# Competitor Link Gap Template: Find Untapped Opportunities

Systematic template for analysing competitor backlinks and finding link opportunities they have that you're missing.

Canonical: https://backlinkgrid.com/resources/competitor-gap-template


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?

---

## Related Resources

- [Competitor Analysis Guide](/backlink-audit/competitor-analysis)
- [Prospecting Guide](/outreach/prospecting)
- [Prospecting Spreadsheet](/resources/prospecting-spreadsheet)