competitor backlink analysis.
competitor backlink analysis answers one question: which sites link to the companies you compete with, and not yet to you? every site on that list has already shown it will link to something in your category, which makes it a candidate worth qualifying. it does not establish that the publisher will accept your pitch.
the technique has a name, a link gap, and the posts below cover it end to end: the definition and the arithmetic behind it, free ways to run it with or without a paid tool, and what to do with the list once you have it.
understand it
the definition, and why the number of competitors changes the answer.
what is a link gap - the set difference behind competitor link research
a link gap is the domains linking to your competitors but not to you. here is the arithmetic, why the count of competitors changes the answer, and why two tools never agree.
7 min read
run it
free ways to produce the list, with or without a paid tool.
how to run a backlink gap analysis for free
compare competitor referring-domain lists, remove domains recorded for your site, then qualify the actual linking pages. a practical checklist with preview and export limits.
11 min readfree backlink gap analysis without ahrefs (2026)
find domains recorded for your competitors but not you, then qualify the actual linking pages. compare a free preview with paid research and export options.
8 min readwatch: steal your competitor's backlinks (free 2-minute walkthrough)
a short walkthrough of crawlgraph's free gap analysis: find every site linking to your competitor but not you, pull the contact email, and send the pitch - without an ahrefs or semrush subscription.
4 min readhow to get backlinks for free in 2026
free options for surveying a backlink profile - gsc, bing webmaster, crawlgraph's free tier - and what each one actually shows. for full lists, paid once.
16 min read
act on it
turning a list of domains into people to write to.
competitor backlink analysis template
download a 35-column CSV worksheet, qualify competitor link gaps, and use five hypothetical examples to choose the next research action.
9 min readfind link building prospects with ai
connect an ai assistant to a live backlink data source over mcp and let it run gap analysis, rank outreach targets, and draft angles - no spreadsheet wrangling.
9 min read