# Reverse-engineering on-page SEO from competitors (/docs/on-page-and-technical-seo/reverse-engineering-on-page-seo)

---
type: Document
title: Reverse-engineering on-page SEO from competitors
description: A workflow for learning what makes competitors rank — starting from your own Search Console data, then analyzing competitor backlinks, anchor text, and on-page factors.
status: stable
order: 28
generated: { by: human:ahmedraza, at: 2026-09-15T11:37:20Z }
ksor:
  audience: [public]
  owner: human:ahmedraza
  approval: { by: human:ahmedraza, at: 2026-09-15T11:37:20Z }
sources:
  - id: iskills-course-notes
    title: iSkills — course notes
    resource: "iSkills SEO course notes, compiled 2025"
trust_tier: unverified
build_id: sha256:25bcd9248ab7b7333e626a24b636e9eef514e339025ed762d0fe7ddd9b6486b8
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---

## The idea

Reverse-engineering SEO means analyzing competitors' websites, backlinks,
and on-page factors to understand what makes them rank — learning directly
from what already works instead of guessing. The core tools are Google
Search Console, SEMrush, and Ahrefs.[^iskills-course-notes]

## 1. Start with your own Google Search Console

Connect your site and check: which keywords you already rank for, their
positions, which countries send you traffic, and which links point to your
site. This baseline matters before comparing yourself to anyone else.

## 2. Analyze competitors (Ahrefs / SEMrush)

Enter a same-niche competitor's domain and collect the keywords they rank
for, their backlinks (quantity and quality), and their top traffic-driving
pages. Favor competitors with **domain traffic above 50** — skip dead or
low-traffic sites.

## 3. Backlink analysis

Key factors to check in a competitor's backlink profile:

- **OBL (Outbound Link) score** — prefer sites that don't link out too much.
- **Domain authority and relevance** — backlinks should come from relevant
  categories.
- **Link type** — contextual links are most valuable, then guest posts, then
  forums.

Export competitor backlinks to a spreadsheet for structured comparison.

## 4. Anchor text distribution

In Ahrefs, check a competitor's top anchors:

- Your own main keyword should **not** appear in the top 5 anchors — that
  signals over-optimization.
- Top anchors should mostly be naked URLs (`https://example.com`) or generic
  phrases ("click here", "visit site").
- Branded and partial-match anchors are safer than exact-match anchors.

## 5. On-page factors

Study a competitor's top-ranking pages for: page title and meta description,
heading structure (H1, H2...), content length and structure, keyword usage
(density, placement, variations), and internal linking strategy — then
understand *why* Google ranks them before applying improved versions on your
own site.

## 6. Practical workflow

1. Open a competitor's site in Ahrefs and export its backlink data.
2. Repeat for at least 7 competitors.
3. Filter the combined data: traffic > 50, low OBL, relevant categories.
4. Save tool credits — change only the domain at the top while keeping the
   same filters applied.
5. Collect anchor-text distribution separately from the backlink data.

## Key takeaways

- Never over-optimize anchor text — Google can penalize it.
- Relevancy matters more than raw backlink quantity.
- Generic and branded anchors should dominate the top 5.
- Contextual links outperform forum or comment links.
- Reverse engineering shows what already works, cutting down trial and error
  versus experimenting blind.

[^iskills-course-notes]: iSkills SEO course notes, compiled 2025.