This document summarizes steps for analyzing a company's competitors' backlinks: 1. Compile backlink profiles for competitors from tools like Opensiteexplorer and Ahrefs, then sort data in Excel by link type and quality to determine sources and compare numbers. 2. Analyze anchor text distribution to see percentages of branded, exact match, partial match, and random anchor text links, using tools like Opensiteexplorer to download anchor text data. 3. Consider social media presence, fresh content, and on-page factors in overall competitive analysis.

1. Competitor Backlink Analysis

2. 1. Analysis by Back Link Types
Compiling competitor backlink profiles
- opensiteexproler.com
- ahrefs.com

3. 1. Analysis by Back Link Types
Sort data in Excel
- Separate sheets for all competitors
- Using autofilter to see % of types to determine types of backlinks
// directories, blogs, profiles
- Determine quality of links, especially editorial links
- Compare numbers to top competitors

4. 2. Anchor Text Analysis
Analyzing anchor text distribution
Branded anchor - The brand name is the anchor text, e.g. "Fischer
Plumbing"
Exact Match - The anchor text exactly matches a keyword,
e.g. ”seattle plumber"
Phrase – anchor text containing part of the keyword
Random - The anchor text does not contain the brand or any
keywords (or partial keywords), e.g."this website"

5. 2. Anchor Text Analysis
branded/non branded
Example of websites are all large national and international
brands/ecommerce sites that are well linked to.

6. 2. Anchor Text Analysis
Downloading Anchor Text Data from OSE

7. 2. Anchor Text Analysis
Dumping data into Anchor Text Distribution document
http://j.mp/anchortextdistribution

8. 2. Anchor Text Analysis
branded/non branded
- foxph.com - 20% branded
- mrrooter.com - 20% branded
- fischerplumbing – 3% branded

9. 3. Social Presence
- Heavier emphasis on social signals
- Fresh and interesting content
- On-page factors

10. 4. Internal Linking Structure

11. 5. Final Thougths
Further ways to analyze:
- Content Analysis
- On-page Audit
- Pivot tables for checking out anchor texts: http://j.mp/O1zP25