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
- Profile Analysis: Comprehensive backlink profile overview
- Quality Assessment: Evaluates link authority and relevance
- Toxic Link Detection: Identifies harmful links
- Competitor Analysis: Compares link profiles across competitors
- Opportunity Discovery: Finds link building prospects
- Trend Monitoring: Tracks link acquisition over time
- 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:
- Backlink export CSV (with source domains, anchor text, link type)
- Referring domains list with authority metrics
- Competitor domains for comparison
- Recent link gains/losses if tracking changes
- 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:
- 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 DistributionDA 80-100: ████ [X]% DA 60-79: ██████ [X]% DA 40-59: ████████████ [X]% DA 20-39: ████████████████ [X]% DA 0-19: ██████████ [X]%**Profile Health Score**: [X]/100 - 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]% | - 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] `` - 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] - 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 | ⭐⭐⭐ | - 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 | - 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:
| Backlink Metric | CITE Item | Dimension |
|---|---|---|
| Referring domains count | C01 (Referring Domain Volume) | Citation |
| Authority distribution (DA breakdown) | C02 (Authority Distribution) | Citation |
| Link velocity | C04 (Link Velocity) | Citation |
| Geographic distribution | C10 (Geographic Distribution) | Citation |
| Dofollow/Nofollow ratio | T02 (Protocol Compliance) | Trust |
| Toxic link analysis | T01 (HTTPS + Technical Security), T03 (Link-Traffic Coherence) | Trust |
| Competitive link intersection | T05 (Profile Uniqueness) | Trust |
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 keywordsTips for Success
- Quality over quantity - One DA 80 link beats ten DA 20 links
- Monitor regularly - Catch lost links and toxic links early
- Study competitors - Learn from their link building success
- Diversify your profile - Mix of link types and anchors
- Disavow carefully - Only disavow clearly toxic links
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