Backlink Gap
Ever wondered why your competitors rank higher than you—despite publishing similar content? One answer often lies in the backlink gap. A backlink gap happens when your competitors have high-quality backlinks that your site doesn’t. These missing links can differ between showing up on page one or being buried in search results.
Simply put, it’s a gap between your backlink profile and your competitors. The more significant the gap, the more authority you lose in the eyes of search engine algorithms. Understanding this gap is key if you’re serious about improving your search engine rankings.
The concept of the backlink gap comes from SEO competitor analysis. It highlights missed backlink opportunities—links pointing to your competitors but not to you. You can spot link-building opportunities you might’ve overlooked by identifying these gaps.
This isn’t just about quantity. It’s about spotting high-authority domains that already trust your competitors. That trust, or lack of it, is what we’re trying to fix. It’s one of the most actionable insights in any backlink analysis tool.
Importance of Understanding Backlink Gap
Not all backlinks are created equal. Some offer absolute domain authority, and others are just fillers. When you understand your backlink gap, you can focus on acquiring quality links rather than wasting time with low-value ones.
From an SEO standpoint, knowing your backlink gap helps align your efforts with what’s already working in your niche. It’s a way to reverse engineer competitor backlink strategies and create a comprehensive approach.
How to Identify Backlink Gaps
Defining Competitors
Before running any backlink gap analysis, you must define your real competitors. These aren’t always the businesses you compete with for customers—they rank above you in organic search. These are your actual competitors in search engine optimization.
Start by typing your target keywords into the search bar. Look at which domains consistently outrank you. They become your primary benchmark. This list of domains forms the foundation of your backlink gap analysis process.
Using Backlink Analysis Tools
Now that you have your list of competitors, it’s time to look at their backlink profiles. A good backlink analysis tool will help you compare link profiles, identify domain-level metrics like domain rating or authority score, and expose relevant backlinks you’re missing.
You want tools that allow bulk analysis, page-level comparisons, and the ability to export data into a CSV file for deeper review. The goal is simple: understand where your backlink profile falls short.
Tools for Backlink Gap Analysis
SEMrush
SEMrush offers a great backlink gap tool called “Backlink Gap.” It lets you compare your domain with up to five competitor domains and find untapped backlink opportunities. The Link Intersect feature is easy to use, and the interface is clean.
You’ll get actionable backlink gap analysis insights, including the referring domains, authority scores, and historical backlink profile growth. It’s ideal for both beginners and pros.
Ahrefs
Ahrefs Site Explorer is another excellent tool. Their Link Intersect tool does a great job of showing competitor backlinks you don’t have. It even helps you find high-authority domains that frequently link to multiple competitors.
You can also view anchor texts, backlink quality, and backlink context to understand how your competitors earned these links. It’s perfect for crafting your next outreach campaign or guest posting plan.
Moz
Moz’s Link Explorer also offers a solid backlink gap analysis feature. It might not be as in-depth as Ahrefs or SEMrush, but it’s a good place to start. Moz gives you domain authority scores, a list of backlinks, and a decent backlink profile checker.
The added spam score feature helps filter out low-quality links so you can focus only on the most valuable backlinks.
Serpstat
Serpstat’s backlink gap analyzer has features for those who want an advanced analysis. It offers backlink trends, types of backlinks, and the ability to track backlink profile growth over time.
Serpstat is especially useful if you’re running a link-building campaign across multiple regions or industries, like in SaaS, FinTech, or Health Tech.
Conducting a Backlink Gap Analysis
Step-by-Step Guide
- Identify your top 3–5 competitors using search engine results.
- Plug your site and competitors into a backlink gap analysis tool.
- Download the list of domains linking to competitors but not to you.
- Sort by authority score or domain rating to find the most valuable opportunities.
- Cross-check backlinks with spam scores and link quality.
Utilizing Link Intersection Features
Most backlink tools offer some version of Link Intersect. This shows links pointing to two or more competitors that your site doesn’t have.
This is gold. This means the external source is open to linking to businesses like yours. Reach out with high-quality content or collaborate through a guest post.
Evaluating and Interpreting Results
After your quick analysis, start digging into why competitors earned those links. Was it through blog posts? Industry-relevant websites? Business directories? Or content gaps you can fill?
Look at link type, domain-level authority, and backlink context. It’s not just about copying links but about understanding link-building strategies that work.
Strategies for Addressing Backlink Gaps
Targeting High-Quality Link Prospects
Focus your link-building efforts on authoritative sites that are already linked to competitors. Send personalized pitches, offer valuable content, or suggest guest posts.
These votes of confidence matter. Backlinks from high-authority domains improve not only your search ranking but also your overall online presence.
Avoiding Common Pitfalls
Don’t chase links from spammy or irrelevant sources. Backlink purchases might offer short-term gains but usually hurt your long-term credibility.
Focus instead on building links with real value—think industry blogs, thought leaders, and reputable sources.
Prioritizing Quality Over Quantity
More links don’t always mean better SEO. One link from an authoritative competitor can be more than 50 low-quality backlinks.
Use a backlink profile comparison tool to filter by domain rating and spam score. Always choose quality links over sheer volume.
Benefits of Closing Backlink Gaps
Improving Search Rankings
Backlink gaps often explain why competitors outrank you. Closing these gaps boosts your authority and pushes your pages higher in search engine results.
It’s critical to a successful SEO strategy, especially if your goal is to target BoFu traffic that converts.
Enhancing Organic Traffic
Better rankings bring more organic traffic. But beyond that, backlinks bring referral traffic—people clicking from credible websites to your content.
It’s one of the best ways to attract audiences through referral traffic without increasing bounce rates or chasing irrelevant keywords.
Building a Comprehensive Backlink Strategy
A strong backlink strategy isn’t one-and-done. It’s a continuous competitor link analysis, outreach, and monitoring cycle.
If you’re working with a link-building agency, make sure they prioritize competitor backlink gap analysis and target high-authority domains.
Monitoring and Updating Your Backlink Strategy
Just because you close one backlink gap doesn’t mean the work’s over. Competitors evolve, and so should you.
Make it a habit to run backlink gap analyses monthly. Export your backlink analytics to compare trends, track historical growth, and adjust your outreach campaign accordingly.
Use tools like Ahrefs, Moz, and SEMrush to set alerts for new incoming links to competitor domains. Stay one step ahead.
Case Studies and Examples
Our Delta Monitoring case study showed how a focused backlink strategy helped close a significant gap and increase their domain authority. We saw a sudden spike in organic search traffic by targeting industry-relevant websites and fixing broken links.
Another win came from working with ZarMoney, where we used backlink gap analysis tools to find untapped backlink opportunities. These links led to higher rankings, lower bounce rates, and better conversion paths.
For SaaS founders, Crypto platforms, or Mobile apps, closing backlink gaps is one of the most attainable link-building methods with real return on investment.
Want help running your backlink gap analysis? Our SEO experts can handle the heavy lifting and build a backlink profile that supports your broader business goals.
Final Thoughts
Backlink gaps aren’t just numbers on a dashboard—they tell you what your competitors are doing better and where your site falls short. You can turn these insights into action with the right tools and thoughtful analysis.
The goal isn’t to copy every link your competitors have—it’s to understand the bigger picture. Spot what matters, chase quality links, and keep your strategy aligned with what drives results.
And if you’re ever stuck or short on time. At Stratigia, we help businesses—from SaaS startups to blockchain companies—build backlink strategies that move the needle.
