Where do you go to backlink test the competition?

[gotstano]

I am just finally learning about the importance of backlinks.
If I am attempting to rank number 1 on page 1 of Google and I would like to research the quality and quantity of the current number one position holder, can I go to a website and enter their web address and have the backlink information revealed to me in order to see what I have to top?

Also, I read Harro's thread on backlinking. Is there other advice I need to follow? (Other resources I should be reading)

For instance: How do you sign an .edu guest book with your backlink, using the exact keywords in the hyperlink without being marked as spam?

Thanks all,

 

[squelsh]

There are plenty of was in which you can get information about the backlinks of a competitor. The easiest is to go to Yahoo Site Explorer or a site such as http://www.backlinkwatch.com/

For a more detailed analysis of your competitors backlinks you will want to look at tools that do more than just count the number of backlinks.

For me when it comes to backlinks I usually want to know a few things such as
* the number of backlinks
* how many of those backlinks point to the ranking page as opposed to the whole domain
* the anchor text used in those backlinks pointing at the competing page
* how many edus, .mils .govs etc there are
* how many of those links are nofollow

Generally speaking two of my favourite tools are Seoforfirefox - a firefox add on which will analyse all but the anchor text and nofollow ( http://tools.seobook.com/firefox/seo-for-firefox.html )

And... either seospyglass ( http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=se...s=org.mozilla:en-GB:official&client=firefox-a ) or backlink analyzer (http://tools.seobook.com/backlink-analyzer/)

This should give you most of the backlink information you need on a competitor.

 

[squelsh]

Also, I read Harro's thread on backlinking. Is there other advice I need to follow? (Other resources I should be reading)

For instance: How do you sign an .edu guest book with your backlink, using the exact keywords in the hyperlink without being marked as spam?

To be honest if you're just learning about backlinks I wouldn't bother chasing after .edu links. Doing this, for the most part, will send you on a wild goose chase that given the time and effort put in, is not worth it.

People tend to see .edu links as the holy grail of linkbuilding and think "if i could just get some edu links I would be number one".

Truth is an edu backlink here and there can be great for seo, but there are better ways to link build.

Directories, Articles, PRs etc are a good place to start. Learn the basics like these first as - in the long run - you will get a lot more out of these techniques than you will from hunting for edu links.

 

[gotstano]

Thanks and welcome to the forum!:30:

 

[Hypebeast]

Can't you use SEO Elite, you can find it somewhere on the forums Atleast ahts how I've been checking backlinks there might be a better way I think you might be able to check also with market samurai im not sure im a n00b to that program lol.

 

[Bacanze]

Use

https://siteexplorer.search.yahoo.com

&

http://www.seoquake.com

 

[jazzc]

SEOElite is very handy!

 

[nirose]

I use SEOQuake toolbar for mozilla and its quite handy for Finding PR, Google indexed pages, MSN, Alexa rank, internal links and outbound links.

And it works on google search too so you can find good backlinks

 

[lm4mm]

Thanks..........

 

[steveo536]

search google for backlink checker and you'll find a ton of websites that do just that

It's always good to check with multiple sources and compare them because no site is going to be 100% correct

 

[superseostar]

I like to use siteexplore of yahoo and backlinkwatch. For EDU links, I think you can do search by using syntax: edu + "keywords" + recent comment. But I am not sure if nofollow backlinks from EDU can be counted by google.

 

[gegejosper]

There are plenty of was in which you can get information about the backlinks of a competitor. The easiest is to go to Yahoo Site Explorer or a site such as http://www.backlinkwatch.com/

For a more detailed analysis of your competitors backlinks you will want to look at tools that do more than just count the number of backlinks.

For me when it comes to backlinks I usually want to know a few things such as
* the number of backlinks
* how many of those backlinks point to the ranking page as opposed to the whole domain
* the anchor text used in those backlinks pointing at the competing page
* how many edus, .mils .govs etc there are
* how many of those links are nofollow

Generally speaking two of my favourite tools are Seoforfirefox - a firefox add on which will analyse all but the anchor text and nofollow ( http://tools.seobook.com/firefox/seo-for-firefox.html )

And... either seospyglass ( http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=se...s=org.mozilla:en-GB:official&client=firefox-a ) or backlink analyzer (http://tools.seobook.com/backlink-analyzer/)

This should give you most of the backlink information you need on a competitor.

This is a great guidelines. Well, I think yes it will help you somehow to beat your competitors by using this way. Also try to work with blogs commenting and build backlinks on EDU, GOV sites.