Competitor backlinks are not just SEO gold – they’re a blueprint of what’s already working in your niche.

By studying, filtering, and ethically stealing your competitors’ backlinks, you shortcut years of SEO trial and error.

For SaaS, eCommerce, and tech brands, where the digital battlefield is dense with innovation and noise, this strategy becomes your unfair advantage.

In this guide, we’re breaking down everything:

• What competitor backlinks are (and aren’t)
  
• How to find them
  
• How to judge which ones are worth your time
  
• And how to outshine competitors and earn better placements
  

Let’s dive in.

What is a Competitor Backlinks Strategy in SEO?

A competitor backlinks strategy in SEO is the process of identifying, analyzing, and ethically replicating the backlinks that are helping your competitors rank – so you can outrank them.

But here’s the twist: it’s not just about copying links. It’s about outmaneuvering them, one backlink at a time.

Why it Matters Right Now

In competitive verticals like SaaS, eCommerce, and tech, traditional content marketing is no longer enough. Your competitors are stacking backlinks from authority domains while you’re still waiting for content to “organically attract” them.

Let’s be clear:

Google doesn’t care how amazing your content is – if no one’s linking to it, it won’t rank.
And if others are linking to your competitors? That’s a cheat sheet you can’t afford to ignore.

A study by Sonia Zhang has concluded that link-building has much higher impact on website conversions compared to social media or other channels

The Core Idea

A competitor backlinks strategy is about learning from the backlink profile of others, then using that intelligence to build smarter, faster, and more scalable link campaigns.

This means:

• Identifying where your competitors are getting backlinks
  
• Evaluating which of those links are valuable
  
• Building content or assets that beat what your competitors offer
  
• Pitching your superior version to the same domains
  

Rich Media: Competitor Backlinks Strategy Framework

Stage	Action	Tools/Examples
Competitor Identification	Who ranks for your target keywords?	Ahrefs, SEMrush, Google SERPs
Backlink Extraction	Find their backlink sources	Ahrefs, Moz, SEO SpyGlass
Link Filtering	Score based on authority & relevance	Domain Rating, Niche Match
Gap Analysis	Identify links they have that you don’t	Ahrefs “Link Intersect” Tool
Outreach & Pitching	Win the same (or better) links	Email templates, PR outreach

Strategic Example:

Imagine you’re a SaaS startup targeting the term “team collaboration software”. Your top competitor is Notion.

1. You run Notion through Ahrefs.
   
2. You find that they have backlinks from TechCrunch, Zapier, and G2.
   
3. You notice one link came from a guest post titled “Top Remote Work Tools in 2025.”
   
4. You pitch a better post to the same site with updated insights + custom data.
   

That’s a competitor backlink strategy in action.

Coming Up Next…

We’ll go deeper into how to find competitor backlinks – including the exact tools, methods, and secret tactics SaaS and eCommerce brands use to extract link gold from their rivals.

How To Find Competitor Backlinks Using Free and Paid Tools

To find competitor backlinks, you need to plug your competitors’ domains into backlink analysis tools like Ahrefs, SEMrush, or Moz – and extract their link sources.

But finding them is just step one. The real edge comes from how you use that data to identify link gaps, low-hanging fruit, and replicable link types.

The Strategic Truth

Your competitors are leaving a breadcrumb trail. Every backlink they’ve earned is public. You just need the right toolkit to see it.

For SaaS, eCommerce, and tech brands especially, the fastest wins often come from reverse engineering what already works. If your competitor has a backlink from a listicle on “Top CRM Tools for 2025,” that link can be yours – if you know how to position your pitch better.

Rich Media: Top Tools for Competitor Backlink Analysis

Tool	Pricing Tier	Best For	Unique Feature
Ahrefs	Paid	Deep backlink crawling	“Link Intersect” + historical data
SEMrush	Paid	Multi-domain comparison	Bulk backlink gap tools
Moz Link Explorer	Freemium	Simpler overview	Spam score + link metrics
SEO SpyGlass	Free & Paid	Budget-friendly alternative	In-depth linking domain analysis
Google Search Operators	Free	Manual hunting	link:, inurl:, intitle: hacks

Step-by-Step: How To Use These Tools

1. Identify Your Top 3–5 Competitors

Start with those outranking you for target keywords.
Use Google or SEMrush’s Keyword Gap Tool to find overlapping competitors.

2. Run Their Domains Through Ahrefs or SEMrush

• Head to Ahrefs > Site Explorer > Backlinks
  
• Export links by newest, referring domain, or DR
  

3. Look for Link Types

• Guest posts
  
• Resource pages
  
• Product mentions
  
• PR features
  
• Content roundups
  

Pro Tip: Use Ahrefs’ “Link Intersect” tool to see which sites are linking to multiple competitors – but not you.

4. Segment by Link Strength

Tag them by:

• Domain Authority (DA)
  
• Anchor text relevance
  
• Type of content linked (blog post, landing page, etc.)
  

Use Case: eCommerce Brand Example

Let’s say you run an online store selling eco-friendly phone cases. You find your top competitor has backlinks from:

• Tech review blogs
  
• Green product roundups
  
• Affiliate “best of” lists
  

You now have a list of targets and proof they accept links. From there, you can start your content + outreach process.

We’ll break down how to filter out the noise and prioritize only the backlinks that are worth pursuing

Do All Competitor Backlinks Matter? How To Filter the Winners

No – only a small fraction of competitor backlinks are actually worth your time.

Most links are either low-quality, irrelevant, or unreplicable. The winners? They’re the links with authority, relevance, and replicability – and they’re hiding in plain sight.

Why Filtering Backlinks is Critical

Too many marketers waste hours chasing links that Google doesn’t even value.
Want a backlink from an outdated forum profile? That’s a vanity metric.
Want one from TechCrunch, Shopify’s blog, or G2’s directory? That’s revenue-driving SEO.

For SaaS, eCommerce, and Tech brands especially, quality > quantity.

Rich Media: The 4-Part Backlink Qualification Framework

Filter	What to Look For	Why It Matters
Relevance	Is the link on a page or domain related to your niche?	Google rewards topic-aligned backlinks
Authority	Domain Rating (Ahrefs), Trust Flow (Majestic), traffic metrics	High-authority = higher influence in SERPs
Placement	Contextual in-content links, not footers or sidebars	In-content links pass more SEO value
Replicability	Can you realistically earn or pitch for this link?	Saves time. You want links you can get, not just admire

How To Apply the Filters (Real-World Process)

1. Pull 500+ backlinks from your competitor
   Use Ahrefs or SEMrush export functions.
   
   
2. Run filters in a spreadsheet or Airtable
   
   
   • Flag homepage links or irrelevant domains
     
   • Check DA/DR score: keep only DR 40+
     
   • Highlight contextual links (filter by anchor text or URL path)
     
   • Tag link types: editorial, guest post, mention, listicle, etc.
     
     
3. Score each link:
   
   
   • 0 = trash
     
   • 1 = maybe (needs effort)
     
   • 2 = strong target (easy outreach + strong relevance)
     
   • 3 = golden link (editorial, from high-traffic site, replicable angle)
     

Use conditional formatting to visually group high-value links. Time is ROI. Don’t waste it.

Case Example: Tech SaaS Filtering Success

A mid-stage SaaS brand targeting remote collaboration found over 2,000 backlinks pointing to its top 5 competitors.

After applying the filters, they narrowed the list to just 54 strong targets.
Over 3 months, they converted 37 of them – and improved rankings on 12 core pages by 2–4 spots.

We’ll now shift gears and go on offense. You’ve found the gold. Now:

How To Reverse Engineer Competitor Backlinks (and Steal Them Ethically)

To ethically steal competitor backlinks, you identify where their links come from, then offer those same domains a better reason to link to you – through improved content, stronger assets, or fresh value.

This isn’t copying. It’s competition at its sharpest.

Why This Works So Well

Most webmasters and editors aren’t loyal to your competitors – they’re loyal to great content and value. If you can offer a better page, a fresher angle, or more authority, they’ll gladly switch the link or add yours alongside.

And in fast-moving industries like SaaS, eCommerce, and Tech, outdated content is everywhere. That’s your in.

Rich Media: 3-Step Competitor Link Stealing Formula

Step	Action	Tactic Examples
Audit the Link	Check who links to your competitor & why	Ahrefs → Referring page → Anchor → Content gap analysis
Build a Better Asset	Outperform the content they’re linking to	Longer post, original data, design upgrades, fresh stats
Pitch with Precision	Outreach with value-based messaging	Email, DM, LinkedIn + incentives or relationship building

Example: SaaS Company Link Hijack

Your competitor published a 2024 report on remote work tools, and it’s picked up backlinks from productivity blogs.

Here’s how you steal them:

1. Find the referring domains (Ahrefs → Backlinks report → filter by referring page topic).
   
2. Create a 2025 version with updated data, stronger visuals, and quotes from influencers.
   
3. Reach out to those same editors, saying:
   
   
   “Hey [First Name], loved your mention of [Competitor’s Report]. We just launched a new version for 2025 with fresh industry stats and design-rich data. Thought it might add more value for your readers – want to take a look?”
   
   

Result: You’re not just asking for a link – you’re giving them a reason to replace or add yours.

Tactical Bonus: Steal from Their Broken Links

Use Ahrefs’ Broken Backlinks filter.

• If your competitor has a 404 page with links?
  
• You recreate the page (or improve it).
  
• Reach out and pitch it as a working alternative.
  

This method recycles link equity – and it works especially well in SaaS and B2B tech, where product pages often get deprecated.

Outreach Templates That Convert (Real Voice, Real Results)

This style converts because it sounds human, not automated.

Let’s bring out the truth most SEOs won’t admit. Strategy matters – but execution makes or breaks your backlink campaign.

Especially in SaaS, eCommerce, and tech, most brands are playing checkers while elite competitors are playing chess.

Why Most SaaS Brands Fail at Competitor Link Building (And How You Can Win)

Most SaaS brands fail at competitor link building because they treat it like a copy-paste game instead of a strategic, value-driven play.

Winning links isn’t about duplicating your competitor’s backlink list. It’s about earning them smarter, faster, and with more compelling value.

Where They Go Wrong

Let’s get tactical. Here are the common mistakes we see in failed campaigns:

1. They focus on link quantity, not quality
   
   Grabbing 100 low-quality links won’t budge your rankings. Five authoritative, relevant links will.
   
2. They blindly copy links
   
   Just because a competitor has a link from RandomListicleSite.com doesn’t mean you should want it too.
   Without vetting, you’ll waste time pitching to low-value or expired domains.
   
3. They ignore positioning
   
   If your competitor pitched their link with a custom study or tool and you show up with a generic blog post? You’re not getting that link.
   
4. They skip follow-up
   
   Outreach is a campaign, not a one-shot deal. Most links are earned on the second or third contact. Most brands give up after one.

Rich Media: Competitive Link Building Killers vs. Winners

What Fails	What Wins
Copy-pasting competitor links	Analyzing and elevating competitor strategies
Mass email templates	Personalized outreach with a value hook
Generic blog posts	Custom data, tools, studies, or in-depth guides
No follow-up	Systematic email + LinkedIn + warm-up sequence
Ignoring industry context	Leveraging niche expertise and content depth

Case Study: Why One SaaS Brand Won 30 Links from Competitors’ Sources

A mid-tier SaaS brand in the project management space studied 5 top competitors and exported 2,000+ links.

Instead of trying to replicate them all, they:

• Shortlisted only links from high-traffic, niche-aligned sites
  
• Created a 5-part research asset (mini report series)
  
• Sent personalized outreach with custom subject lines tied to each editor’s audience
  

All by playing smarter, not louder.

Want to apply this at scale with SaaS-specific targeting? Check out our SaaS SEO Services

Let’s seal the strategy with a repeatable, scalable system – the kind that builds long-term SEO moats and drives compounding growth.

What’s the Best Way to Build a Repeatable Competitor Link System?

The best way to build a repeatable competitor backlink system is to automate data collection, filter for high-value links, and run ongoing, personalized outreach loops.

It’s not a one-time tactic. It’s a system. The brands dominating in SaaS, eCommerce, and Tech? They don’t do one-off campaigns – they build evergreen machines.

Why You Need a System (Not Just a Strategy)

One-off link grabs may boost rankings temporarily – but they don’t protect your position.
The compounding power of link building only kicks in when you have a system that:

• Finds opportunities every week
  
• Outreaches without burning your domain
  
• Measures link velocity, quality, and SERP impact
  
• Fuels every new piece of content with backlinks
  

This is what separates brands growing traffic steadily… from those stuck in page 2 purgatory.

Rich Media: The 6-Part Competitor Link System (SaaS + Tech Optimized)

Phase	Action
1. Competitor Research	Identify top 5–10 domain competitors in your niche
2. Link Scraping	Use Ahrefs, SEMrush, or SEO SpyGlass to export backlink lists
3. Filtering Logic	Filter based on DR, relevance, context, replicability
4. Asset Creation	Build content or tools that outperform existing linked pages
5. Outreach Automation	Use tools like Respona, Pitchbox, or Instantly.ai for scaled personalization
6. Tracking + Feedback	Monitor rankings, link placements, and response rates for refinement

Build in Public: The SaaS Link Sprint Model

A powerful approach used by growth-stage SaaS brands is the Link Sprint model.

Here’s how it works (monthly cadence):

• Week 1: Identify 3 content pieces (existing or new) to push
  
• Week 2: Scrape and filter 100–200 high-quality competitor backlinks
  
• Week 3: Write customized outreach templates per segment (journalists, bloggers, SaaS partners)
  
• Week 4: Launch campaign + follow-up cycle
  

Repeat. Optimize. Scale.

This method blends structure with flexibility – perfect for busy internal marketing teams or agile startups.

Conclusion: 

Competitor Backlink Strategy Is a Long Game – and the Smartest Brands Are Winning It

If you want to outrank competitors, steal their visibility, and dominate your niche, you need more than backlinks – you need a system.

Your competitors have already done the hard work. They’ve attracted links. Built relationships. Gained authority.

Now it’s your move.

Here’s the Bottom Line:

A competitor backlink strategy isn’t about shortcuts or SEO hacks.

It’s about understanding the value behind every link, identifying the ones worth pursuing, and executing better than the brands you’re chasing.

This approach works exceptionally well in SaaS, eCommerce, and fast-moving tech because:

• Niches evolve fast – so content gets outdated fast.
  
• Editors care about fresh, relevant value – not brand loyalty.
  
• The competition is tough – but most are still playing at a surface level.
  

When you apply this method with precision, you:

Bypass random backlink chasing

Shorten your content-to-ranking timeline

Build authority that protects your rankings

Get compounding SEO wins quarter after quarter

Final Pro Tip:

Stop thinking in terms of pages and keywords.

Start thinking in terms of link leverage and network control.

FAQ: Competitor Backlinks Strategy

Are competitor backlinks legal and ethical to pursue?

Yes, as long as you’re not spamming or copying – you’re offering value to sites that already link to similar content.

How many backlinks do I need to compete?

Depends on the niche, but often 10–30 strategic links can shift rankings dramatically for a SaaS product page.

How often should I analyze competitor backlinks?

Every 30–60 days is optimal, especially in competitive tech niches where content updates frequently.

Which tools are best for competitor backlink research?

Ahrefs, SEMrush, SEO SpyGlass, and Ubersuggest are strong picks.

What’s more important – domain authority or relevance?

Relevance. A DR 40 site in your niche beats a DR 90 news blog off-topic.

Can I outsource this whole strategy?

Yes – consider white-hat link-building services focused on your vertical (see Bluetree).

What’s the fastest way to get started?

Start with Ahrefs’ Backlink Gap Tool and run a 3-week sprint focused on your top-ranking competitor.

Do nofollow competitor links matter?

Yes, if they come from high-authority sites – they drive trust and traffic even without direct SEO juice.