Competitor Backlink Analysis for Lawyers: Tools & Tactics to Win Links

Competitor backlink analysis for lawyers is the process of examining rival law firm websites to discover link-building opportunities and strengthen your SEO strategy. This involves evaluating the number, quality, and relevance of backlinks pointing to competitors to assess their ranking authority. Tools like Ahrefs, SEMrush, Moz, and Majestic offer key insights such as domain authority, anchor text distribution, and referring domains.

According to Ahrefs’ research, 96.55% of webpages receive no organic traffic from Google, and over 66% of pages have zero backlinks. These statistics confirm backlinks as a top ranking factor and show missed opportunities in legal content spaces.

To perform competitor backlink research, plug competitor domains into Ahrefs’ Site Explorer, SEMrush’s Backlink Analytics, or Moz’s Link Intersect, which reveals domains linking to competitors but not to your site. Ahrefs’ Competing Domains tool highlights shared referrers and outreach gaps. Analysis must cover backlink source type, referring domain authority, anchor text usage, and content formats that attract links.

Unlike a standard backlink audit, which targets your site’s link health, competitive backlink analysis focuses on external linking patterns of other domains. Top law firm backlink strategies include guest posting, digital PR, resource asset creation (e.g., legal guides, calculators), and high-value directory placements.

To leverage this data and outrank competitors: identify common link sources to replicate; pursue link gaps; create enhanced versions of your competitors’ highest-performing content; and secure links from reputable, niche legal websites.

What Is Competitor Backlink Analysis?

Competitor backlink analysis is a method used in SEO to examine the backlink profiles of competing websites to uncover link opportunities and authority gaps. It helps law firms identify which external sites are linking to competitors but not to them, offering direction for outreach and content creation. 

Effective backlink strategies rely on understanding what makes competitor domains rank, especially in high-authority niches like legal services. By analyzing the number, quality, and relevance of competitor backlinks, firms refine their SEO analysis, improve link acquisition, and close ranking gaps in competitor SEO campaigns.

Which Tools Are Best for Competitor Backlink Analysis?

The best tools for competitor backlink analysis are Ahrefs, SEMrush, Moz, and Majestic because they reveal link sources, authority scores, and SEO gaps across competing domains. These platforms, included in the best tools for competitor backlink analysis, support law firms in building stronger backlink strategies. 

Listed below are the best tools for competitor backlink analysis.

• Ahrefs: Tracks competitor backlinks, anchor text, and referring domains; “Competing Domains” highlights missed link sources.
• SEMrush: Compares backlink profiles across domains using “Backlink Analytics” and “Backlink Gap.”
• Moz: “Link Intersect” finds websites linking to your competitors but not to you.
• Majestic: Uses Trust Flow and Citation Flow to measure link quality and domain influence.
• BuzzSumo: Monitors backlinks and social shares tied to high-performing content.
• Ubersuggest: Provides basic backlink data for domain comparison and early-stage analysis.

How to Analyze Competitor Backlink Profiles?

Analyzing competitor backlink profiles requires identifying top-ranking rivals, extracting their backlink data, and evaluating link quality for strategic outreach. 

Listed below are steps used in a full link profile audit during SEO analysis.

1. Identify top-ranking competitors: Search target keywords and list domains with consistent visibility in your niche.
2. Select a backlink tool: Use Ahrefs, SEMrush, Moz, or Majestic for backlink discovery and comparison.
3. Enter competitor domains: Input each domain into the tool’s backlink explorer to access link data.
4. Extract backlink data: Collect referring domains, anchor text, link type, and target URLs.
5. Evaluate link quality: Check authority, Trust Flow, spam score, and link placement.
6. Analyze content types earning links: Identify whether backlinks come from blogs, directories, press mentions, or guest posts.
7. Use the intersect tools: Find domains linking to multiple competitors but not to you.
8. Build a link prospect list: Collect high-authority domains worth targeting in outreach.
9. Review anchor text distribution: Ensure link language is natural and relevant to legal services.
10. Plan strategy: Compare backlink gaps and develop content or PR campaigns to secure similar or better links.

How to Find Competitors’ Backlinks?

To find competitors’ backlinks, input the competitor domains into tools like Ahrefs, SEMrush, or Moz to reveal referring domains, anchor text, and link metrics faster. Use Ahrefs’ “Site Explorer,” SEMrush’s “Backlink Analytics,” or Moz’s “Link Explorer” to examine competitor backlinks and anchor text distribution. 

These tools enable link discovery by filtering for high-authority, followed links, and topically relevant referring sources. Google Search Console only shows links to your site, not competitors’. Exporting competitor backlink data assists law firms in identifying link gaps and outreach opportunities to strengthen SEO standing.

A study by Backlinko (via BuzzStream) showed that top-ranking pages average 3.8× more backlinks than lower-ranked pages, a strong correlation between link count and rank performance. Another Moz-based analysis affirmed backlinks as one of Google’s strongest ranking signals across competitive keywords. These findings underscore the value of referencing competitor link profiles to inform strategic outreach and content planning in competitor SEO campaigns.

How to Check Backlinks of Competitors?

To check backlinks competitor domains have earned, enter their URLs into tools like Ahrefs, SEMrush, Moz, or Majestic to view link quantity, quality, and anchor text. These platforms support competitor SEO research by displaying referring domains, domain ratings, link types, and historical link trends. Ahrefs’ “Site Explorer” shows top-linked pages, new/lost backlinks, and anchor text ratios. 

SEMrush’s “Backlink Analytics” provides side-by-side domain comparisons. Moz’s “Link Explorer” highlights link equity and spam scores. For accurate link visibility, monitor dofollow vs. nofollow ratios, link source authority, and relevance to legal topics. Export link lists to refine outreach targets and track competitor link-building patterns over time.

What Is the Difference Between Competitive Backlink Analysis and Regular Backlink Analysis?

The difference between competitive backlink analysis and regular backlink analysis is that competitive analysis examines backlinks to rival domains, while regular analysis checks your backlinks for quality and risk.

Competitive backlink analysis finds shared referrers, anchor text trends, and link sources used by top-ranking competitors. It supports comparative SEO by exposing link gaps and guiding outreach. Regular backlink analysis focuses on your site’s backlinks to detect spam, disavow harmful links, and maintain ranking stability.

A 2024 study by Search Engine Land, titled “Link Importance in Google’s Top 10”, found that 96% of top-ranking pages had over 1,000 unique referring domains, while only 0.3% ranked with under 100. A SEMrush report, titled “SEO Statistics”, confirmed that the top 10 pages have 3.8× more backlinks than lower-ranked pages.

How to Do Backlink Competitive Analysis?

Competitive backlink analysis follows a step-by-step process to identify competitors, select a backlink tool, enter competitor domains, Export backlink lists, filter high-value links, etc, uncover competitor link sources, and improve your backlink strategy. 

Listed below are the 10 steps used in SEO comparison.

1. Identify competitors: Choose domains that outrank your site for relevant keywords.
2. Select a backlink tool: Use Ahrefs, SEMrush, Moz, or Majestic for link data access.
3. Enter competitor domains: Run each through the tool’s backlink explorer feature.
4. Export backlink lists: Download referring domains, anchor texts, and link types.
5. Filter high-value links: Focus on authoritative, niche-relevant, dofollow links.
6. Use link intersect tools: Spot domains linking to your competitors but not to you.
7. Analyze link content types: Identify formats like legal guides, guest posts, or directories.
8. Review anchor text distribution: Detect overuse, branded terms, or keyword-rich anchors.
9. Build outreach targets: Create a list of domains to approach for backlinks.
10. Adjust your strategy: Produce or improve content that earns links from shared sources.

What Is Backlink Analysis in SEO?

Backlink analysis in SEO is the process of evaluating all incoming links to a website to assess their quality, relevance, and impact on rankings. This involves reviewing the number of referring domains, link types (dofollow/nofollow), anchor text, and source authority to determine how backlinks influence a site’s visibility in search results. 

Strong SEO backlinks from high-authority, niche-relevant domains boost ranking potential, while spammy or irrelevant links trigger penalties. Effective link evaluation helps identify harmful links to disavow, locate gaps in authority, and refine link-building strategies to improve domain trust and search performance.

How to View Competitors’ Backlinks Using Moz Link Intersect?

To view competitors’ backlinks using Moz Link Intersect, enter multiple competitor domains, add competitor domains, run the comparison, etc,  to find sites linking to them but not to you. 

Listed below are 10 steps to identify backlink gaps using Moz SEO tools.

1. Log in to Moz Pro: Access the Link Intersect tool under the “Link Research” section.
2. Enter your domain: Input your law firm’s website as the “Your Site” field.
3. Add competitor domains: Enter up to five competing law firm domains.
4. Run the comparison: Click “Find Opportunities” to generate intersecting backlinks.
5. Review the results: View domains linking to one or more competitors but not to you.
6. Sort by authority: Filter results by Domain Authority to prioritize high-value links.
7. Inspect linking pages: Check link context, anchor text, and content relevance.
8. Export backlink list: Download results for outreach planning.
9. Build a prospect list: Identify common domains and plan link acquisition strategy.
10. Create better content: Develop content that matches or improves what competitors earned links for.

Why Is Competitor Backlink Analysis Important for SEO?

Competitor backlink analysis is important for SEO professionals because it reveals link opportunities, authority gaps, and benchmarking data that guide stronger ranking strategies. By comparing your site’s backlink profile to top-performing competitors, you identify domains linking to others in your niche, uncover link gaps, and prioritize high-value outreach targets. 

The importance of competitor backlink analysis in lawyer SEO lies in its ability to expose what types of content or placements earn links in your vertical. It also highlights weaknesses in your current profile, such as missing directories or a lack of citations, and helps your SEO benchmarking efforts to outrank rival firms.

How to Analyze Backlinks to a Website?

Backlink analysis to a website involves choosing a backlink tool, entering the website URL, reviewing total referring domains, evaluating domain authority, and reviewing incoming links to assess authority, relevance, and risk. 

Listed below are 10 steps used for a proper link audit and evaluation of SEO health.

1. Choose a backlink tool: Use Ahrefs, SEMrush, Moz, or Majestic to collect link data.
2. Enter the website URL: Input the domain into the tool’s backlink explorer.
3. Review total referring domains: Check how many unique domains link to the site.
4. Evaluate domain authority (DA): Focus on high-authority links that contribute to trust.
5. Inspect anchor text: Analyze anchor phrases for branding, keyword relevance, or overuse.
6. Check link types: Separate dofollow from nofollow links to understand impact.
7. Identify toxic or spammy links: Flag links from irrelevant, low-trust, or penalized domains.
8. Analyze linking pages: Look at content context, link placement, and source credibility.
9. Export and document findings: organize data for action or disavow submission.
10. Repeat regularly: Monitor backlink changes over time to protect and improve rankings.

Joshbrown.io does link building for lawyers and is prominent in doing competitor backlink analysis. In a case, your law firm may need professional seo support, please contact +13104622034.

How Does Ahrefs Competing Domains Help with Backlink Strategy?

Ahrefs’ Competing Domains helps backlink strategy by identifying websites that link to your competitors but not to your domain. This feature within Ahrefs tools supports competitive analysis by comparing backlink profiles and revealing shared referring domains you’ve missed. 

It mentions where your rivals are gaining authority and allows you to build a targeted outreach list to close link gaps. By focusing on these unlinked opportunities, law firms refine their link acquisition tactics, replicate the success of competitors, and enhance domain relevance in legal search results.

Can I Hide My Backlinks from Competitors?

You can’t fully hide backlinks from competitors, but you can reduce visibility using robots.txt blocks, nofollow tags, and crawler restrictions. Tools like Ahrefs, SEMrush, and Moz use bots to scan backlinks. Blocking bots such as AhrefsBot in your robots.txt file prevents them from indexing link paths. Adding rel=”nofollow” or rel=”ugc” to outbound links reduces crawler interest and the flow of link equity.

A study by Search Engine News found over 32,000 websites blocked AhrefsBot, and around 17,800 blocked Majestic crawlers, limiting backlink detection.

These methods reduce exposure but don’t eliminate visibility. Google still follows nofollow links, and blocked bots don’t stop all tools. Backlink privacy is partial and comes at the cost of link value.

What Is the Process to Determine Backlink Data for Competitors?

The process to determine backlink data for competitors is to select a backlink tool, enter competitor domains, Export backlink data, Filter by domain authority, etc use SEO tools to extract, filter, and evaluate their link profiles for strategy development. 

Listed below are the 10 steps in this SEO workflow for effective link comparison.

1. Select a backlink tool: Use Ahrefs, SEMrush, Moz, or Majestic for competitor data.
2. Enter competitor domains: Run each domain through the tool’s backlink or site explorer feature.
3. Export backlink data: Download referring domains, anchor text, URL targets, and link types.
4. Filter by domain authority: Prioritize high-authority, dofollow, and niche-relevant links.
5. Review anchor text: Analyze branding, keyword usage, and over-optimization patterns.
6. Check link types: Identify if links come from directories, blogs, news, or resource pages.
7. Use link intersect features: Spot domains linking to multiple competitors but not to you.
8. Compare link gaps: Find common sources your site lacks and score their link potential.
9. Track new/lost links: Monitor competitor link activity over time for outreach timing.
10. Plan link acquisition: Build a focused outreach list based on quality and relevance.

How to Use Backlink Research to Outrank Competitors?

To use backlink research to replicate top competitor links, build higher domain authority links, improve content quality, Target link gaps, leverage legal directories and PR, etc, and apply strategic tactics to earn better, more authoritative links. Josh Brown helps you use backlink research to outrank law firm competitors by identifying link gaps, replicating high-value sources, and improving topical relevance. 

Listed below are 8 steps to use backlink research.

• Replicate top competitor links: Identify where they’re earning links (e.g., directories, guest posts) and acquire the same.
• Build higher domain authority links: Target sites with stronger authority than those linking to competitors.
• Improve content quality: Create better, more comprehensive pages to attract natural links and boost relevance.
• Target link gaps: Use tools like Ahrefs’ Link Intersect to find domains linking to competitors but not to you.
• Leverage legal directories and PR: Get listed in authoritative legal and local directories your competitors use.
• Create linkable assets: Publish legal tools, statistics, or guides that others want to reference.
• Earn local backlinks: Partner with local news, nonprofits, or bar associations for hyper-relevant links.
• Monitor lost/gained links: Track competitor link volatility and jump on broken links or replacement opportunities.

What Is the Backlink Strategy of Top Competitors?

The backlink strategy of top competitors and businesses is to earn links from high-authority, niche-relevant sources through scalable tactics like guest posting, digital PR, and resource content. These top SEO performers focus on acquiring links that pass trust and relevance, from legal directories, local news coverage, high-quality blog mentions, and professional associations. 

They also diversify anchor text, avoid spammy links, and build topical authority through content clusters. Reverse-engineering this approach involves analyzing their referring domains using tools like Ahrefs or SEMrush, identifying patterns in link types, spotting content that consistently attracts backlinks, and replicating or improving upon those strategies for your link-building campaigns.