Holds up: Ahrefs' free backlink checker plus a quick look at a link's rel attribute is a legitimate free way to see which of a competitor's links pass value and which directories you could join

The claimGo to Ahrefs' free Backlink Checker, type a competitor, find the links with the highest domain rating, copy the anchor, open the page, use Find to locate it, right-click Inspect. 'If it says nofollow, ignore it. If it doesn't, this is a legit backlink.' Local directories often let you submit for free.

This is an accurate, free, legitimate SEO tactic. Ahrefs really does offer a free Backlink Checker that shows a sample of any domain's referring links and their domain ratings, no paid plan needed. Inspecting the link's HTML to read its rel attribute is the correct way to tell a followed link, which passes ranking signals, from a nofollow or sponsored link, which generally does not. Mining a competitor's strongest followed links for directories, associations and local sites you can also join is standard, white-hat link prospecting. Two honest caveats. The free checker shows only a limited sample, so you see a slice of the picture, not the whole backlink profile. And 'ignore nofollow' is a little strong: nofollow links can still send real referral traffic and brand exposure, they just do not pass the same ranking signal. Nothing here is a trick or a loophole; it is the same research a paid SEO would do, done with free tools and ten minutes.

A legitimate free SEO workflow; the only nuance is the sample size and the value of nofollow traffic.

Confidence

High

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an SEO agency page (about 10,000 plays); reel sent to Buddy Sun Oct 25, 2026, 7:34 PM

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