Backlink Gap Finder: sites that link to competitors but not to you
Compare your linking sites with up to three competitors and get a prospect list of the gaps.
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About the Backlink Gap Finder
Paste the sites that link to your website and to up to three competitors, from Search Console's Top linking sites table, any backlink tool's export or a plain list of domains. The tool groups them by main domain and shows the sites that link to your competitors but not to you, how many competitors each one links to, the sites only you have and the ones everyone shares. Each prospect gets a type guess from its address (government, education, news, directory, blog, forum and others) with a suggested next step, and you can set a status and download the list as a CSV. It runs in your browser: nothing you paste is uploaded and no site is visited.
How it works
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Step 1
Type your website and paste the sites that link to it, for example from Search Console's Links report. Or try the example.
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Step 2
Add up to three competitors, each with its website and the sites that link to it, from a backlink tool's export or a list you made. Social networks and big platforms are left out unless you untick the option.
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Step 3
Start with the sites that link to two or more competitors, set a status as you work, and download the prospect list as a CSV.
Why compare linking sites
A site that links to two or three of your competitors already writes about your trade or your area, so it may have a reason to mention you too: a local news site, a college events page, a directory your customers use or an association you could join. The gap list turns these into a short list to look at. Which sites to approach first, and the next step for each type, are our suggestions.
Earn links; do not buy them
Google's link spam policy counts buying or selling links for ranking, excessive link swaps, and keyword-rich links placed in guest posts, articles and press releases as link spam, and sites that break its spam policies may rank lower or not appear at all. A paid link or sponsored post is fine only when the link carries rel="sponsored" or rel="nofollow". Pitch a real story, take part in real events and list your business where customers look.
What this tool cannot do
It only compares the lists you paste; it does not find competitors' links for you or visit any site. Every export is a partial list, so a "gap" may be a link that exists but was not in the list. Sites are grouped by main domain using our own list of endings, and the type is a guess from the address alone. It cannot tell whether a site is any good, whether its links are followed, or whether it would link to you.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I get my competitors' linking sites?
Search Console shows links only for sites you have verified, so for competitors use a backlink tool's export of referring domains, or note the sites you see mentioning them. Paste the domains or URLs, or open the CSV; the tool finds the column with the sites.
What does "links to 2 or more competitors" mean?
The site links to at least two of the competitors you entered and not to you. Our suggestion is to start there: such a site already covers your trade or area more than once.
How is the site type worked out?
From the address only, using our list: .gov.in and .nic.in addresses count as government, .ac.in and .edu.in as education, and words such as news, times, directory, listings, blog or forum in the name give the other types. It is a guess, so open the site before you contact anyone.
Should I pay for links from these sites?
No. Google's link spam policy counts buying links for ranking as link spam. If you pay for a post or a listing, the link should carry rel="sponsored" or rel="nofollow"; Google asks for sponsored on advertisements and paid placements.
Is my prospect list saved?
The statuses you set are saved in this browser only, on this device, and go into the CSV when you download it. Your lists are kept as a draft in this browser too. Nothing is uploaded.
Related reading
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