REAL

Holds up: copying the backlinks your competitors already earned is a standard, legitimate SEO tactic, as long as you filter for quality and expect to earn the links, not just ask

Facebook · Nov 2026

The claimThe fastest way to build backlinks is to open Semrush, enter a competitor's website, list every directory, guest post, PR mention, citation and industry site linking to them, compare it to your own profile, and close the gap.

This is sound, mainstream advice. Competitor backlink analysis, often called a link gap analysis, is a standard technique, and Semrush has a dedicated Backlink Gap tool that compares your domain with up to four or five competitors and shows sites that link to them but not to you. The logic in the reel holds: if a local directory, chamber listing or industry site featured a competitor, there is a reasonable chance it will list you too, especially for citations and directories. The caveats are about cost and quality, not truth. Semrush's free account shows only a small slice of results, and the full data needs a paid plan, listed around $140 a month for Pro, though a free trial exists. Not every competitor link is worth copying: some are paid placements, spammy directories or one-off press mentions you cannot reproduce. Guest posts and PR take real outreach and good content. For a small business, the quickest wins are usually the citations and local directories on the list, and those can often be found with free tools too.

What holds up

Semrush offers a Backlink Gap tool built for exactly this comparison
Its help pages describe comparing your domain with several competitors at once
Copying competitors' directory and citation listings is common, legitimate local SEO practice

What doesn’t

The free Semrush account shows only a limited number of results
Some competitor links are paid, spammy or impossible to replicate
Guest posts and PR mentions still require outreach and content worth linking to

The catch

The list is free-ish; the links are not. Expect to earn most of them with real outreach, and skip anything that looks paid or spammy.

How to actually do it

Run a backlink gap report (Semrush trial, or a free alternative) against your top 2 or 3 local competitors
Sort the results and keep only relevant, reputable directories, chambers and industry sites
Claim or request the listings first, then pitch guest posts or stories to the best remaining sites
Recheck in 60 days and repeat with the next competitor

Start with the citations and local directories on the gap list; they are the fastest, safest wins for a small business.

Effort: 2 to 3 hours for the first pass; ongoing outreach after that
Cost: Free with limits; full data needs a Semrush trial or paid plan (about $140 a month for Pro)
Stack: Semrush Backlink Gap or a free backlink checker, plus a spreadsheet for outreach
Confidence: High
Posted by: a local SEO agency owner, Facebook reel; reel sent to Buddy Mon, Nov 2, 2026, 7:13 AM

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