SEO Competitor Analysis isn’t just copying what others do. It’s about understanding their moves, learning from them, and making a plan that pushes you to the top of search results.
TL;DR:
- SEO Competitor Analysis helps you understand and outshine your rivals in search rankings.
- Understanding your SEO starting point will help you to find your ideal competitors.
- Knowing your competitor’s strengths and weaknesses allows for targeted growth.
- Keywords and contents are vital; analyse both the ones you share and those you don’t.
In the bustling digital arena, standing out among countless competitors is a challenge.
Success isn’t just about determination; it’s about wielding the right tools and tactics.
With SEO Competitor Analysis, you’re not just in the race, but you’re equipped to lead it. In this article, I’ll explain what SEO Competitor Analysis is, why it’s important, and how to go about it.
What is an SEO Competitor Analysis?
An SEO Competitor Analysis delves deep into the SEO practices of your competitors. By understanding their strengths and pinpointing their weaknesses, you can craft an SEO strategy that helps you outrank them in search results.
Why You Should Do SEO Competitor Analysis
Engaging in SEO Competitor Analysis enables you to:
- Recognise successful strategies in your niche.
- Capitalise on gaps in your competitors’ tactics.
- Emulate strategies that have proven effective for rivals.
- Determine SEO priorities and foresee challenges.
- Gauge the level of effort required to surpass competitors.
The Top4 Tips to Do SEO Competitor Analysis
1. Know Your Own Website
Before diving deep into others’ metrics, it’s vital to first thoroughly understand your website and its current state. In other words, this is your SEO starting point.
This understanding forms the baseline against which you’ll measure your competitors.
You should be equipped with:
- The keywords you currently target and those you aim to use in the future.
- Your website’s present standings on Google and other search engines.
- Data about your site’s visitors: their volume, origin, and conversion rate.
- Analytics from every social media channel where you promote your business.
- If applicable, the physical location of your brick-and-mortar business.
- Clear insights into your niche – and areas it doesn’t cover.
- An understanding of your core audience demographic and those outside of it.
By mirroring this data collection for possible competitors, you can easily filter out websites that aren’t relevant competitors.
You can use an analytic tool like Google Analytics to gather your data.
2. Spotting Your Direct Competitors
The next step is you have to look for your competitors. Here is the guides to do it:
- Determining the Number of Competitors: The number of competitors to analyse should be significant but manageable. A dozen competitors can offer rich insights without overwhelming you.
- Distinguishing Between Competitors and Non-Competitors: A true competitor will rank for similar keywords, target analogous audiences, and, for local businesses, operate in the same geographical area.
- Choosing and Re-evaluating Competitors: It’s crucial to continuously assess and adjust the list of competitors you’re tracking. While industry leaders will consistently be relevant, other competitors may rise and fall in significance. Regular competitor check-ins every few months are advised.
3. Identifying Strengths and Weaknesses in Competitor Content
We all recognise the quote, “content is king.” Your competitors might be outperforming you because of their superior content. However, no content is without its flaws – and that’s your opportunity.
While analysing your rivals, pinpoint:
- The range of content they deliver: This could be blog articles, visual content, podcasts, case studies, and more. It’s probable that a competitor doesn’t cover all content types, or some content might not be up to par. This gap is your chance: develop content in these areas, but do it better.
- Their top-performing pages: These pages are their primary assets and can be tough to beat. Yet, starting with their less dominant pages can be a good strategy, leading to the next two insights.
- Underperforming yet quality content: Many times, solid content doesn’t rank as well as it deserves to. Your competitors aren’t immune to this.
- Pages lagging due to clear drawbacks: For instance, they might have outdated information. Target these for easy wins.
- Broken pages with existing backlinks: If competitors have non-functional pages that were once linked to, craft a better version on your site. Then, suggest to those linking to the defunct pages to link to your improved version.
4. Dive into Competitor Keyword Usage
In this phase, your goal is to uncover the keywords your competitors rely on and determine your next move with them.
Simply adopting the keywords they’re using isn’t the most strategic route. A more detailed approach is required, even though it begins by identifying their keywords.
Identify the keywords currently active on your website
This helps confirm if you’re truly competing over the same keywords and targeting a similar audience.
If there’s a significant overlap in your keyword lists, surpassing that particular competitor could prove challenging.
Consider focusing on competitors with whom you share fewer common keywords.
Pinpoint keywords you haven’t used yet but might find beneficial
Pay special attention to mid- and long-tail keywords that boast substantial monthly searches (preferably in the thousands) and that clearly signify what users are searching for.
Detect keywords where your competitors aren’t performing strongly
As long as these keywords align with your site’s theme, they represent a straightforward opportunity to outpace your rivals.
Let Top4 Help Your SEO Game
Delving deep into the intricate world of SEO, especially competitor analysis, can often feel like navigating a labyrinth without a map.
While there are numerous ways to break down and analyse the strategies of your competitors, mastering them all takes time and expertise.
But that’s where Top4 steps in. We offer SEO services, including detailed competitor analysis.
We understand the challenges, the nuances, and the intricacies. Hand over the reins to us, and we’ll meticulously analyse the competition, uncovering potential avenues of opportunity for you. With our team by your side, you’ll have a clearer path to digital dominance.
Let us handle the complexities, so you can focus on what you do best.
To find out how we can help you with your Website + Marketing, using our unique location marketing platform called Top4 (Top4.online), get in touch today at www.top4marketing.com
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