I’ve recently softened my stance on competitive analysis. I used to think it wasn’t worth my time; often, what I observed was people simply using it to copy another site’s link profile. While I found it useful to understand how industries linked, it wasn’t high on my priority list for new clients.
Now, I see the benefits more clearly. But recently, I’ve had the privilege of working on a few campaigns for industries where analyzing competitors’ link profiles provided little insight.
Can You Rank Without a Lot of Great Links?
In case you don’t know, there are still these tiny niches where sites can rank without great links or any significant optimization efforts.
Working on these types of campaigns can be really fun, though it’s challenging to begin because there’s almost no blueprint.
When you see Google’s top 10 results occupied by sites with 20 or fewer linking domains, it demands creativity.
I believe that anyone who has successfully built links over several years can do so for any type of site. However, the sites I’m discussing here are small-budget ones without any SEO knowledge on staff.
These sites don’t show a significant backlink profile. When they do, it’s often just a few directory links, a couple of local links, or perhaps links from a parent company with multiple sites. With little competition, ranking is easier—which raises the question: why build links if ranking isn’t difficult?
I posed this question to a business owner who contacted me. He has 15 linking domains that are relevant but lack authority. He ranks in the top three for most of his keywords in a small, non-competitive industry—essentially, he’s where he wants to be.
However, he’s worried his industry will become more competitive and wants a strong position when that happens. That’s why he wants links.
Link Building When There’s No Roadmap
So how do you come up with ideas for good links when starting from scratch without insight into industry link-building strategies?
-
Read the site. This seems obvious, but I still remind link builders to do this occasionally, especially with new clients or when their questions suggest answers could be found on the site, which likely includes an “About Us” page, blog, FAQ, etc.
-
Read the competitors’ sites. In a recent case, the client had little content I could leverage, but some competitors had excellent blogs. One site discussed which industries used their products—a detail I couldn’t find on my client’s site.
-
Conduct question-based searches. Queries like, “What industries use x products?” or, “What are some alternatives to x product or service?” can yield excellent insights. In a small project, we found that one client’s product was popular in recycled craft projects, opening new avenues for us.
- Write content around these questions. Transform this information into a FAQ section or, if there’s enough content, an article series or blog. You’re aiming to attract more links and add value when conducting outreach efforts.
Warning Sirens Ahead!
As an illustration, let’s consider warning sirens—an industry I’ve never worked in. A Google search for “warning sirens” shows e-commerce results like Sentry Siren and Fed Sig, while other results are news or informational sites. Suppose you sell warning sirens and want competitive insights for a link campaign by inspecting these two companies.
Looking at their links, I find relevant connections—educational, news, industry links, etc. Still, nothing sparks a starting point without copying their strategy, which is not ideal.
If my “client’s” site lacks helpful info beyond basic company details, I turn to competitors’ sites.
Sentry Siren provides detailed info on the best sirens with links to relevant sites. Meanwhile, Fed Sig offers product data sheets listing application uses, but nothing explicitly answers whether you can use sirens to scare children.
Armed with gathered information, I still want to explore Google for questions like, "Can anyone buy a warning siren?" or "Are there regulations for using sirens?"
In the absence of extensive site information from my hypothetical client, I plan to collect my findings into a FAQ or expand them into multiple articles, such as:
- Discussing the importance of regular siren tests and safe methods
- Maintaining a list of events utilizing warning sirens
- A page linking updated storm reports by state and city
- Articles summarizing events prompting siren use
- A list of songs featuring sirens, with Spotify or YouTube links
This approach inspires discovery across various areas:
- Amateur weather enthusiast blogs
- Mechanical hobby blogs
- Amateur tornado blogs
The essence of this strategy is relentless digging. Think of every question about the product/service/industry and pursue answers. Then, dig deeper.
Though this article aims to provide tactics for when competitive link analysis offers little inspiration, these principles can elevate any link campaign. While a competitive analysis might suffice for industries with ample information, branching into new directions could yield superior results.
