Local Backlinks Benchmark
Last updated: July 14, 2025
Updated by: Ruan Marinho
What it is
Local Backlinks Benchmark helps you compare your website’s backlink profile to other businesses in your area or industry. It’s built to show where you stand locally when it comes to domain authority, link volume, and referring domains—key factors in local SEO visibility. The tool helps marketers identify gaps, set realistic link-building goals, and justify off-page strategies with data.
How to use it
- Go to the Local Backlinks Benchmark section in your SplashDash dashboard.
- Enter your domain, business category, and target location (city, zip code, or region).
- Click Submit to generate your report.
- View your backlink metrics alongside local competitors in your area.
- Use filters to sort by link type, authority score, or referring domain quality.
- Share the report to support outreach, audits, or performance reporting.
When to use it
SEO audits
Campaign planning
Client reporting
Sales support
Competitor analysis
For Marketing & Agency Use
This report is built by comparing your backlink data to aggregated benchmarks from local businesses in the same category and market. It’s ideal for agencies looking to prove the value of link-building and set performance expectations. When presenting it to clients, explain how their current link profile compares to the local average—and what volume or quality of links they need to be competitive. It helps tie backlink strategy directly to visibility goals in a specific geographic area.
Frequently asked questions
What inputs are needed to generate the benchmark?
You’ll need to enter your domain, business category, and target location.
What outputs does the report include?
- Domain Authority (DA): A trust score from Moz, from 0–100
- Referring Domains: How many unique websites link back
- Total Backlinks: Total number of links from across the web
- Visual comparisons to local competitors in your area
- Highlights & Insights on strengths, gaps, and opportunities
How can this report be useful for local agencies?
- Prove why your client isn’t outranking nearby competitors
- Identify where they’re winning, and where others are pulling ahead
- Show how backlinks are influencing search visibility
- Pitch local link-building campaigns, PR outreach, or content partnerships
- Explain authority building to non-technical clients in plain language
Whats an example use case?
You’re pitching a contractor in Southington, CT. This report shows that while they have decent backlinks, they’re getting outranked by a local competitor with twice the number of referring domains. You now have a clear, data-backed reason to recommend a local PR or directory strategy.
How do I use this to pitch a new SEO client?
Start with their Domain Authority and compare it to the local average. If they’re underperforming, you can show exactly where they need help—and recommend a backlink strategy to improve rankings.
What’s the difference between total backlinks and referring domains?
Referring domains = number of unique websites linking to the client. Total backlinks = number of total links, even if from the same source. More domains = stronger authority.
Why does Domain Authority matter for local businesses?
It’s a trusted indicator of how well a business can rank in search. For local SEO, high DA helps you show up in map packs and organic listings above competitors.
Can I explain this to a client without technical jargon?
Yes. Just say: “More high-quality websites link to you = more trust from Google = better rankings.” SplashDash also gives you plain-language summaries to repeat in client conversations.
What do I do if a competitor has more backlinks?
Use this to recommend outreach to local news, directories, partners, or guest posts. Focus on relevant, local backlinks—not just quantity.
How current is the data?
The report uses up-to-date backlink data from trusted sources (Ahrefs, Moz). Each report includes the pull date so you know when it was last checked.
Can I combine this with other reports?
Yes - Pair this with a Competitive Overview or Keyword Rankings report for a full picture of why a competitor might be ranking higher.
What if my client has a high DA but still ranks poorly?
It might be a content or technical issue. This report helps you rule out backlinks as the issue and focus your strategy on content, UX, or page performance.
Can I download or share this report?
Absolutely. You’ll get a shareable link for every report, and it’s formatted to be client-ready with minimal editing.
How often should I update this report for my clients?
Quarterly is a good baseline. Run it monthly if you’re actively executing a link-building campaign and want to track progress.
See an example
Explore a live example of the report to understand its capabilities and interface.
