Backlink gap: the sites that link to your rivals and not to you

If a page links to two rivals that solve the same job, it can link to you. The editor already accepts your kind of product. Your ask is an update, not a pitch from cold.

Closing that gap wins relevant referral traffic and crawl paths. It also sends a trust signal. You do not need hundreds, you need the right handful.

Choose products a buyer would compare with you. Start with three to five. Include at least one smaller site and one bigger brand in your niche.

1. 1

   Start from Search Console

   Open Search Console, Performance. Filter by queries with intent to buy. Note the domains above and next to you on those queries.

2. 2

   Sanity check on the results page

   Search in an incognito window. Note comparison pages and roundups that include your rivals. Ignore marketplaces if they are not your buyers.

3. 3

   Write a short list

   Keep a list like: rival-a.com, rival-b.io, rival-c.co. Add your own domain at the top for later filtering.

Example: you sell a time tracking SaaS. Your shortlist: rival-a.com and rival-b.io also sell time tracking to freelancers. You do not add a payroll giant that serves enterprises only.

Use a backlink index to compare referring domains. The aim is a list of pages that link to at least two rivals and not to you, with the live URLs.

• Ahrefs: known for its backlink index and Site Explorer. Use the Link Intersect report to enter your rivals and your site as the “but doesn’t link to” target. Ahrefs Webmaster Tools is free for verified sites.
• Semrush: a broad suite with Backlink Analytics. Use Backlink Gap to compare your domain with rivals. It also shows Authority Score and common referring domains.
• Moz: use Link Explorer to compare link profiles. Its Domain Authority helps you group by strength. Moz has long-standing education and the MozBar browser extension.
• SE Ranking: offers backlink checks and competitive research. Use its backlink tools to export domains that link to rivals.
• Ubersuggest: aimed at beginners. Use its backlink tool for a simple rival scan on a small set.

1. 1

   Set up the comparison

   Pick three rivals and your domain. Run the gap report. Export the referring domains and, where possible, the exact linking URLs.

2. 2

   Filter for likely matches

   Keep pages that link to at least two rivals. Drop obvious noise like auto-generated pages and login walls. Keep English pages if you sell in English.

3. 3

   Bring it into a sheet

   Create columns for linking URL, page type, your fit, action needed, contact, status, date asked, date won. Paste your exports and de-duplicate.

Open each candidate URL. Your job is to understand why that page links out and how you qualify. Then you craft the right ask to the right person.

Scan for inclusion criteria on the page. Look for update dates, submission forms, broken outbound links, and tone. If they list pricing, your /pricing must be clear. If they rate tools on ease of use, your /guides/getting-started should be tight.

Work the pages where your fit is clear and the path to inclusion is obvious. You want a steady cadence of wins, not a huge backlog of maybes.

• High fit, low friction: open directories, active roundups, guides with recent updates.
• Pages that list two or more of your close rivals.
• Pages on sites with steady indexing and no obvious spam patterns.
• Pages where you can add missing value: a fresh screenshot, an up to date feature, a tutorial video.

Leave for later: pages that do not match your audience, old pages with no updates for years, and mass guest post farms. Focus time where a yes is likely this month.

Your email is not a pitch. It is a helpful nudge to improve their page for their readers. Keep it short and specific to the page at hand.

Subject: Suggestion for your “Best time trackers for freelancers”

Hi {Name},

I noticed {rival-a.com} and {rival-b.io} are in your list here: {URL}.

We build Yourproduct.com, a time tracker built for freelancers. Two reasons it may help your readers:
- Simple invoicing built in
- A free mobile app

Here is a 1-sentence blurb in your style:
Yourproduct.com, time tracking with invoicing for freelancers.

If it helps, here is a clean screenshot: {link}
Happy to answer any questions.

Thanks,
{Name}
Role, Yourproduct.com

Where a form exists, use it. Follow their requested format. If they show 280 character blurbs, match it. If they want a square logo, send that exact size. 512 by 512 is typical, not measured.

If you spot an error, lead with it. For example, a dead rival link or an old price. Offer the fix and suggest adding your product while they update. It works because you save time for them.

Make it easy to include you. Editors look for clarity and proof. Fix the basics before you ask for links.

• A clear /pricing with plan names, a feature table and terms.
• A tight /guides/getting-started with screenshots, less than five minutes to first value.
• A page for comparisons like /alternatives/yourproduct or /compare/yourproduct-vs-rival-a.
• Up to date product screenshots and logos in a shared folder.
• Contact info and an about page that shows a real team.

A fixed page looks obvious. Example: your /pricing loads fast, shows your core plans above the fold, and answers refund and trial questions in plain text. An editor can link it without worry.

You need two views. Links gained, pre click. Traffic and signups, post click. Track both, and attribute each win to a page and an ask.

• In your backlink tool, set link alerts for your domain and for target pages. Check new and lost links weekly.
• In your sheet, mark status as asked, live, or declined. Add the link URL and date when live.
• In Google Search Console, open Links. Check Top linking sites and Top linking text for your new domains and pages.
• In Google Analytics 4, check referral traffic from the new domains. Add a note on the day the link went live. GA4 is post click, numbers will differ from Search Console.

Check quality beyond a metric score. Look at crawlability, whether the page gets indexed, and if the link sends qualified sessions. Keep the pages that send buyers at the top of your list to find similar ones.

• Do not buy links that break platform rules. If a placement is paid or an affiliate, ask for rel="sponsored".
• Skip mass guest post offers. You will spend time for thin sites and return little.
• Do not chase every domain. Pages that never update or that your buyers will not read are not worth time.
• Avoid vanity metrics as the only filter. Use DR, DA or Authority Score to sort, then read the page.
• Keep follow up light. One nudge after a week is enough unless they invite more detail.

You can run this process in a week. Spend one day on selection, two on analysis, two on asks, and one on tracking setup. Then one hour a week to maintain it.