How to Check Competitor Backlinks for Free
See who links to your competitors and turn that into a realistic link-building list.
Your competitors' backlinks are a map of where your industry earns links: which directories matter, which publications cover the niche and which resources people link to. Checking them is one of the most efficient ways to plan link building.
Step 1: Choose the right competitors
Pick sites that rank for your target searches, not just your business rivals. A blog or publication that outranks you is a search competitor even if it sells nothing.
Step 2: Gather link data for free
- Free backlink tools โ most SEO tools offer limited free reports. The backlink checker shows linking pages for a URL.
- Bing Webmaster Tools โ its backlinks feature lets you look at other domains.
- Search operators โ search for a competitor's brand name excluding their own site to find mentions.
Free data is a sample, not the full picture โ but patterns show up quickly.
Step 3: Sort links by type
- Directories and listings โ often easy to replicate.
- Resource pages โ lists of useful tools or guides.
- Guest articles and interviews โ sites open to contributors.
- News and reviews โ publications covering the industry.
- Partner and supplier links.
- Links to specific content โ which of their pages attract links?
Step 4: Find the gaps
Look for sites that link to two or more competitors but not to you. These sites clearly cover your topic and are open to linking โ your best prospects.
Step 5: Plan your outreach
- List the easiest wins: directories and partners.
- Identify content worth creating โ if competitors earn links with a free calculator or a data report, consider something better.
- Pitch resource pages and publications with a genuine reason to link.
Use the outreach email template and read how to analyse competitor SEO.
Do not copy bad links
If a competitor's links come from paid networks or spammy sites, skip them. Copying a risky strategy only copies the risk.
A worked example
A South African solar installer checked the links of three competitors outranking it. Two industry associations, a government renewable-energy directory and a regional news site linked to all three, but not to it. It joined the associations and applied to the directory. It then pitched the news site a story about local installation costs. Within three months, it had five strong local links and its service pages moved onto page one.
Turn findings into a simple sheet
Track each prospect with its URL, link type, competitors it links to, contact person, date contacted and result. A short sheet keeps outreach focused and shows which link types work best for you.
Related guides
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Frequently asked questions
Can I see all of a competitor's backlinks for free?
Free tools show a sample. That is usually enough to spot the main patterns.
Is it okay to copy competitors' links?
Yes, earning links from the same relevant sites is normal practice. Skip any that look paid or spammy.
How many competitors should I analyse?
Three to five gives a good picture without too much work.
What is a link gap?
Sites linking to your competitors but not to you.