Are your competitors ranking at the top of Google for your target keywords? If you think so, you may be wondering how to stay ahead of them. Out of all the factors that determine the success of any SEO campaign, backlinks are probably the most important one if you want to achieve top rankings. This is because links are still one of the most important aspects of SEO and if your competitors have a good backlink profile, then they might just be ranking higher than you in the search engines.
If your website doesn’t rank high in search engines due to poor backlinks, it’s about time you did something about it. Backlinks have always been a factor that is highly correlated with rankings. Some people may view the backlinks of competitors as a barrier but they are not, they are a chance to produce better content and find out how to get the same sites to link back to them. In this article, I will explain how to discover and use your loot your competitors backlinks to enhance your website’s SEO. You will learn some practical tips on how to identify your competitors, analyze their backlinks and create a good link building profile for your website.
How to Identify Your Competitors
In order to steal backlinks you first need to know who your competitors are. Competitors of a website are usually of two types: domain level competitors and page level competitors. Both of them are rich with backlink opportunities, but the way you are going to use them is different.
- Domain-Level Competitors
Domain level competitors are those websites which are your rivals in the search engine result pages for number of pages and keywords. Such competitors may not be in the same industry or the same niche as your business but they are after the same keywords.
For instance if your website is centered around fitness goods a blog sharing workout tips could potentially vie for keywords, with you even if you don’t offer the products or services. - Page-Level Competitors
Rival pages, at the page level are those websites or single pages that vie for attention with a page within your website based around topics or keywords.. These competitors might not necessarily target your website but their individual pages intersect with yours, in search result listings.
It’s important to grasp the significance of both kinds of rivals as they can uncover methods, for gaining backlinks.
After pinpointing your rivals in the market space the subsequent task is to delve into their structures by examining the sources and motivations, behind who links to them. Lets delve into some strategies;
Explore the homepage links of your competitors as part of your research strategy.
One effective way to begin is, by checking the links leading to your competitors main pages as these connections often feature branded anchor texts and typically come from sites.
By examining the links, on a websites page or landing page you may discover possible sources of backlinks. Utilize platforms such as Ahref s SEMrush and Moz to pinpoint and assess these connections. Search for trends, in the categories of websites that are linking to your rivals and contemplate contacting them with your material or proposals.
How to Analyze Loot Your Competitors Backlinks
After pinpointing your rivals in the field of competition the subsequent move is to examine their network of backlinks. This task includes investigating the entities that are referencing them and the reasons, behind it. Here are a few actionable strategies ;
Explore the homepage links of your competition.
One effective approach is to review the links directed towards your competitors main webpages as these links frequently feature branded anchor texts and typically originate from sources.
When you examine the links, on a websites page carefully you may discover possible sources for backlinks to your site. Leveraging tools such as Ahrefs SEMrush and Moz can assist you in pinpointing and scrutinizing these efficiently. Observe the trends, in the websites that are linking to your competitors and contemplate engaging with them by offering your content or ideas.
Check out guest articles written by your competitors.
Guest posting is considered a simple method to obtain top notch backlinks and chances are your competitors are also utilizing this approach well! You can craft your guest posts by spotting the ones they’ve had published and pitching your pieces to these platforms or ones that are alike.
Discovering guest posts, by competitors can be done through the steps;
- Utilize search queries, on Google
Utilizing Googles search functions allows you to uncover guest contributions, from companies easily by inputting queries such as “[Competitors Name]’ guest contribution” or “[Competitors Author Name]’ site, on example.com ” leading you to their featured guest articles. - Utilize the function of Reverse Image Search
Googles reverse image search is quite useful, for this task! Simply upload a photo of your competitors author headshot to find out which websites have published their guest posts. - Use Ahrefs Content Explorer
With the help of Ahrefs Content Explorer, you can search for content written by certain authors or linked to certain domains. You can use advanced search operators to discover your competitor’s guest posts and determine what sites they are submitting their content to so that you can pitch your own content to those same sites.
Engage with Competitors’ Superfans
This is one of the easiest ways to get high quality backlinks and your competitors are definitely using this strategy. You can come up with your own guest posts on the same blogs or others that are similar to the ones they have posted.
- Use Google Advanced Search Queries
It can be quite easy to use Google advanced search operators to look for your competitors’ guest posts. Searching for “[Your Competitor’s Name] guest post” or for “[Your Competitor’s Author Name] site:example.com” can help you find their guest posts. - Use Reverse Image Search
Google’s reverse image search can also be quite useful. It can be useful to upload an image of your competitor’s author’s headshot and it can show you websites on which their guest posts are published. - Use Ahrefs Content Explorer
Ahrefs Content Explorer enables you to search for content written by particular authors or linked to particular domains. It can be quite easy to discover your competitor’s guest posts and determine the sites you can pitch your content ideas to.
Use Competitor Link-Building Tactics
Your competitors’ superfans—those who are most likely to engage with their content—can become an asset to your brand. These superfans can be quite active in linking to or sharing content that they like. If you can find them and start a relationship, you can get backlinks.
- Create Similar or Better Content
Research your competitors’ content and produce something better than what they are offering. For example, if your competitor has a post called ‘10 Tips for SEO’ you can write a post called “20 Expert Tips for SEO in 2025.” - Engage With Superfans
You should also follow your competitors’ superfans on social media and leave comments on their posts and share useful information. Start the conversation gently and gradually incorporate your content. Once they recognize the usefulness of the information you are providing, they may begin to post the links to your site. - Convert Them Into Your Fans
The objective is to snatch the competitors’ superfans and make them your own. It is possible to gain their trust and allegiance if you provide useful information consistently.
Use Competitor Link-Building Strategies
Stealing backlinks from your competitors is not just about copying what they do; it is about doing it better. Here are some additional tactics to consider:
- Steal Broken Links
To discover broken links on websites that point to your competitors’ sites, you can use tools like Ahrefs or the Broken Link Checker tool. To these sites, you should suggest that they use your content instead of the broken link they have. - Replicate Competitors’ Best Content
Determine your competitors’ most linked to content and see if there is a way to create better content and then promote it. To the same sites that were linking to your competitors, you should be reaching out to offer better content. - Take Advantage Of The Skyscraper Technique
The Skyscraper Technique is a method that involves first identifying high-performing content, then creating better content, and then promoting it to the same audience. Use this method to outcompete your competitors and get backlinks from them.
Build Relationships with Backlink Sources
Search engine optimization is not just about the tools and techniques, it is about the people. It is possible to create a way of getting backlinks from the websites that are related to your competitors if you build real relationships with those websites. Here’s how:
- Personalize Your Outreach
When you are going to contact a website, you should make the email personal. Describe certain characteristics of the content and why your content will be useful for their audience. - Offer Mutual Benefits
Suggest the common ground such as guest posts, resources or co-marketing. - Be Persistent but Polite
Not all the outreach emails will lead to a backlink. You can follow up if you don’t get a response but don’t do it too often.
Conclusion
Backlinks are vital for SEO and you should know your competitors’ backlink profiles to develop your strategy. Through the identification of your competitors, analysis of their backlinks and the implementation of the strategies mentioned above, you will be able to enhance your link building plan and therefore your search engine rankings. This is because, stealing your competitor’s backlinks does not mean you have to mimic their ways. It is possible to learn from the experiences of your competitors and do better than they did. So, you can easily use your competitors’ strengths as your growth opportunities if you constantly work hard and be creative. So, begin to analyze, develop relationships and produce the kind of content that will get you the backlinks you need to succeed in the SEO world.