Imagine you are in a race. To win, you need to know the path ahead. You need to know where the shortcuts are and where the rocky roads hide. In the world of websites and Google, this race is real. Everyone wants to be at the top of the search results.

But how do some websites get there while others stay behind? The answer often lies in a secret weapon: being a backlink spy.

At VH-info, we help SaaS companies grow every day. We know that looking at what your competitors are doing is one of the smartest moves you can make. You do not have to guess what works. You can look at the backlink profile of the winners and learn from them.

This is not about copying everything they do. It is about finding the best opportunities for your own site.

This guide will teach you how to spy on competitor backlinks like a pro. We will explain everything in simple words. We will look at the right tools, the steps to take, and how to use this data to boost your search engine rankings.

Let’s get started on your journey to becoming a link detective.

What Is a “Backlink Spy” (And Why You Need to Be One)?

Being a backlink spy does not mean you are doing something bad. It simply means you are looking at the public information of other websites to understand why they are popular. When a website links to another website, it is like a vote of confidence. These votes are called backlinks.

Google sees these votes and thinks, “Wow, this page must be good!”

If your competitor has many quality backlinks, they will likely rank higher than you. A backlink spy looks at who is voting for the competition.

Defining Competitor Backlink Analysis

Competitor backlink analysis is a fancy term for a simple process. It means using a backlink checker to see the list of backlinks pointing to another website. You are studying their “report card” to see how they got high grades.

When you do this, you look at many things. You check the total number of backlinks. You check if the links come from authoritative sites. You also look at the anchor text, which are the clickable words in the link. This helps you understand their link building strategy.

It gives you a clear picture of what you need to do to beat them in the search rankings.

The Top 3 Benefits of Spying on Your Competition’s Links

Why should you spend time on this? Here are three big reasons:

• It Saves You Time: You do not have to invent a new strategy from scratch. Your competitors have already done the hard work. You can see what SEO efforts are working for them and do the same for your web page.
• Find New Opportunities: You might find websites you never knew existed that are willing to link to software like yours. These are link-building opportunities waiting for you.
• Avoid Bad Mistakes: Sometimes, you will see that a competitor has toxic links or spammy links. You can learn from their bad choices and keep your backlink profile clean.

What You Can Learn From A Competitor’s Backlink Profile?

A competitor’s backlink profile is like an open book. It tells you a story. First, it tells you about their content. If they have many links to a specific blog post, that topic is popular. You can create something even better.

Second, it tells you about their relationships. Are they getting editorial links from news sites? Are they getting links from guest posts?

Third, it shows you their domain authority. This is a score that predicts how well a website will rank. If their score is high, you know they have many valuable backlinks. By studying this backlink data, you can set realistic goals for your SEO strategy.

The Best Backlink Spy Tools to Uncover Their Secrets

Since VH-info is an agency, we do not have our own tool. Instead, we use the best software in the industry to help our clients. To be a good spy, you need the right tools. You cannot do this by hand because there are millions of pages on the web.

Here are the best tools to help you see the backlink data of your rivals.

Ahrefs (The Industry-Standard Link Database)

Ahrefs is one of the most famous names when it comes to SEO tools. Many SEO professionals consider it the very best choice because its database is huge. It crawls the web constantly to find new backlinks almost as soon as they appear.

When you use Ahrefs, you can type in any website address, and it will show you a massive list of backlinks pointing to that site.

It is very easy to read the data on Ahrefs. It tells you the domain rating of the sites linking to your competitor. This helps you know if a link is powerful or weak. It also shows you if the links are dofollow links (which pass power) or nofollow links (which usually do not).

For a backlink spy, Ahrefs is like having a super-powered telescope. You can see exactly where every link comes from, which helps you plan how to get those same links for your own site.

Semrush (The All-in-One SEO & Backlink Spy Suite)

Semrush is another giant tool that does almost everything. It is not just a backlink checker; it is a complete suite for marketing.

Semrush is great because it combines keyword research with backlink analysis. This means you can see which keywords your competitors are ranking for and which backlinks are helping them rank for those specific words.

One of the best features of Semrush is the “Backlink Gap” tool. This feature lets you compare your website directly with up to four competitors at the same time. It will show you a list of websites that link to your competitors but do not link to you yet.

This is pure gold for your link-building strategy. It gives you a clear list of targets to reach out to. The tool also analyzes the authority metrics of links, so you know you are chasing quality backlinks that will actually help your organic traffic grow.

Moz Pro (Using Link Explorer For Authority Metrics)

Moz Pro is a classic tool in the SEO world. They are actually the ones who invented the term Domain Authority (DA). This metric is used by almost everyone to measure how strong a website is.

When you use the “Link Explorer” tool inside Moz Pro, you can check the page authority and domain authority of any site. This is very helpful when you want to judge the quality of your backlinks or your competitor’s links. Moz helps you see the spam score of a website too.

This is important because you do not want links from “bad” neighborhoods on the internet. As a backlink spy, you can use Moz to find valuable links that are safe and strong. It makes the data very simple to understand, even if you are new to search engine optimization.

It helps you focus on getting links from authoritative sites rather than just getting a high number of links that might not help.

Majestic (The Specialist For Link Intelligence)

Majestic is a little different from the others because it focuses almost 100% on backlinks. It calls itself a “link intelligence” tool. Majestic has its own special way of measuring links called Trust Flow and Citation Flow.

Trust Flow measures how trustworthy a site is based on who links to it. Citation Flow measures how influential a site is based on how many links it has. As a backlink spy, you want to see a good balance between these two numbers.

If a competitor has a high Citation Flow but a low Trust Flow, it might mean they have a lot of low-quality or spammy links. Majestic paints a map of the internet called the “Link Graph.” This helps you visualize the network of links.

It is a powerful tool for digging deep into historical data to see how a link profile has changed over the last five years.

Ubersuggest (A User-Friendly & Affordable Option)

Ubersuggest was created by a famous marketer named Neil Patel. It is a great option if you are just starting out or if you have a smaller budget. It is known for being very easy to use. While it is more affordable, it still offers a powerful backlink checker tool.

You can enter a domain, and Ubersuggest will show you the total number of backlinks, the domain authority, and the referring domains. It creates a simple list that shows you the exact source of the links. It also allows you to filter the results.

For example, you can choose to only see dofollow links. It gives you a clear view of the anchor text used by your competitors. If you are looking for a free version or a cheap trial to start your journey as a spy, Ubersuggest is a fantastic starting point.

It removes the confusion and gives you the raw data you need to improve your SEO performance.

SE Ranking (The Complete Competitor Analysis Tool)

SE Ranking is a tool that offers excellent value for money. It gives you advanced features without being too expensive or too hard to learn. It is a strong competitor analysis tool that checks backlinks very well.

With SE Ranking, you can monitor your backlink profile and spy on others.

It rates every link to tell you if it is good or if it might be a toxic link. It breaks down the anchor text distribution so you can see if your competitors are using too many exact keywords or if they are keeping it natural.

It also provides detailed reports on referring domains. This helps you spot patterns.

For example, you might see that a competitor gets many links from blogs in the tech industry. SE Ranking presents this info clearly. It helps website owners make smart decisions based on data rather than guesses. It is a solid choice for building a comprehensive link analysis plan.

Your 5-Step “Backlink Spy” Strategy

Now that you know the tools, how do you actually do the work? At VH-info, we follow a strict process. You can use this same process.

Step 1: Identify Your True SEO Competitors

Your true competitors are the websites that rank on the first page of Google for your target keywords. They might not be the biggest companies in the world, but if they are stealing your search results spots, they are your rivals.

Go to Google search and type in the main keywords you want to rank for. Look at the top 5 results.

These are the websites you need to spy on. Make a list of these URLs.

Step 2: Use A Backlink Spy Tool to Export Their Data

Take the URLs from Step 1 and put them into your chosen backlink checker. Whether you use Ahrefs, Semrush, or a free backlink checker, the goal is the same. You’d like to get the full report. Most tools have an “Export” button that lets you download the data as a file.

This file will contain the list of backlinks for that competitor. Do this for each competitor on your list.

Step 3: Analyze Their Link Profile For Patterns & Strengths

Now, look at the list. You are looking for trends.

• Are they getting links from news sites?
• Do they have many links from “resource pages” or “best of” lists?
• What is the anchor text they use most often?

This step helps you understand the quality of these links. If you see they have hundreds of links from one specific directory, that is a pattern you can copy.

Step 4: Find Their High-Authority, Replicable Links

Not every link can be copied. Some links happen because the website owner is famous or lucky. You want to find replicable links. These are links that you can also get.

Look for:

• Guest posts (where they wrote an article for another site).
• Business directories.
• Forum comments (if they are high quality).
• Resource pages where they list helpful tools.

If a high domain authority site linked to them, they might link to you, too, if your content is good.

Step 5: Create A “Link Gap” Action Plan

This is the most important step. Compare your links to theirs. The links they have but you do not are called the “Link Gap.” Make a list of the websites that link to your competitors but not to you. This is your “Hit List.”

Your link building strategy for the next few months should be contacting these website owners to ask for a link.

What to Look For When Spying on Backlinks?

When you are looking at thousands of rows of data, it can get confusing. To make your SEO efforts count, focus on these four specific things.

Finding “Linkable Assets” and Popular Content

Look at the pages on your competitor’s site that have the most backlinks. These are called “Linkable Assets.”

It might be a free calculator, a big guide, or a research study.

If you see that a competitor’s guide on “Email Marketing” has 500 backlinks, you know that people love linking to that topic. You can create a better, more up-to-date guide on the same topic to attract those valuable links.

Identifying Guest Post Opportunities

If you see a link coming from an article that says “Written by [Competitor Name],” that is a guest post.

This is great news! It means that the website accepts articles from outside writers. You can contact that website and say, “I saw you published a great post by [Competitor]. I have a similar topic that your readers would love.”

This is a classic way to build new backlinks.

Spotting Directory and Resource Page Links

These are the easiest wins. A resource page is a page that lists helpful links, like “The Best SEO Tools for 2025.” If your competitor is on that list and you are not, you are missing out. Usually, you just need to email the owner of the site and ask nicely to be added.

Since they already link to similar tools, they will likely say yes. This improves the number of backlinks to your site quickly.

Understanding Their Link Velocity and Anchor Text Strategy

Link velocity is the speed at which a site gets new links.

If a competitor gains 100 links a month, and you only gain 5, you will likely not catch them. You need to match their speed.

Also, look at their anchor text. Are they using their brand name (like “VH-info”) or keywords (like “SaaS link building“)? A natural profile usually has a mix. If they use too many keywords, Google might punish them.

Copy the anchor text distribution of the top-ranking sites to stay safe.

FAQ’s:

What is the Best Backlink Spy Tool?

There is no single “best” tool, but Ahrefs and Semrush are the most popular among seo professionals because they have the most data. For beginners or those on a budget, Ubersuggest or SE Ranking are great choices.

Is It Legal to Spy On Competitor Backlinks?

Yes, absolutely. Competitor backlinks are public information. You are just analyzing data that is already on the internet. It is a standard part of market research and digital marketing.

Can I Be A “Backlink Spy” For Free?

Yes, you can use a free backlink checker tool like the limited versions of Ahrefs or Ubersuggest. However, the free version usually hides some data. To get the full list of backlinks, you usually need a paid subscription.

What Is A “Link Gap” Analysis?

A link gap analysis is when you compare your site to your competitors to see which websites link to them but not to you. It helps you find the missing links you need to rank higher in search engine results.

What Should I Do After I Find My Competitors’ Backlinks?

Once you find them, filter them to find the quality backlinks. Then, reach out to those websites. You can offer to write a guest post, ask to be added to a resource page, or show them your best content.

Conclusion

Becoming a backlink spy is one of the most effective ways to improve your website’s authority and traffic. It removes the guesswork from SEO.

Instead of hoping for links, you go out and find exactly where to get them.

Link building is an ongoing process. It takes time, patience, and hard work to reach out to website owners and build relationships. If this process sounds like a lot of work, that is because it is.

Many SaaS founders prefer to focus on their product rather than chasing links. That is where VH-info comes in. We are experts at reading the data and doing the heavy lifting for you. We help you build the valuable insights and quality backlinks you need to win the race.

Start spying today, or let us handle the strategy for you. The top of the search results is waiting!