Backlinks Intelligence

ILLIXIS tracks domain authority, analyzes link profiles, and identifies link-building opportunities. The integration provides real-time backlink intelligence across briefs, competitive gap analysis, and domain health tracking.

What Backlinks Intelligence Provides

Domain Authority Metrics

• Domain Rank (DR) — 0-100 authority score
• Page Rank (PR) — Page-level authority score
• Total backlinks count
• Unique referring domains
• Referring IPs for quality assessment

Link Profile Analysis

• Referring domains list with authority scores
• Individual backlink details with anchor text
• DoFollow vs. NoFollow link distribution
• Broken backlink detection (404 pages)
• First seen and last seen dates for link age

Competitive Intelligence

• Link gap analysis (domains linking to competitors but not you)
• Domain intersection analysis
• Authority-aware opportunity scoring
• Competitor link profile comparison

Where Backlinks Data Appears

1. Keyword Brief Analysis

When creating a Keyword Brief, backlink metrics are fetched for top-ranking competitors:

Navigate: Briefs > View Brief > Competitive Metrics section

What You See:

• Competitor domain authority (DR) scores
• Referring domains count for each competitor
• Authority tier classification (High DR 50+, Medium DR 30-49, Low DR <30)
• Average competitor DR for the keyword

How It's Used:

• Opportunity scoring weighs keyword difficulty against your domain authority
• Content recommendations factor in whether you can realistically compete
• Brief rationale explains if keyword is authority-appropriate

2. Domain Health Tracking

Weekly snapshots of your domain authority:

Navigate: Intelligence > Domain Health

What You Track:

• Domain Rank (DR) trend over time
• Referring domains growth/decline
• Total backlinks count
• Week-over-week change percentages

3. Competitive Gap Analysis

Gap reports compare your link profile against competitors:

Navigate: Reports > Create Gap Analysis

What You See:

• Your domain authority vs. competitor authority
• Referring domains comparison
• Link gap count (domains linking to competitors but not you)
• Top 50 link gap opportunities with domain authority scores

How to Use:

1. Select 2-3 competitors
2. Review link gap section
3. Prioritize high-authority domains (DR 50+) for outreach
4. Focus on domains linking to multiple competitors (higher relevance)

4. Authority-Aware Opportunity Scoring

Briefs calculate opportunity scores that factor in domain authority:

What This Means:

• Keywords with DR 70+ competitors score lower if your DR is <40
• Prevents wasted effort on unwinnable keywords
• Prioritizes keywords where you have authority parity

Authority Tier Classification

ILLIXIS classifies domains into authority tiers:

High Authority (DR 50+)

• Strong ranking power
• Difficult to acquire links
• High SEO value

Medium Authority (DR 30-49)

• Moderate ranking power
• Realistic outreach targets
• Good ROI for link building

Low Authority (DR <30)

• Limited ranking power
• Easy to acquire
• Volume strategy (quantity over quality)

Your Authority (Your Domain's DR)

• Used to calculate authority gaps
• Tracked weekly
• Factors into opportunity scoring

Link Gap Analysis Workflow

Step 1: Run Gap Analysis

Navigate to Reports > Create Gap Analysis

Enter 2-3 competitor domains (e.g., competitor1.com, competitor2.com)

Step 2: Review Link Gap

Gap report shows:

• Domains linking to competitors but not you
• Domain authority for each opportunity
• Number of competitors each domain links to (higher = more relevant)

Step 3: Prioritize Outreach

Filter by authority tier:

• DR 50+: High-value targets (prioritize these)
• DR 30-49: Medium-value targets (bulk of your outreach)
• DR <30: Low-value targets (skip unless niche-relevant)

Focus on domains linking to 2+ competitors (strong topical relevance)

Step 4: Export and Outreach

Use link gap data to:

• Build outreach target list
• Craft personalized pitches ("I noticed you linked to competitor1.com and competitor2.com...")
• Track outreach success rate

Automation Schedule

Troubleshooting

"Backlinks data unavailable"

Causes:

• Domain not yet indexed (new domains <30 days old)
• API rate limit hit
• Service temporarily unavailable

Check:

1. Verify domain age (must be live >30 days)
2. Contact support if the issue persists

"Authority gap too wide"

Meaning: Competitors have DR 20+ points higher than your domain

Action:

• Focus on long-tail keywords (lower competition)
• Build authority before targeting competitive keywords
• Review link gap analysis for easier link-building targets

"No link gap found"

Causes:

• Competitors have no shared referring domains
• Your domain already has links from all shared domains
• Competitors' backlink profiles too small to analyze

Action:

• Try different competitors with more established link profiles
• Use referring domains list directly for each competitor
• Focus on content gaps instead of link gaps

Best Practices

1. Track DR Weekly, Not Daily

Domain authority changes slowly. Weekly snapshots are sufficient.

2. Focus on Authority-Matched Keywords

Don't waste content efforts on keywords where competitor average DR is 20+ points above yours. Build authority first.

3. Prioritize High-DR Link Gaps

Link gap domains with DR 50+ are your highest-value targets. Focus outreach here.

4. Use Broken Backlinks for Quick Wins

Broken backlinks pointing to your domain are easy reclamation opportunities. Fix the 404s or redirect them.

5. Check Competitors Before Creating Briefs

If all competitors have DR 70+ and you're at DR 25, skip that keyword and find easier targets.

6. Track DR Growth Monthly

Review domain authority history monthly to measure SEO progress. DR gains of 5+ points indicate successful link building.

Related Features

• Competitive Gap Analysis — Uses backlinks data for link gap identification
• Keyword Briefs — Authority-aware opportunity scoring
• Domain Health Dashboard — DR tracking and trend visualization
• SERP Intelligence — Competitor backlink metrics shown in briefs