A competitor link gap analysis reveals opportunities—sites that link to your competitors but not to you. This template provides a systematic approach to finding and prioritising these opportunities.
Phase 1: Setup#
Identify Competitors#
Select 3-5 competitors who:
- Rank for your target keywords
- Are similar in size/scope
- Have established backlink profiles
| Competitor | Domain | Why Selected | |------------|--------|--------------| | 1 | | | | 2 | | | | 3 | | | | 4 | | | | 5 | | |
Gather Data#
For each competitor, export:
- Referring domains list
- DA/DR for each domain
- Link count per domain
- Anchor text (optional)
Tools:
- Ahrefs: Referring Domains report
- Semrush: Backlink Analytics
- Moz: Link Explorer
Phase 2: Data Consolidation#
Master Domain List#
Combine all competitor referring domains into one master list:
| Domain | Links to Comp 1 | Links to Comp 2 | Links to Comp 3 | Links to You | DA | Gap? | |--------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|--------------|----|----| | example1.com | ✓ | ✓ | | | 45 | Y | | example2.com | ✓ | | ✓ | ✓ | 52 | N | | example3.com | | ✓ | ✓ | | 38 | Y |
Identify Gap Domains#
Gap domain criteria:
- Links to 1+ competitors
- Does NOT link to you
- Meets minimum quality threshold
Filter: Links to Competitor(s) = Yes AND Links to You = No
Phase 3: Gap Analysis#
Gap Domain Summary#
| Metric | Value | |--------|-------| | Total unique referring domains (all competitors) | ___ | | Domains linking to you | ___ | | Gap domains (link to competitor, not you) | ___ | | Gap percentage | ___% |
Gap by Competitor#
| Competitor | Their Referring Domains | Also Link to You | Gap | |------------|-------------------------|------------------|-----| | Competitor 1 | ___ | ___ | ___ | | Competitor 2 | ___ | ___ | ___ | | Competitor 3 | ___ | ___ | ___ |
Shared Link Analysis#
| Linking Domain Pattern | Count | |------------------------|-------| | Links to all competitors, not you | ___ | | Links to 2+ competitors, not you | ___ | | Links to 1 competitor only | ___ |
Priority: Domains linking to multiple competitors represent strong opportunities.
Phase 4: Quality Assessment#
Gap Domain Scoring#
Score each gap domain for prioritisation:
| Domain | DA | Relevance (1-5) | Traffic | Link Type | Priority Score | |--------|----|-----------------| --------|-----------|----------------| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Priority Scoring Formula#
Priority Score = (DA/20) + (Relevance × 2) + (Traffic Score) + (Type Bonus)
Traffic Score:
- High traffic: +2
- Medium traffic: +1
- Low traffic: 0
Type Bonus:
- Guest post possible: +2
- Resource page: +1.5
- Editorial potential: +1
Priority Categories#
| Priority | Score Range | Action | |----------|-------------|--------| | A (Highest) | 12+ | Pursue immediately | | B (High) | 9-11 | Include in next campaign | | C (Medium) | 6-8 | Secondary outreach | | D (Low) | Under 6 | Only if time permits |
Phase 5: Opportunity Categorisation#
By Link Type#
Categorise gap opportunities by how competitors got the link:
| Category | Count | Notes | |----------|-------|-------| | Guest posts | ___ | Content contribution | | Resource pages | ___ | List inclusion | | Editorial mentions | ___ | PR/coverage | | Directories | ___ | Listing opportunities | | Partnerships | ___ | Business relationships | | Other | ___ | |
By Industry/Topic#
| Industry/Topic | Count | Relevance | |----------------|-------|-----------| | | | | | | | | | | | |
By Difficulty#
| Difficulty | Count | Notes | |------------|-------|-------| | Easy (directories, profiles) | ___ | Quick wins | | Medium (outreach required) | ___ | Standard effort | | Hard (high competition, selective) | ___ | More effort needed |
Phase 6: Action Planning#
Quick Wins#
Low-effort gap opportunities:
| Domain | Opportunity | Action Needed | |--------|-------------|---------------| | | | | | | | | | | | |
Content Opportunities#
Gaps requiring content creation:
| Domain | Content Needed | Competitor's Content | |--------|----------------|---------------------| | | | | | | | | | | | |
Relationship Opportunities#
Gaps requiring relationship building:
| Domain | Relationship Needed | Approach | |--------|---------------------|----------| | | | | | | | | | | | |
Phase 7: Outreach Planning#
Priority Outreach List#
| Rank | Domain | Contact | Strategy | Status | |------|--------|---------|----------|--------| | 1 | | | | | | 2 | | | | | | 3 | | | | | | 4 | | | | | | 5 | | | | |
Strategy Notes#
| Strategy | Domains | Key Message | |----------|---------|-------------| | Guest post pitch | ___ | | | Resource suggestion | ___ | | | Content promotion | ___ | | | Partnership inquiry | ___ | |
Phase 8: Tracking#
Progress Tracker#
| Week | Outreach Sent | Responses | Links Won | Gap Closed | |------|---------------|-----------|-----------|------------| | 1 | | | | | | 2 | | | | | | 3 | | | | | | 4 | | | | |
Gap Closure Rate#
Gap Closure Rate = Links Won from Gap / Total Gap Domains Pursued
| Period | Gap Domains Pursued | Links Won | Closure Rate | |--------|---------------------|-----------|--------------| | Month 1 | | | | | Month 2 | | | | | Month 3 | | | |
Useful Formulas#
For Spreadsheet Analysis#
Identify gap domains:
=IF(AND(OR(A2="Y",B2="Y",C2="Y"),D2="N"),"GAP","")
Count competitors linking:
=COUNTIF(A2:C2,"Y")
Priority score:
=(E2/20)+(F2*2)+G2+H2
Analysis Tips#
What to Look For#
High-value opportunities:
- Sites linking to multiple competitors
- High DA sites in your niche
- Active sites that publish regularly
- Sites with clear content needs you can fill
Red flags to avoid:
- Sites that only link to competitors due to specific relationship
- Links from competitor-owned properties
- Links that required specific content you can't replicate
- Outdated or abandoned sites
Competitive Intelligence#
Note while analysing:
- What content earned competitor links?
- What strategies are competitors using?
- What can you do better?
- What angles haven't been covered?