B2B Backlink Gap Analysis: How to Beat Your Competitors

Your competitors may be earning backlinks from industry publications, business websites and niche resources that have never mentioned your company. Those links can help them build visibility, attract referral traffic and strengthen their online presence.

The good news? You don't have to start your link building strategy from scratch. By studying where competing websites earn their backlinks, you can uncover publishers, content opportunities and industry relationships worth exploring. This kind of competitor-led research also fits into a broader SEO approach, as reflected in the work and services offered by VH Info.

A b2b backlink gap analysis helps you identify websites linking to your competitors but not to your own business. More importantly, it gives your marketing team a practical starting point for finding relevant link acquisition opportunities.

Let's understand how the process works and how B2B companies can turn competitor research into a stronger link building strategy.

What Is a B2B Backlink Gap Analysis?

A backlink gap analysis is a competitor research process that compares the backlink profiles of your website and other websites competing for similar search visibility.

The objective is to identify referring domains that link to your competitors but do not currently link to your website.

For example, imagine your company sells project management software for mid-sized businesses.

You identify three competing SaaS companies and review their backlink profiles. During the analysis, you discover that several websites link to all three competitors but have never mentioned your brand.

These websites may include:

• SaaS industry publications.
• Technology blogs.
• Business resource websites.
• Software comparison platforms.
• Industry associations.
• Websites publishing original research.

Each represents a potential opportunity to investigate.

However, not every competitor backlink is worth pursuing. Some links may come from unrelated directories, low-quality websites, paid placements or outdated articles.

The purpose of the analysis is to discover opportunities, not automatically copy everything your competitors have done.

VH Info recommends treating competitor backlink research as a prospect discovery process that should be followed by manual quality evaluation.

Why Does Backlink Gap Analysis Matter for B2B Companies?

B2B companies often operate in competitive markets where buyers research multiple providers before making a purchase.

A potential customer might read industry reports, compare software platforms, explore expert opinions and visit several websites before contacting a sales team.

Relevant backlinks can help your business become visible across some of these research environments.

Here is why backlink gap analysis can be useful.

1. Discover Websites Already Interested in Your Industry

If a publication links to several businesses offering similar products or services, it may already cover your industry.

That makes it a potentially relevant prospect for your outreach campaign.

For example, a publication that regularly features SaaS platforms may be interested in reviewing another software solution, provided there is a genuine editorial reason.

You are not approaching a completely unfamiliar website. You have evidence that it has previously covered similar businesses.

2. Identify Competitor Content That Attracts Links

A backlink profile can reveal more than just referring domains.

It can also help you understand which pages, reports, articles and resources attract links.

Suppose a competitor receives links to:

• An original industry survey.
• A detailed comparison guide.
• A technical research report.
• A free industry resource.
• A practical business checklist.

This tells you something about the types of content publishers find useful.

You can use those insights to develop stronger resources of your own rather than simply requesting links to generic service pages.

3. Find New Publisher Relationships

Competitor research can introduce your marketing team to publications, editors and industry websites it may not have considered previously.

These connections can support future outreach, expert contributions, research collaborations and media opportunities.

4. Identify Gaps in Your SEO Strategy

Sometimes, the problem is not a lack of outreach.

Your competitors may have developed better research reports, more useful industry guides or stronger resources that naturally attract references.

A backlink gap analysis can reveal these differences and help you decide whether your next investment should go towards content development, digital PR or publisher outreach.

At VH Info, we recommend using backlink gap findings alongside content research and competitor analysis instead of treating link acquisition as a standalone activity.

How to Conduct a B2B Backlink Gap Analysis

You do not need to make the process complicated. Start with a few carefully selected competitors and work through the following steps.

A structured b2b backlink gap analysis can help your team move from competitor research to a prioritised list of realistic link acquisition opportunities.

Step 1: Identify Your Main SEO Competitors

Your business competitors and SEO competitors are not always the same.

A business competitor sells a similar product or service. An SEO competitor is a website competing for visibility across the search queries relevant to your business.

For example, a B2B software company may compete commercially with three SaaS vendors. However, its search competitors could also include:

• Technology publications.
• Industry blogs.
• Comparison websites.
• Educational resource platforms.
• Consulting companies publishing related content.

Start by identifying three to five relevant competitors.

Look for websites that:

• Target similar customers.
• Cover related industry topics.
• Rank for your priority keywords.
• Offer competing services or solutions.
• Publish content targeting the same search intent.

You can use Google Search to identify websites appearing for your most important commercial and informational keywords.

Also review your existing competitor list in your SEO platform.

Practical tip: Separate direct business competitors from organic search competitors. This helps you avoid missing valuable publishers and resource websites during your analysis.

Step 2: Compare Competitor Backlink Profiles

Once you have your competitor list, use an SEO platform to compare backlink profiles.

Several tools offer features specifically designed for this process.

Ahrefs Link Intersect

Ahrefs provides a Link Intersect feature that helps identify websites linking to competitors but not to your domain.

You can compare your website with competitors and review referring domains or individual referring pages. You can also apply filters and export the results for further analysis.

Explore Ahrefs Link Intersect.

Semrush Backlink Gap

Semrush's Backlink Gap tool compares backlink profiles and identifies referring domains that link to competitor websites but not to yours.

You can use it to discover missing referring domains, compare competitor profiles and filter potential opportunities.

Visit Semrush Backlink Gap.

Moz Link Intersect

Moz Link Explorer also provides a Link Intersect feature for identifying websites linking to competitors but not to your website.

It allows users to compare referring domains and examine which competitors receive links from individual sites.

Explore Moz Link Explorer.

You do not necessarily need all three platforms. Choose the one that fits your existing SEO subscription and research requirements.

Step 3: Find Websites Linking to Multiple Competitors

This is where the analysis becomes especially useful.

Instead of looking at every competitor backlink individually, identify websites linking to several competitors.

Imagine your analysis reveals the following:

• A SaaS publication links to three competing software companies.
• A technology blog links to two competitors.
• A business resource website references four competing brands.
• An industry association links to one competitor through a member resource page.

The first and third opportunities may deserve closer attention because they demonstrate that the websites have already covered multiple businesses in your market.

However, investigate the context before adding them to your prospect list.

A website linking to multiple competitors does not automatically mean it will link to your company.

You need a relevant reason to approach it.

Step 4: Evaluate Publisher Relevance and Quality

This is one of the most important stages.

A large backlink gap report may contain hundreds or thousands of referring domains. Contacting all of them without evaluation can waste time and resources.

Review each potential publisher using the following criteria.

Industry relevance

Does the website regularly publish content connected to your business?

Editorial quality

Are its articles useful, original and well-maintained?

Audience relevance

Would its readers reasonably be interested in your product, service or expertise?

Organic visibility

Does the website appear to have meaningful search visibility for relevant topics? Treat third-party traffic estimates as directional rather than exact.

Placement context

How does the competitor's backlink appear on the referring page? Is it an editorial mention, resource listing, guest contribution or sponsored placement?

Outbound link behaviour

Does the website link naturally to useful resources, or does it appear to publish unrelated commercial links primarily for link sales?

VH Info recommends reviewing the actual referring page rather than making decisions based entirely on a domain authority or domain rating score.

A smaller, specialised publication may offer a more relevant opportunity than a much larger website covering unrelated topics.

Step 5: Identify Content and Link Acquisition Opportunities

Now look at why your competitors are earning those backlinks.

This can reveal opportunities beyond simple publisher outreach.

For example:

Competitor has links to original research

Consider creating your own survey, industry report or data-led resource.

Competitor has links to a detailed guide

Identify whether your website has a comparable resource. Improve your existing guide or develop a more useful alternative.

Competitor receives links from resource pages

Explore whether your content could genuinely add value to similar resource collections.

Competitor receives expert mentions

Identify opportunities for your founders, executives or subject matter experts to contribute insights to relevant publications.

Competitor receives links from industry associations

Investigate relevant professional communities, memberships and industry resource opportunities.

The objective is to understand the editorial reason behind each backlink.

At VH Info, we believe this step makes competitor analysis more strategic because it connects publisher discovery with content development and outreach planning.

Step 6: Prioritise Prospects for Outreach

Once the opportunities have been evaluated, organise them into a manageable outreach list.

A simple priority framework can help.

High-priority prospects

• Relevant to your business.
• Have good editorial standards.
• Link to multiple competitors.
• Publish content that fits your expertise.
• Offer a natural opportunity for collaboration.

Medium-priority prospects

• Relevant to your broader industry.
• Link to one competitor.
• Have suitable content opportunities.
• Require further investigation before outreach.

Low-priority prospects

• Limited topical relevance.
• Weak editorial quality.
• Excessive unrelated commercial links.
• No clear reason for your business to be featured.

Start with the high-priority group.

This creates a more focused campaign and helps your marketing team spend time on meaningful opportunities rather than chasing every domain in the report.

What Tools Can You Use for Competitor Backlink Analysis?

You can conduct backlink gap research using several SEO platforms.

Here are three useful options.

Ahrefs

Ahrefs offers Site Explorer and Link Intersect features that help you analyse competitor backlinks and find websites linking to competitors but not to your domain.

• You can investigate:
• Referring domains.
• Individual backlinks.
• Linking pages.
• Anchor text.
• New and lost links.
• Competitor link intersections.

Its Link Intersect functionality is particularly useful when you want to identify shared referring-domain opportunities.

Semrush

Semrush offers backlink research and its Backlink Gap tool for comparing competitor backlink profiles.

You can use it to:

• Discover missing referring domains.
• Compare competitor backlink growth.
• Identify shared and unique backlink opportunities.
• Filter link prospects.
• Export research findings.

Moz

Moz Link Explorer provides backlink analysis and Link Intersect functionality.

It can help identify websites linking to your competitors, compare referring domains and evaluate opportunities using Moz's own metrics.

Which should you choose?

You do not need to subscribe to every platform.

If your team already uses one of these tools, start there. The objective is not to collect reports from multiple platforms but to identify, evaluate and act on suitable opportunities.

How to Turn Backlink Gaps Into Link Building Opportunities

Finding a website that links to your competitor is only the beginning.

You need a clear reason for that publisher to consider your business.

Here are five ways to turn research findings into potential outreach opportunities.

1. Create a Better or More Useful Resource

Suppose a competitor has earned several backlinks to a guide about B2B customer retention.

Instead of asking publishers to link to your homepage, examine what makes that guide useful.

Does it include original research? Practical examples? Industry statistics? Templates?

Identify what is missing and develop a resource that adds something valuable.

Then approach relevant publishers who may find it useful.

2. Pitch Industry-Specific Expert Insights

If several publications link to competitor articles featuring industry experts, consider whether your leadership team can offer something relevant.

For example, a SaaS founder might contribute insights about product adoption, customer retention or automation.

The contribution should be based on genuine expertise rather than a promotional pitch.

3. Explore Relevant Resource Pages

Some competitor backlinks come from resource pages, educational guides and industry directories.

Review the surrounding content to understand why your competitor was included.

If your business offers a relevant resource, introduce it with a clear explanation of how it could help readers.

4. Develop Original Research

Original research can create opportunities across several publications.

For example, a B2B technology company could publish a report about software adoption trends among mid-sized businesses.

The findings may be useful to journalists, business bloggers and industry analysts.

Research-led content requires additional investment, but it can provide value beyond individual backlink opportunities.

5. Build Relationships With Industry Publications

Not every outreach opportunity needs to result in an immediate backlink.

You can also build relationships through expert interviews, podcast participation, editorial contributions and research collaborations.

These connections may create opportunities for future mentions and coverage.

When developing this strategy, consider how a specialised B2B link building agency can support prospect research, publisher outreach and campaign execution.

VH Info recommends treating outreach as a relationship-building activity rather than sending one-time backlink requests.

Common Backlink Gap Analysis Mistakes to Avoid

Even when using the right tools, businesses can make mistakes that reduce the usefulness of competitor research.

Here are six issues to watch for.

1. Choosing the Wrong Competitors

Comparing your website with companies targeting different audiences can produce irrelevant backlink opportunities.

Select competitors based on search visibility and business relevance.

2. Chasing Every Competitor Backlink

Your competitors may have links from websites that are irrelevant, outdated or low quality.

Do not assume that every existing backlink is worth replicating.

3. Focusing Only on Domain Authority

Third-party authority metrics can support your research, but they cannot independently establish the quality of a website or its linking page.

Evaluate relevance, editorial standards and audience fit as well.

4. Ignoring the Content Behind the Backlink

If a competitor earns links because of original research or useful resources, sending generic outreach emails is unlikely to create an equally compelling opportunity.

Understand why the link exists before approaching the publisher.

5. Sending Bulk Outreach Without Personalisation

A list of competitor referring domains is not a ready-made email list.

Research the publisher, identify a suitable contact and explain why your content is relevant.

6. Measuring Only the Number of New Links

A campaign may generate several links without contributing much to your business objectives.

Track relevance, referral traffic, target-page visibility and the quality of the placements secured.

How Often Should B2B Companies Review Backlink Gaps?

There is no universal schedule for competitor backlink analysis.

The frequency depends on your industry's competitive activity, campaign size and available resources.

For most businesses, a quarterly review can be a useful starting point.

Consider a more frequent review when:

• You operate in a highly competitive SaaS category.
• Competitors are publishing substantial amounts of new content.
• Your business is launching new products or services.
• You are running an active digital PR campaign.
• Your website is entering a new market.

A periodic analysis helps identify new publishers, recently acquired competitor links and opportunities that may have appeared since your previous review.

However, avoid repeating the analysis without acting on the findings.

The real value comes from turning relevant opportunities into content improvements, outreach conversations and measurable campaign activity.

Building a Competitor-Informed Link Building Strategy

A backlink gap analysis should be part of a wider SEO and content strategy.

Once you have identified opportunities, connect them with your business priorities.

Start by selecting target pages that support your commercial and informational goals.

Next, identify which publishers are relevant to those pages.

Then determine whether you need new content, expert commentary, research assets or a more focused outreach campaign.

Finally, monitor the results and refine your priorities based on what you learn.

Keep an organised record of:

• Competitor websites analysed.
• Referring domains discovered.
• Qualified publishers.
• Content opportunities identified.
• Outreach completed.
• Responses received.
• Live placements secured.
• Target-page performance.

A structured process makes it easier to understand which opportunities are worth pursuing and where your team should invest more effort.

For VH Info, competitor research is most valuable when it leads to practical decisions rather than becoming another report that sits unused in an SEO folder.

Final Thoughts

Your competitors' backlinks can reveal publications, resources and industry relationships worth exploring, but they should not become a checklist to copy blindly. A useful b2b backlink gap analysis combines competitor research with publisher evaluation, content planning and relevant outreach. Start with a focused group of competitors, identify meaningful gaps and prioritise opportunities that genuinely fit your business. Ultimately, VH Info believes the strongest link building strategies are built by understanding why publishers link to other businesses and creating equally useful reasons for them to reference your brand.