| name | backlink-analyzer |
| description | Use when the user asks to "analyze backlinks", "check link profile", "find toxic links", "link building opportunities", "off-page SEO", "who links to me", "I have spammy links", "how do I get more backlinks", or "disavow links". Analyzes backlink profiles to understand link authority, identify toxic links, discover link building opportunities, and monitor competitor link acquisition. Essential for off-page SEO strategy. For internal link analysis, see internal-linking-optimizer. For competitor link profiles, see competitor-analysis. |
| license | Apache-2.0 |
| metadata | {"author":"aaron-he-zhu","version":"2.0.0","geo-relevance":"low","tags":["seo","backlinks","link building","link profile","toxic links","off-page seo","link authority","domain authority","link acquisition"],"triggers":["analyze backlinks","check link profile","find toxic links","link building opportunities","off-page SEO","backlink audit","link quality","who links to me","I have spammy links","how do I get more backlinks","disavow links"]} |
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 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
-
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 (Referring Domains Quality) | Citation |
| Link velocity | C04 (Link Velocity) | Citation |
| Geographic distribution | C10 (Link Source Diversity) | Citation |
| Dofollow/Nofollow ratio | T02 (Dofollow Ratio Normality) | Trust |
| Toxic link analysis | T01 (Link Profile Naturalness), T03 (Link-Traffic Coherence) | Trust |
| Competitive link intersection | T05 (Profile Uniqueness) | Trust |
Validation Checkpoints
Input Validation
Output Validation
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
- 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
Link Quality Assessment Framework
Link Quality Scoring Matrix
| Factor | Weight | Score 1 (Low) | Score 3 (Medium) | Score 5 (High) |
|---|
| Domain Authority | 25% | DR <20 | DR 20-50 | DR 50+ |
| Topical Relevance | 25% | Unrelated niche | Broadly related | Same niche/topic |
| Traffic to Page | 15% | No traffic | Some traffic | Significant traffic |
| Link Position | 15% | Footer/sidebar | Body (generic) | Body (contextual, editorial) |
| Anchor Text | 10% | Generic/naked URL | Partial match | Descriptive, natural |
| Follow Status | 10% | Nofollow/UGC | Sponsored (disclosed) | Dofollow, editorial |
Link Quality Score = Sum(Factor x Weight) — High (4-5), Medium (2.5-3.9), Low (<2.5)
Toxic Link Identification Criteria
| Red Flag | Risk Level | Action |
|---|
| From PBN (Private Blog Network) | Critical | Disavow |
| Paid link without nofollow | Critical | Contact webmaster, then disavow |
| From hacked/spam site | Critical | Disavow |
| Exact match anchor from low-quality site | High | Monitor, consider disavow |
| From link farm / directory network | High | Disavow |
| From irrelevant foreign language site | Medium | Monitor |
| Sitewide footer/sidebar link | Medium | Request removal or nofollow |
| From scraper/auto-generated content | Medium | Disavow |
| Reciprocal link schemes | Low-Medium | Reduce reciprocal ratio |
Link Building Strategy Matrix
Strategy Comparison
| Strategy | Difficulty | Scalability | Link Quality | Time to Results | Best For |
|---|
| Guest Posting | Medium | Medium | Medium-High | 1-3 months | Building relationships + links |
| Digital PR | High | High | Very High | 2-6 months | Brand authority + high-DR links |
| Broken Link Building | Low-Medium | Medium | Medium | 1-2 months | Quick wins at scale |
| Resource Page Links | Low | Low | Medium | 1-2 months | Niche-relevant links |
| HARO/Source Pitching | Medium | Medium | High | 1-3 months | Authority + press mentions |
| Original Research | High | Very High | Very High | 3-6 months | Long-term link magnet |
| Free Tools/Calculators | Very High | Very High | Very High | 6-12 months | Passive link acquisition |
| Skyscraper Technique | Medium | Low | Medium-High | 2-4 months | Outranking specific content |
| Unlinked Mentions | Low | Low | High | 1-2 weeks | Converting existing brand mentions |
| Community Engagement | Low | Low | Low-Medium | Ongoing | Niche authority building |
Link Building Cadence
| Site Stage | Monthly Link Target | Strategy Focus |
|---|
| New site (0-6 months) | 5-10 quality links | Guest posts, resource pages, HARO |
| Growing (6-18 months) | 10-25 quality links | Digital PR, original research, skyscraper |
| Established (18+ months) | Maintenance + strategic | Passive from content, digital PR campaigns |
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:
- Personal hook (reference their specific content — prove you read it)
- Value proposition (what's in it for them, not you)
- The ask (specific, easy to act on)
- Social proof (brief — one line max)
- Easy opt-out (no pressure)
Outreach Response Rate Benchmarks
| Approach | Average Response Rate | Average Link Win Rate |
|---|
| Broken link building | 8-12% | 3-5% |
| Guest post pitching | 5-10% | 2-4% |
| Resource page outreach | 6-10% | 2-4% |
| Unlinked mention | 15-25% | 10-15% |
| HARO pitching | 3-8% | 1-3% |
| Digital PR campaign | 5-15% | 2-8% |
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
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