steal backlinks from your competitors smartly

    Backlink Jealousy Is Real—But You Can Use It to Win

    Ever found yourself staring at a competitor’s blog and wondering, “How the heck did they get *that* link?” I’ve been there. I used to check out my rival’s backlink profiles just to feel bad about mine. But then I realized—why envy them when I can learn from them?

    This guide shows you how to ethically “steal” backlinks from your competitors by understanding their strategy, using the right tools, and positioning your content as the better alternative. I’ve used this process to outrank domains with 10x my budget. Here’s how you can too.

    Step 1: Identify Your Real SEO Competitors

    Not every business in your niche is your SEO competitor. You’re looking for websites that rank for the keywords *you* want. To find them:

    • Use Ahrefs or SEMrush to search your target keywords
    • List the top-ranking domains for each
    • Look for overlap—these are your core competitors

    In one campaign, I found that two lifestyle blogs were consistently outranking my client’s site—not direct competitors in business, but clear competitors in content. That’s who I studied.

    Step 2: Analyze Their Backlink Profiles

    This is where the fun starts. Plug your competitor’s domain into Ahrefs or a similar tool. You’ll get a list of every website linking to them. Pay attention to:

    • DR (domain rating)
    • Anchor text
    • Context (is it a listicle, interview, or guest post?)

    I always sort the results by “New” to catch recent links—they show what’s currently working. And I flag opportunities that look repeatable (like resource pages or bloggers who accept guest content).

    Step 3: Find the Gaps and Weaknesses

    Now you compare. What links do they have that you don’t? Where are the gaps in your profile? Look for:

    • Sites in your niche that have never linked to you
    • Old links pointing to outdated content
    • Mentions of your competitors where your brand is absent

    I once found that a tech blog had linked to my competitor in a roundup post but missed my tool. I emailed the editor, pitched my solution, and got added to the list within a week. Easy win.

    Step 4: Offer a Better Alternative

    This is where you earn your spot. You don’t just ask for a link—you offer something better. It could be:

    • An updated version of a post
    • Original data or a fresh case study
    • Cleaner design, better UX, or more comprehensive info

    One time, I rewrote a blog post that had dozens of links pointing to a mediocre version on a competitor’s site. I reached out to those same linking sites, showed them my post, and asked if they’d consider linking to it instead. About 20% switched. No tricks, just better content.

    Step 5: Craft a Friendly, Personal Outreach Email

    Don’t be spammy. Use their name, mention the exact page, and get to the point. Here's a simple format that works for me:

    "Hey [Name], I saw you linked to [Competitor Article] in your post on [Topic]. I just published a more recent version with updated stats and examples—thought you might find it useful for your readers. Let me know what you think!"

    Short. Polite. Value-first. That’s the formula.

    Case Study: Stealing 30 Links from a Top Competitor

    I worked with a startup that wanted to outrank a long-standing brand in the HR space. We analyzed their top-ranking guides and found 150+ backlinks across five articles. After recreating those guides with better design and deeper content, we reached out to the same websites.

    Thirty of them updated their links to our version. Rankings improved within six weeks, and organic leads jumped by 38%. It wasn’t magic. It was methodical link replacement.

    Don’t Just Copy—Reverse Engineer

    The goal isn’t to mimic your competitors blindly. Use their success as a blueprint, then level it up. Ask yourself:

    • Can I write something more actionable?
    • Is there a newer stat or angle I can include?
    • Can I offer visuals, videos, or tools they don’t?

    In my experience, editors and bloggers don’t mind switching links—as long as the new one genuinely improves the reader experience.

    Bonus Tip: Set Up Alerts on Their Name

    Use tools like Google Alerts or Ahrefs Alerts to monitor new mentions of your competitor. When they get featured somewhere, check if there’s an opening for you to get mentioned too. If you act quickly, you can ride their PR wave.

    I once picked up five new links in a week just by catching media mentions early and suggesting my brand as a complementary resource. Timing matters.

    Common Pitfalls to Avoid

    • Spamming editors with generic outreach
    • Copy-pasting competitor content instead of improving it
    • Chasing links from irrelevant or low-quality sites

    Remember: the goal isn’t to get *all* the links—they’re not Pokémon. You want the right links that bring real authority and traffic.

    Final Thoughts: Competitors Are Your Roadmap

    If you’re struggling to grow backlinks, your competitors are the best cheat sheet you’ve got. They’ve already tested what works—your job is to do it smarter, better, and with more value. Don't hate the game. Learn it, master it, and beat them at it.

    With the right tools and the right pitch, you can turn your competitor’s backlink wins into your own—and do it in a way that lasts.