I recently dove into Semrush's Backlink Gap tool with a specific question in mind: can it actually reveal which pages my competitors are monetizing, and — more importantly — how can I replicate their wins without copying their content verbatim? The short answer is yes, but like any tool, it’s only as useful as the framework and interpretation you bring to it. In this article I’ll walk you through how I use the Backlink Gap report to identify monetized pages, decode the underlying monetization strategies, and create a practical roadmap to replicate or improve on those approaches.
Why the Backlink Gap tool is more than “who links to who”
At first glance the Backlink Gap report seems simple: compare backlink profiles across multiple domains and list the referring domains and target URLs that link to your competitors but not to you. In practice, that comparison surface hides a wealth of signals about what your competitors value enough to promote — and what they are likely monetizing.
Links are a form of endorsement. When other sites link to a specific page repeatedly, it often means that page has perceived value: it could be a product page, a category page, a data-driven resource, or a deeply researched article. By focusing on the pages that attract the most unique referring domains, you can prioritize which competitor pages are probably producing commercial value.
What to look for in the report to spot monetized pages
When I scan a Backlink Gap export, I look for recurring patterns rather than isolated links. Here are the concrete signals that a linked page is likely monetized:
High number of unique referring domains — A product or resource attracting links from many unique domains is probably earning traffic and conversions.Anchor text with commercial intent — Anchors like “buy”, “pricing”, “review”, or brand+product names usually point to commercial pages.Links from review sites, affiliates, comparison sites — Those sources tend to point at pages designed to convert (product pages, affiliate landing pages).URLs with category/product pattern — Paths containing /product/, /buy/, /pricing/, /shop/ or /category/ are classic monetized endpoints.Referring pages with high traffic or relevancy — A link from a high-authority resource or a niche-relevant blog implies the linked page has substantial value.Step-by-step: How I identify monetized pages using Backlink Gap
Here’s the practical workflow I follow when I want to find competitor monetized pages quickly.
1. Choose 3–5 direct competitors — Include top performers and one or two slightly above you in traffic so you can find achievable gaps.2. Run Backlink Gap with your domain plus competitors — Export the table of target URLs that competitors have links to but you don’t.3. Filter for pages with many referring domains — Sort by “Referring domains” to find pages that attract broad interest.4. Inspect anchor text and referring site types — Look for commercial anchors and link sources like affiliates, review sites, or product roundups.5. Open the top candidate pages and evaluate intent — Is the page a product page, category, comparison, or gated resource? Check for CTAs, pricing, or affiliate disclosures.What I check on the competitor page to confirm monetization
After identifying candidate pages, I confirm monetization by looking for explicit or implicit commercial signals:
Clear CTAs — “Buy now”, “Start free trial”, “Get a quote”, “Compare plans”.Pricing tables or checkout flows — Direct evidence of transactions.Affiliate links or promo codes — Often show up in review pages or comparisons.Lead capture elements — Forms, gated downloads or demo requests often feed revenue funnels downstream.Schema markups — Product schema, review schema, FAQ schema — all increase conversion potential and are common on monetized pages.How to replicate — ethical, strategic ways I use
Once I’ve validated a monetized page, my next goal is to build a strategy to replicate or outrank it while offering something uniquely better. I break this into three parallel tracks:
Content & conversion design — Create a page with the same commercial intent but improved UX: clearer CTAs, better comparison tables, faster load times, and stronger trust signals like verified reviews or social proof.Link acquisition strategy — Use the Backlink Gap data to prioritize outreach. If many links come from a set of niche review sites, I make a tailored pitch to those sites with a value proposition (exclusive data, updated comparisons, affiliate partnerships).Technical & on-page SEO — Ensure schema, canonical tags, internal linking, and page speed are optimized. Often competitor pages rank despite weak technical setup; fixing these can be a decisive advantage.Example prioritization table I build from the export
| Competitor URL | Referring Domains | Anchor Pattern | Inferred Intent | Priority |
| /best-seo-tools | 128 | “best SEO tool”, “Semrush review” | Affiliate/Review | High |
| /pricing/pro-plan | 76 | “compare pricing”, “SEO tool pricing” | Transactional | High |
| /seo-audit-guide | 42 | “SEO audit”, “site audit checklist” | Lead-gen/Educational | Medium |
This quick table helps me allocate resources: high-priority = build a competing page + outreach; medium = craft content upgrades and internal links; low = monitor for trends.
Outreach tactics I use based on Backlink Gap findings
Once you know who links to competitor pages, outreach becomes far more targeted:
Broken link replacement — If the referring page links to older resources, offer your updated, superior page as a replacement.Affiliate or partnership offers — For affiliate-heavy linkers, propose better commission terms or exclusive content to entice them to link to you instead.Resource or data swaps — Offer proprietary data, charts, or infographics that add value to the referring site and earn a high-quality backlink.Common pitfalls and how I avoid them
There are traps. Not every heavily linked page is worth copying, and not all links are of equal value. Here’s how I sift the signal from the noise:
Beware of spammy link clusters — A high number of referring domains from low-quality sites is a red flag. I prioritize diversity and authority of referring domains.Don’t mirror content verbatim — Replication without differentiation leads to content parity and potential Google disfavor. I aim for a distinct angle, proprietary data, or superior UX.Measure before heavy investment — I run small-scale A/B tests on CTA wording, page layout, and pricing displays to validate conversion assumptions before full rollout.Using the Backlink Gap tool this way has helped me uncover hidden revenue pages in competitor sites and design smarter, faster strategies to compete. It’s not magical — it’s structured detective work: find the patterns, validate intent, and execute with better content, better UX, and targeted outreach. If you want, I can walk you through a live example with your niche and competitors and build the actionable list you can implement next week.
