Backlink Analyzer

This skill helps you analyze, monitor, and optimize your backlink profile. It identifies link quality, discovers opportunities, and tracks competitor link building activities.

When to Use This Skill

• Auditing your current backlink profile
• Identifying toxic or harmful links
• Discovering link building opportunities
• Analyzing competitor backlink strategies
• Monitoring new and lost links
• Evaluating link quality for outreach
• Preparing for link disavow

What This Skill Does

1. Profile Analysis: Comprehensive backlink profile overview
2. Quality Assessment: Evaluates link authority and relevance
3. Toxic Link Detection: Identifies harmful links
4. Competitor Analysis: Compares link profiles across competitors
5. Opportunity Discovery: Finds link building prospects
6. Trend Monitoring: Tracks link acquisition over time
7. Disavow Guidance: Helps create disavow files

How to Use

Analyze Your Profile

Analyze backlink profile for [domain]

Find Opportunities

Find link building opportunities by analyzing [competitor domains]

Detect Issues

Check for toxic backlinks on [domain]

Compare Profiles

Compare backlink profiles: [your domain] vs [competitor domains]

Data Sources

See CONNECTORS.md for tool category placeholders.

With ~~link database + ~~SEO tool connected: Automatically pull comprehensive backlink profiles including referring domains, anchor text distribution, link quality metrics (DA/DR), link velocity, and toxic link detection from ~~link database. Competitor backlink data from ~~SEO tool for gap analysis.

With manual data only: Ask the user to provide:

1. Backlink export CSV (with source domains, anchor text, link type)
2. Referring domains list with authority metrics
3. Competitor domains for comparison
4. Recent link gains/losses if tracking changes
5. Any known toxic or spammy links

Proceed with the full analysis using provided data. Note in the output which metrics are from automated collection vs. user-provided data.

Instructions

When a user requests backlink analysis:

1. Generate Profile Overview

   ## Backlink Profile Overview
   
   **Domain**: [domain]
   **Analysis Date**: [date]
   
   ### Key Metrics
   
   | Metric | Value | Industry Avg | Status |
   |--------|-------|--------------|--------|
   | Total Backlinks | [X] | [Y] | [Above/Below avg] |
   | Referring Domains | [X] | [Y] | [status] |
   | Domain Authority | [X] | [Y] | [status] |
   | Domain Rating | [X] | [Y] | [status] |
   | Dofollow Links | [X] ([Y]%) | [Z]% | [status] |
   | Nofollow Links | [X] ([Y]%) | [Z]% | [status] |
   
   ### Link Velocity
   
   | Period | New Links | Lost Links | Net Change |
   |--------|-----------|------------|------------|
   | Last 30 days | [X] | [Y] | [+/-Z] |
   | Last 90 days | [X] | [Y] | [+/-Z] |
   | Last year | [X] | [Y] | [+/-Z] |
   
   ### Authority Distribution
   
   

   DA 80-100: ████ [X]% DA 60-79: ██████ [X]% DA 40-59: ████████████ [X]% DA 20-39: ████████████████ [X]% DA 0-19: ██████████ [X]%

   
   **Profile Health Score**: [X]/100
   

2. Analyze Link Quality

   ## Link Quality Analysis
   
   ### Top Quality Backlinks
   
   | Source Domain | DA | Link Type | Anchor | Target Page |
   |---------------|-----|-----------|--------|-------------|
   | [domain 1] | [DA] | Editorial | [anchor] | [page] |
   | [domain 2] | [DA] | Guest Post | [anchor] | [page] |
   | [domain 3] | [DA] | Resource | [anchor] | [page] |
   
   ### Link Type Distribution
   
   | Type | Count | Percentage | Assessment |
   |------|-------|------------|------------|
   | Editorial | [X] | [Y]% | ✅ High quality |
   | Guest posts | [X] | [Y]% | ✅ Good |
   | Resource pages | [X] | [Y]% | ✅ Good |
   | Directory | [X] | [Y]% | ⚠️ Moderate |
   | Forum/Comments | [X] | [Y]% | ⚠️ Low quality |
   | Sponsored/Paid | [X] | [Y]% | ⚠️ Risky |
   
   ### Anchor Text Analysis
   
   | Anchor Type | Count | Percentage | Status |
   |-------------|-------|------------|--------|
   | Brand name | [X] | [Y]% | ✅ Natural |
   | Exact match | [X] | [Y]% | ⚠️ [Warning if >30%] |
   | Partial match | [X] | [Y]% | ✅ Natural |
   | URL/Naked | [X] | [Y]% | ✅ Natural |
   | Generic | [X] | [Y]% | ✅ Natural |
   
   **Top Anchor Texts**:
   1. "[anchor 1]" - [X] links
   2. "[anchor 2]" - [X] links
   3. "[anchor 3]" - [X] links
   
   ### Geographic Distribution
   
   | Country | Links | Percentage |
   |---------|-------|------------|
   | [Country 1] | [X] | [Y]% |
   | [Country 2] | [X] | [Y]% |
   | [Country 3] | [X] | [Y]% |
   

3. Identify Toxic Links

   ## Toxic Link Analysis
   
   ### Risk Summary
   
   **Toxic Score**: [X]/100
   **High Risk Links**: [X]
   **Medium Risk Links**: [X]
   **Action Required**: [Yes/No]
   
   ### Toxic Link Indicators
   
   | Risk Type | Count | Examples |
   |-----------|-------|----------|
   | Spammy domains | [X] | [domains] |
   | Link farms | [X] | [domains] |
   | PBN suspected | [X] | [domains] |
   | Irrelevant sites | [X] | [domains] |
   | Foreign language spam | [X] | [domains] |
   | Penalized domains | [X] | [domains] |
   
   ### High-Risk Links to Review
   
   | Source Domain | Risk Score | Issue | Recommendation |
   |---------------|------------|-------|----------------|
   | [domain 1] | 95/100 | Link farm | Disavow |
   | [domain 2] | 85/100 | Spam site | Disavow |
   | [domain 3] | 72/100 | PBN | Investigate |
   
   ### Disavow Recommendations
   
   **Domains to disavow** ([X] total):
   

   domain:[spam-site-1.com] domain:[spam-site-2.com] domain:[link-farm.com]

   
   **Individual URLs to disavow** ([X] total):
   

   [specific-url-1] [specific-url-2]

4. Compare Against Competitors

   ## Competitive Backlink Analysis
   
   ### Profile Comparison
   
   | Metric | You | Competitor 1 | Competitor 2 | Competitor 3 |
   |--------|-----|--------------|--------------|--------------|
   | Referring Domains | [X] | [X] | [X] | [X] |
   | Domain Authority | [X] | [X] | [X] | [X] |
   | Domain Rating | [X] | [X] | [X] | [X] |
   | Link Velocity (30d) | [X] | [X] | [X] | [X] |
   | Avg Link DA | [X] | [X] | [X] | [X] |
   
   ### Unique Referring Domains
   
   **Links only you have**: [X] domains
   **Links competitors share**: [X] domains  
   **Links competitors have, you don't**: [X] domains ⬅️ Opportunity
   
   ### Link Intersection Analysis
   
   **Sites linking to competitors but not you**:
   
   | Domain | DA | Links to Comp 1 | Comp 2 | Comp 3 | Opportunity |
   |--------|-----|-----------------|--------|--------|-------------|
   | [domain 1] | [DA] | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | High - All competitors |
   | [domain 2] | [DA] | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | High - 2 competitors |
   | [domain 3] | [DA] | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | Medium - 1 competitor |
   
   ### Content Getting Most Links (Competitor Analysis)
   
   | Competitor | Content | Backlinks | Content Type |
   |------------|---------|-----------|--------------|
   | [Comp 1] | [Title/URL] | [X] | [Type] |
   | [Comp 2] | [Title/URL] | [X] | [Type] |
   | [Comp 3] | [Title/URL] | [X] | [Type] |
   
   **Insight**: [What content types attract most links in this niche]
   

5. Find Link Building Opportunities

   ## Link Building Opportunities
   
   ### High-Priority Opportunities
   
   #### 1. Link Intersection Prospects
   
   Sites linking to multiple competitors but not you:
   
   | Domain | DA | Why Link | Contact Approach |
   |--------|-----|----------|------------------|
   | [domain 1] | [DA] | [resource page about X] | Suggest your resource |
   | [domain 2] | [DA] | [links to similar tools] | Pitch your tool |
   | [domain 3] | [DA] | [industry roundup] | Request inclusion |
   
   #### 2. Broken Link Opportunities
   
   | Source Page | Broken Link | Suggested Replacement |
   |-------------|-------------|----------------------|
   | [URL] | [broken URL] | [your relevant page] |
   | [URL] | [broken URL] | [your relevant page] |
   
   #### 3. Unlinked Mentions
   
   | Site | Mention | Your Page to Link |
   |------|---------|-------------------|
   | [domain] | Mentioned your brand | [homepage] |
   | [domain] | Referenced your data | [research page] |
   
   #### 4. Resource Page Opportunities
   
   | Resource Page | Topic | Your Relevant Content |
   |---------------|-------|----------------------|
   | [URL] | [topic] | [your content] |
   | [URL] | [topic] | [your content] |
   
   #### 5. Guest Post Prospects
   
   | Site | DA | Topic Fit | Contact |
   |------|-----|-----------|---------|
   | [domain] | [DA] | [relevance] | [contact info/page] |
   | [domain] | [DA] | [relevance] | [contact info/page] |
   
   ### Link Building Priority Matrix
   
   | Opportunity Type | Effort | Impact | Priority |
   |------------------|--------|--------|----------|
   | Link intersection | Medium | High | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
   | Broken links | Low | Medium | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
   | Unlinked mentions | Low | Medium | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
   | Resource pages | Medium | High | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
   | Guest posts | High | High | ⭐⭐⭐ |
   

6. Track Link Changes

   ## Link Change Tracking
   
   ### New Links (Last 30 Days)
   
   | Source | DA | Type | Anchor | Date |
   |--------|-----|------|--------|------|
   | [domain 1] | [DA] | [type] | [anchor] | [date] |
   | [domain 2] | [DA] | [type] | [anchor] | [date] |
   | [domain 3] | [DA] | [type] | [anchor] | [date] |
   
   **Total new links**: [X]
   **Average DA of new links**: [X]
   **Best new link**: [domain] (DA [X])
   
   ### Lost Links (Last 30 Days)
   
   | Source | DA | Reason | Action |
   |--------|-----|--------|--------|
   | [domain 1] | [DA] | Page removed | Reach out |
   | [domain 2] | [DA] | Link removed | Investigate |
   | [domain 3] | [DA] | Site down | Monitor |
   
   **Total lost links**: [X]
   **Net change**: [+/-X]
   
   ### Links to Recover
   
   | Lost Link | Value | Recovery Strategy |
   |-----------|-------|-------------------|
   | [domain 1] | High | Contact webmaster |
   | [domain 2] | High | Update content they linked to |
   

7. Generate Backlink Report

   # Backlink Analysis Report
   
   **Domain**: [domain]
   **Report Date**: [date]
   **Period Analyzed**: [period]
   
   ## Executive Summary
   
   Your backlink profile is [healthy/needs attention/concerning].
   
   **Key Stats**:
   - Referring domains: [X] ([+/-Y] vs last month)
   - Average link authority: [X] DA
   - Link velocity: [X] new links/month
   - Toxic link percentage: [X]%
   
   ## Profile Strengths
   
   1. ✅ [Strength 1]
   2. ✅ [Strength 2]
   3. ✅ [Strength 3]
   
   ## Areas of Concern
   
   1. ⚠️ [Concern 1]
   2. ⚠️ [Concern 2]
   
   ## Opportunities Identified
   
   | Opportunity | Potential Links | Effort | Priority |
   |-------------|-----------------|--------|----------|
   | Link intersection | [X] sites | Medium | High |
   | Broken links | [X] sites | Low | High |
   | Resource pages | [X] sites | Medium | Medium |
   
   ## Competitive Position
   
   Your referring domains rank #[X] among [Y] competitors.
   
   | Rank | Domain | Referring Domains |
   |------|--------|-------------------|
   | 1 | [domain] | [X] |
   | 2 | [domain] | [X] |
   | 3 | [domain] | [X] |
   
   ## Recommended Actions
   
   ### Immediate (This Week)
   - [ ] Disavow [X] toxic links identified
   - [ ] Reach out to [X] unlinked mentions
   
   ### Short-term (This Month)
   - [ ] Pursue [X] link intersection opportunities
   - [ ] Fix [X] broken link opportunities
   - [ ] Recover [X] recently lost links
   
   ### Long-term (This Quarter)
   - [ ] Create linkable asset targeting [topic]
   - [ ] Launch guest posting campaign
   - [ ] Build [X] resource page links
   
   ## KPIs to Track
   
   | Metric | Current | 3-Month Target |
   |--------|---------|----------------|
   | Referring domains | [X] | [Y] |
   | Average DA of new links | [X] | [Y] |
   | Link velocity | [X]/mo | [Y]/mo |
   | Toxic link % | [X]% | <5% |
   

CITE Item Mapping

When running domain-authority-auditor after this analysis, the following data feeds directly into CITE scoring:

Validation Checkpoints

Input Validation

• Target domain backlink data is complete and current
• Competitor domains specified for comparison analysis
• Backlink data includes necessary fields (source domain, anchor text, link type)
• Authority metrics available (DA/DR or equivalent)

Output Validation

• Every metric cites its data source and collection date
• Toxic link assessments include risk justification
• Link opportunity recommendations are specific and actionable
• Source of each data point clearly stated (~~link database data, ~~SEO tool data, user-provided, or estimated)

Example

User: “Find link building opportunities by analyzing HubSpot, Salesforce, and Mailchimp”

Output:

## Link Intersection Analysis

### Sites linking to 2+ competitors (not you)

| Domain | DA | HubSpot | Salesforce | Mailchimp | Opportunity |
|--------|-----|---------|------------|-----------|-------------|
| g2.com | 91 | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | Get listed/reviewed |
| capterra.com | 89 | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | Submit for review |
| entrepreneur.com | 92 | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | Pitch guest post |
| techcrunch.com | 94 | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | PR/news pitch |

### Top 5 Immediate Opportunities

1. **G2.com** (DA 91) - All competitors listed
   - Action: Create detailed G2 profile
   - Effort: Low
   - Impact: High authority + referral traffic

2. **Entrepreneur.com** (DA 92) - 2 competitors have links
   - Action: Pitch contributed article
   - Effort: High
   - Impact: High authority + brand exposure

3. **MarketingProfs** (DA 75) - All competitors featured
   - Action: Apply for expert contribution
   - Effort: Medium
   - Impact: Relevant audience + quality link

### Estimated Impact

If you acquire links from top 10 opportunities:
- New referring domains: +10
- Average DA of new links: 82
- Estimated ranking impact: +2-5 positions for competitive keywords

Tips for Success

1. Quality over quantity – One DA 80 link beats ten DA 20 links
2. Monitor regularly – Catch lost links and toxic links early
3. Study competitors – Learn from their link building success
4. Diversify your profile – Mix of link types and anchors
5. Disavow carefully – Only disavow clearly toxic links

Link Quality Assessment Framework

Link Quality Scoring Matrix

Link Quality Score = Sum(Factor x Weight) — High (4-5), Medium (2.5-3.9), Low (<2.5)

Toxic Link Identification Criteria

Link Building Strategy Matrix

Strategy Comparison

Link Building Cadence

Outreach Best Practices

Email Outreach Framework

Subject Line Formulas:

• “Quick question about [their article title]”
• “Resource for your [topic] page”
• “[Mutual connection] suggested I reach out”
• “Found a broken link on [their page]”

Email Structure:

1. Personal hook (reference their specific content — prove you read it)
2. Value proposition (what’s in it for them, not you)
3. The ask (specific, easy to act on)
4. Social proof (brief — one line max)
5. Easy opt-out (no pressure)

Outreach Response Rate Benchmarks

Reference Materials

• Link Quality Rubric — Quality scoring matrix with weighted factors and toxic link identification criteria
• Outreach Templates — Email frameworks, subject line formulas, and response rate benchmarks

Related Skills

• domain-authority-auditor — Backlink data feeds directly into CITE C dimension; run after this analysis for full domain scoring
• competitor-analysis — Full competitor analysis
• content-gap-analysis — Create linkable content
• alert-manager — Set up link alerts
• performance-reporter — Include in reports
• entity-optimizer — Branded backlinks strengthen entity signals