How to acquire links by doing a link analysis of your competition
Posted: Wed Jan 29, 2025 4:56 am
1. Get your competitors' backlink profile: SEMrush or Ahrefs
Using your preferred software program, you can obtain your competitors' inbound link data and download it in CSV format.
For this example, we're using a local crypto email list client with a specialty retailer. To start, we need to look at the competition to know where to look.
eco-friendly
SEMrush provides important information such as the anchor text, the date it was first launched, and the status of the URL code.
Ahrefs provides the most comprehensive link analysis tool, allowing webmasters to organize data on total inbound link volume and unique referring domains separately .
1.-extract-competitor-backlink-profiles-semrush-or-ahrefs
2. Organize your spreadsheet by opportunity
Export the CSV from any of these programs and upload it to Google Sheets. Depending on the client, you may have thousands of inbound links to copy.
To make things easier to organize, you can filter the spreadsheet by link type, domain rank, or traffic to get initial leads.
Once you find links that are suitable for your business, you need to collect contact information for outreach.
organize-your-spreadsheet-by-opportunity
3. Build content similar to what is driving inbound links from competitors
As you organize your spreadsheet and use your tools, you'll notice that certain URLs tend to attract more links than others.
Analyze these landing pages and referral links to see what value they provide for the landing pages.
These pages also tend to have higher keyword rankings and appear prominently on other channels, such as social media.
Work with your content and design team to create new, engaging content that serves as a better resource. Include:
Creating similar content with more details.
Repurposing content in an infographic.
Creating similar content with citations or authorship from an authoritative source.
4. Contact third-party websites to request linking opportunities
Once the content is created, it's time for the tedious manual outreach process. When writing an email, it's important to be polite and get straight to the point.
For example, an email template could explain how that domain links to a dead link and how this impedes user experience and could even affect your own site's rankings.
On the other hand, if you're trying to replace a link to live content, your email tone will need to be more persuasive.
Most webmasters are skeptical of link building, so offering a cheaper product or a better resource often won't be enough.
Some additional ideas for persuasion:
Discrediting a fact or claim listed in the competing article.
Explain how your article is updated with more recent information.
Appeal to the authority of your own brand over that of a competitor.
Cite any recognizable thought leaders who appear in your article.
Once you send the initial email, it's time to sit back and wait. It's wise to follow up once or twice a week to see if you get a response.
Depending on the email template and underlying strategy, results may vary. To conclude, here is a brief summary that will allow you to see how long it will take to see estimated results from these actions, the minimum tools, and a list of benefits to consider.
Using your preferred software program, you can obtain your competitors' inbound link data and download it in CSV format.
For this example, we're using a local crypto email list client with a specialty retailer. To start, we need to look at the competition to know where to look.
eco-friendly
SEMrush provides important information such as the anchor text, the date it was first launched, and the status of the URL code.
Ahrefs provides the most comprehensive link analysis tool, allowing webmasters to organize data on total inbound link volume and unique referring domains separately .
1.-extract-competitor-backlink-profiles-semrush-or-ahrefs
2. Organize your spreadsheet by opportunity
Export the CSV from any of these programs and upload it to Google Sheets. Depending on the client, you may have thousands of inbound links to copy.
To make things easier to organize, you can filter the spreadsheet by link type, domain rank, or traffic to get initial leads.
Once you find links that are suitable for your business, you need to collect contact information for outreach.
organize-your-spreadsheet-by-opportunity
3. Build content similar to what is driving inbound links from competitors
As you organize your spreadsheet and use your tools, you'll notice that certain URLs tend to attract more links than others.
Analyze these landing pages and referral links to see what value they provide for the landing pages.
These pages also tend to have higher keyword rankings and appear prominently on other channels, such as social media.
Work with your content and design team to create new, engaging content that serves as a better resource. Include:
Creating similar content with more details.
Repurposing content in an infographic.
Creating similar content with citations or authorship from an authoritative source.
4. Contact third-party websites to request linking opportunities
Once the content is created, it's time for the tedious manual outreach process. When writing an email, it's important to be polite and get straight to the point.
For example, an email template could explain how that domain links to a dead link and how this impedes user experience and could even affect your own site's rankings.
On the other hand, if you're trying to replace a link to live content, your email tone will need to be more persuasive.
Most webmasters are skeptical of link building, so offering a cheaper product or a better resource often won't be enough.
Some additional ideas for persuasion:
Discrediting a fact or claim listed in the competing article.
Explain how your article is updated with more recent information.
Appeal to the authority of your own brand over that of a competitor.
Cite any recognizable thought leaders who appear in your article.
Once you send the initial email, it's time to sit back and wait. It's wise to follow up once or twice a week to see if you get a response.
Depending on the email template and underlying strategy, results may vary. To conclude, here is a brief summary that will allow you to see how long it will take to see estimated results from these actions, the minimum tools, and a list of benefits to consider.