Uncovering a competitor’s link-building campaign can feel like solving a fascinating mystery.
Over the years, I’ve spent countless hours diving into backlink profiles, analyzing patterns, and piecing together strategies behind rising search engine rankings.
Using Ahrefs as my trusted tool, I’ve developed an approach to detect when someone is using a deliberate link-building campaign. Today, I’ll share my experience and how you, too, can use these methods to decode your competitors’ strategies.
The First Clue: Backlink Profiles Tell a Story
Every investigation starts with the backlink profile. It’s like looking into a website’s relationships with the rest of the internet. By entering a site’s URL into Ahrefs’ Site Explorer, I can instantly see who’s linking to them and why.
I remember one particular case where a competitor’s backlink graph showed a sudden spike in referring domains. At first glance, it seemed natural—maybe they had published a stellar piece of content. But as I dug deeper, patterns emerged. Many of these new links came from high-DR blogs with similar content themes. This wasn’t a coincidence; it was a clear sign of a link-building campaign in action.
The key was analyzing the quality and type of links. I noticed they weren’t just random mentions. The links were from reputable sites, and the anchors pointed toward specific high-converting pages on their site. This deliberate placement was a hallmark of a well-orchestrated campaign.
The Role of Link Velocity: When Growth Speaks Volumes
One of the most revealing signs of a link-building campaign is how quickly new links are acquired—a concept known as link velocity. During one investigation, I noticed a competitor’s backlink acquisition graph looked like a steep hill rather than a gentle slope. In just a few weeks, they had gained hundreds of backlinks.
Curious, I compared this spike to their historical data. Before the surge, their backlink growth had been slow and steady. This sharp change in pace was unusual unless they had recently launched a viral campaign. But as I searched for any buzz-worthy content or news, there was none. This rapid growth wasn’t organic; it was the result of an aggressive outreach effort.
Context is everything, though. In some cases, I’ve seen natural events, like a press release or a viral product launch, explain a surge in backlinks. But when there’s no such trigger, it’s almost always a link-building campaign at play.
Anchor Text Distribution
If backlinks are the puzzle pieces, anchor texts are the glue that holds them together. One time, while analyzing a site, I noticed an unusual pattern. The anchor texts of their new backlinks were overwhelmingly keyword-rich—phrases like “best CRM software” or “affordable project management tool.” It felt unnatural, like someone was forcing these keywords into place.
Natural backlinks tend to have more variety, like branded names or generic terms. But when a specific keyword is repeated across multiple links, it’s often because the site owner is actively pursuing those anchors to rank for certain terms. By digging into Ahrefs’ “Anchors” report, I confirmed my suspicions. Their link-building campaign was heavily focused on targeting high-value keywords through exact-match anchors.
The Referral Traffic Connection
Sometimes, links aren’t just about SEO; they also drive referral traffic. While using Google Analytics alongside Ahrefs, I’ve spotted patterns that further reveal the nature of a campaign. In one case, a competitor was suddenly receiving significant traffic from obscure sites with little relevance to their industry. These weren’t natural links; they were carefully placed to boost their authority metrics.
What made it more obvious was the timing. The increase in referral traffic directly aligned with the spike in new backlinks. This correlation painted a clear picture: these links weren’t earned—they were bought or negotiated.
Detecting Link Networks
One of the most fascinating discoveries I’ve made involved a private blog network (PBN). These networks are tricky to detect, but Ahrefs makes it possible. I began by examining the domains linking to a site that seemed to grow its backlinks unusually fast. Many of the linking sites shared suspicious similarities—similar design structures, overlapping content topics, and even shared IP addresses.
To confirm my hunch, I used Ahrefs’ Link Intersect tool, which helped me see if these sites were linking to other competitors as well. Sure enough, they were all part of a tightly connected network, built solely for link building. This revelation not only exposed their strategy but also gave me valuable insight into how not to build links.
What Content Reveals About Strategy
Another tactic I use involves closely examining the target website’s content. In one instance, a competitor had recently published a series of in-depth guides and infographics. As I analyzed their backlink profile, I noticed that most new links were pointing to these resources. This made perfect sense—they had created linkable assets designed to attract backlinks.
This strategy is smart and effective, but it’s also deliberate. By connecting the dots between their content and their backlinks, I could see how their link-building campaign was structured around promoting specific pieces of content.
Final Thoughts
Discovering if someone is using a link-building campaign requires a mix of curiosity, persistence, and the right tools. Ahrefs has been instrumental in helping me uncover these strategies time and time again. Whether it’s spotting unnatural link velocity, analyzing anchor text patterns, or identifying referral traffic anomalies, the clues are always there if you know where to look.
The beauty of this process isn’t just in exposing competitors—it’s in learning from their strategies to improve your own. By understanding how others approach link building, you can refine your techniques and stay one step ahead. So, the next time you’re curious about a competitor’s rise in the rankings, dive into Ahrefs and start uncovering their secrets. Trust me, it’s a journey worth taking.
