Tracing a competitor's tier-2 link structure

Tracing a competitor's tier-2 link structure
Word is a rival's money pages punch above their referring-domain count. The reason's usually one layer down. Here's the tier-trace play:
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Take their strongest backlink (highest DR, on-topic). Drop that linking URL into Ahrefs as a target itself
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Look at who links to that page. If it has 30+ referring domains of its own, someone's powering up the link, not just placing it
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Check whether those tier-2 domains are Web 2.0 properties, profile links, or genuine citations — the pattern reveals the budget tier
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Repeat on their top five links. A consistent tier-2 footprint means a systemized program, not luck
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Note which links they DON'T juice — that tells you what they consider expendable
Multiple profiles show the strongest competitors aren't building more links, they're building under them. Look below the surface link. Watch this space.