlinks, you actually cement your position more.

And since analyzing your competitors’ sites helps you determine the domains improving their rankings, you have the opportunity to get backlinks that propel your website further. And the more strategic you become, the higher the chances of breaking into and staying in that top position you so much desire.

You don’t want to waste your precious time finding relevant, authoritative sites to build links. In a time when everything seems fast-paced, this competitive analysis can help find quality link building avenues more quickly. Plus, you can’t expect to stay ahead of your opponents if you have zero information about their strategies.

What is the process like?

Well, with just the right tools and a clear plan, competitor analysis should not turn out as rocket science. Here’s how you can get started:

Determine who you’re competing against

At this point, you may want to determine your direct competitors – websites dominating your niche and outpacing you for the same keywords. Good enough, there are numerous tools that ensure you don’t waste time combing through Google. For those who are yet to have websites, you can still search for main terms and phrases on these tools to determine who your competitors will be.

Collect backlink data

Once competing sites have been identified, it’s time to explore the details of their backlink profiles. For those on tight budgets, there are several free backlink checkers that can really come in handy. All you’ll need to do is enter the competitor’s domain, and they will generate a quick summary of the competitor’s top backlinks.

There are also many other great options for those seeking a straightforward way of acquiring the data without going through steep learning curves. They help identify trends and when competing sites could have started a big link-building campaign.

Examine link quality, overlaps and gaps

As we already said, link quality is very important. In fact, you may be surprised to learn that, according to some studies, about 93.8% of link builders favor link quality over quantity. Examine how reputable, relevant sites within your niche affect competitors and pursue such opportunities. Metrics like domain authority, traffic estimates and spam score will further help determine link quality.

What are our final thoughts?

Given the above, nowadays, running a business without an online presence seems like a great disservice, and more and more people are heading to the digital space to improve their operations. In fact, if we look at the statistics, Barchat.com suggests that optimized business websites focusing on user experience can see revenue growth of about 2.8 times higher than competitors.

As if that’s not enough, such websites can actually increase conversions by up to 400%. With such possibilities available, you definitely don’t want to miss out on them. Did you know that for all the sites and pages launched each day, a lot of them won’t actually get recognized within Google? That’s just because of not having enough knowledge of link building.

No one would really want to go through that kind of thing just because they don’t know how to best use them. It gets worse when they don’t even know who their competitors are or what they do to advance themselves. But thanks to competitor backlinks analysis, its more narrowed and time-saving strategy makes it easy for you.

Don’t ever forget; this is not a one-off affair-it will need constant experiments, hoping every single trial will get long-term results.