Template Competitor Analysis
Link Gap Analysis Template
A template for identifying domains that link to your competitors but not to you, revealing untapped link opportunities
For SEO Manager
Related feature: Link Exchange Management
Link Gap Analysis
Use this template to systematically identify and prioritize domains that link to competing sites but not to yours. These represent your highest-probability link opportunities since the sites have already demonstrated willingness to link in your niche.
Analysis Setup
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Your domain | — |
| Analysis date | — |
| Tool used | — |
| Competitors analyzed | — |
Competitor Selection
| # | Competitor Domain | DR | Referring Domains | Overlap with Your Site | Why Selected |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | — | — | — | — % | — |
| 2 | — | — | — | — % | — |
| 3 | — | — | — | — % | — |
| 4 | — | — | — | — % | — |
Gap Summary
| Metric | Count |
|---|---|
| Total unique domains linking to competitors | — |
| Domains linking to competitors but NOT you | — |
| Domains linking to 2+ competitors but NOT you | — |
| Domains linking to ALL competitors but NOT you | — |
| High-priority opportunities (DR 40+) | — |
Link Gap Opportunities
| # | Domain | DR | Traffic | Links to Comp A | Links to Comp B | Links to Comp C | Link Type | Priority |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | — | — | — | Yes/No | Yes/No | Yes/No | — | — |
| 2 | — | — | — | Yes/No | Yes/No | Yes/No | — | — |
| 3 | — | — | — | Yes/No | Yes/No | Yes/No | — | — |
| 4 | — | — | — | Yes/No | Yes/No | Yes/No | — | — |
| 5 | — | — | — | Yes/No | Yes/No | Yes/No | — | — |
Prioritization Criteria
| Priority | Criteria |
|---|---|
| High | Links to 3+ competitors, DR 40+, topically relevant |
| Medium | Links to 2 competitors, DR 25+, relevant niche |
| Low | Links to 1 competitor, DR 20+, adjacent topic |
| Skip | Low DR, irrelevant, or spam indicators |
Outreach Plan by Opportunity Type
| Link Type Found | Suggested Approach | Template to Use |
|---|---|---|
| Resource page mention | Request inclusion with your resource | Resource page outreach |
| Guest post by competitor | Pitch a guest post on a different topic | Guest post pitch |
| Editorial mention | Pitch your data or expert quote | Digital PR outreach |
| Directory listing | Submit your site for listing | Direct submission |
| Reciprocal exchange | Propose mutual link exchange | Link exchange proposal |
| Broken link (competitor page 404) | Offer your content as replacement | Broken link outreach |
Action Tracker
| # | Domain | Opportunity Type | Outreach Method | Contact | Date Contacted | Status | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Recurring Analysis Schedule
| Task | Frequency | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Full gap analysis refresh | Quarterly | Re-export competitor backlinks and re-run |
| New competitor links check | Monthly | Monitor competitor new referring domains |
| Outreach pipeline review | Weekly | Follow up on contacted prospects |
| Competitor set review | Semi-annually | Add or replace competitors as rankings shift |