Link intersect
What is link intersect?
Link intersect is a backlink analysis that finds websites linking to two or more of your competitors but not to your site. The idea is simple: if a site already links to several businesses like yours, it covers your topic and is open to linking, so it is a strong prospect for outreach.
It is also called a link gap or backlink gap, and it is the link equivalent of a keyword gap. You enter your domain and a few competitors, and the tool returns the referring domains they share that you lack, often with the pages and anchors involved.
Why link intersect matters for SEO
Cold outreach to random sites has low success rates. A link intersect narrows your list to sites that have already shown interest in your topic: industry roundups, resource pages, review sites, local directories and journalists who cover your space.
It also shows you the kinds of links your competitors rely on, which helps you decide which link building tactics are worth your time.
How to run a link intersect
- Pick three to five real competitors, ideally ones ranking for your target keywords.
- Run the link intersect with your domain as the target and theirs as the comparison.
- Sort by how many competitors each site links to. Sites linking to three or more are the best prospects.
- Open the linking pages to see why they link: a list, a review, a quote, a directory.
- Work out what you would need to be included, then pitch or apply.
Link intersect FAQ
How many competitors should I use for a link intersect?
Three to five usually works well. Fewer gives a short list, and more brings in sites that are less relevant.
Is a link intersect the same as a backlink gap?
Yes. Tools use different names for the same analysis: sites linking to competitors but not to you.
Related SEO terms
Link buildingWhite hat
Link building is the work of getting other websites to link to yours, to earn referral traffic and the trust that helps pages rank.
A referring domain is a website that links to your site at least once. Each domain counts once, no matter how many links it sends.
A keyword gap is the set of keywords your competitors rank for and you don’t. Keyword gap analysis finds them so you can target them.
A backlink is a link from another website to yours. Search engines treat backlinks as votes of trust and use them to rank and discover pages.
A link profile is the full set of backlinks pointing to a site: who links, how many, with what anchors and attributes, and how it changes over time.