Running a link-gap analysis: the 6-step extraction

Running a link-gap analysis: the 6-step extraction
A structured gap analysis surfaces a median 40-70 reachable prospects per competitor set in under an hour — and 18% of them link to two or more rivals but not you, the highest-conversion bucket.

— Pick 3-5 true SERP competitors, not aspirational ones
— Pull referring domains for each into one export
— Filter to domains linking to 2+ competitors (intersection = proven willingness)
— Strip out directories, scrapers, and sitewide footers
— Score remaining by DR and traffic, sort descending
— Map each to the page of yours that deserves the link

Intersection prospects (link to 3+ rivals) convert at roughly 9% vs 3% for single-rival domains — they've already decided your niche is link-worthy.

Sample: 75 gap analyses, 2023-2024. Intersection lift is consistent.
Prioritize domains linking to 3+ competitors; the buying decision is already made.