Ever find yourself staring at your screen wondering how your competitor’s website keeps beating yours in the rankings? Same here.
A while ago, I was going nuts trying to understand why Google ignored my written content. All that work, but my competitors were cruising on page one like it was no big deal. It drove me crazy.
But then everything changed. I figured out how to keep tabs on my competition through something called SEO competitor analysis.
It’s kind of like being a detective: instead of hunting for clues to solve crimes, you’re digging up why that frustrating competitor is outshining you. No fancy terms here. Just stuff that works.
Want to play detective online? Let’s jump in!
Why Take the Time to Analyze Competitors in SEO?
Ever watched a cooking show where someone tastes their rival’s dish to figure out their own recipe? That’s the gist here.
By looking at what’s clicking for others in your industry, you can instantly sharpen your own focus. This process allows you to avoid wasting energy on methods that fail, uncover valuable keywords your competitors have already tapped into, find holes in their content that you can address (and rank higher for), and even earn stronger backlinks by identifying and using their link sources.
I once dug into a competitor’s strategy and noticed their how-to guides were performing well. They were tackling questions no one else had thought to explore. In just three months of making similar guides but improving on them, my organic traffic shot up by 40%.
Regular competitor research in SEO isn’t something you do once and call it good. Markets shift, algorithms evolve, and rivals adjust their strategies. Keeping up helps you avoid falling behind.
Breaking Down Competitor Analysis in SEO: A 6-Step Plan That Works
Let’s simplify this into a clear process that won’t overwhelm you.
Step 1: Identify Your True SEO Rivals (Hint: They Might Surprise You)
Your SEO competitors aren’t always the same as your business competitors. You might think that fancy agency downtown is your competition, but Google could be ranking some random blogger higher for your target keywords instead.
Try this: Search your main keywords on Google and see which sites come up. These are your real SEO competitors—the ones you need to beat in rankings.
Let’s say you sell handmade leather wallets. Your business competitors might be other small leather makers. But your SEO competitors could be big retailers, style blogs, or gift guides showing up for “handmade leather wallets.”
One time, I found out my biggest SEO competitor wasn’t even in my field—it was a casual hobby blog that happened to rank for my top keywords! Don’t stop at just the top 3 results; check the whole first page to understand who you’re up against. Tools like SEMrush and Ahrefs can also uncover competitors you might overlook during manual searching, as they identify sites targeting the same keywords as your own, even across unrelated industries.
Step 2: Learn From Their Keyword Tactics (Without Copying)
Doing solid SEO competitor research uncovers keyword opportunities you might not notice otherwise.
Start by collecting the main keywords your competitors rank well for, focusing on immediate opportunities. This includes high-traffic keywords they rank for but you don’t yet, as well as finding low-competition keywords that offer easier wins. Pay close attention to longer-tail phrases that attract specific niche audiences and question-based keywords that can get you valuable featured snippets. When you do competitor analysis for SEO, do not focus only on keywords; think about the user’s purpose behind the search. Are they seeking details, planning to purchase, or weighing choices?
I noticed a competitor ranking with “best email marketing software for nonprofits” once. That keyword had okay traffic and showed strong buying intent. Even though we offered a nonprofit email tool, we never targeted that exact term. After making a targeted page, we started getting quality leads fast.
Tools can cut down the effort needed to research. Popular options like SEMrush’s Keyword Gap tool let you compare five domains side by side, while Ahrefs’ Content Gap feature shows keywords competitors rank for that you don’t. Moz’s Keyword Explorer helps pinpoint keyword difficulty and potential opportunities. If you’re on a small budget, Ubersuggest might not be packed with features, but its free version delivers enough to get you moving.
Step 3: Discover Their Link-Building Tactics
Links drive the SEO engine. To see where competitors gain their link authority, run a backlink competitor analysis.
When analyzing backlinks, compare your total backlink count against theirs, but prioritize the quality of links—are they coming from reliable, authoritative sites in your field? Next, evaluate the variety of their link profile; do links come from many different places like news websites, directories, or specialized blogs? Crucially, determine which specific content pieces are attracting the most links, as this shows you what content is most link-worthy. Pay attention to patterns in the anchor text of their links. Do they use their brand name, exact match keywords, or more casual wording? This can help you plan your own link strategy.
I once spotted a competitor who had tons of backlinks from food blogs. After digging around, I found out they had made a free calculator tool that recipe bloggers couldn’t stop raving about. This gave us the idea to make our own tool, and it got us over 50 good backlinks within the first month. Ahrefs simplifies examining competitor backlinks, as its Site Explorer reveals the exact sources of your rivals’ links, helping you follow their successful strategies.
Step 4: Dive Into Technical SEO Analysis
Never ignore technical SEO when analyzing competitors. Everyone focuses on content and backlinks, but technical details can make or ruin your ranking.
When investigating technical SEO, start by checking their page speed using tools like Google PageSpeed Insights. Next, confirm their mobile performance to see if their websites work well on all devices. You should also review their site structure, noting how many clicks it takes to reach key pages, and analyze whether they are using schema markup (structured data) to create rich snippets. Finally, look up their Core Web Vitals scores, which measure performance on Google’s key user experience metrics.
I remember seeing a competitor with fantastic content but very slow load times. By ensuring our site loaded faster, we gained an edge and moved up in rankings. Tools such as Screaming Frog can scan competitor websites and highlight technical details. Pay attention to recurring patterns in their URL setup, how they link pages, and how they organize content.
Step 5: Study Competitors’ Content Approach (Improve Yours Along the Way)
An on-page SEO competitor review looks at how rivals organize and tailor their content.
When reviewing rival sites, look closely at their on-page elements. Pay attention to title tags (length, keyword placement, and how they capture attention) and meta descriptions (how they draw users to click). Examine the heading hierarchy (H1, H2, H3 tags) and their strategic use of keywords. Assess the depth of content, noting word count and whether it covers topics comprehensively. Observe their use of media—images, videos, and infographics—and whether those assets are optimized. Finally, review their internal linking structure to see how they connect related pages for better user flow.
I noticed that looking at the top five pages ranking for my target keywords helps me spot patterns. In certain niches, long, detailed guides with over 2,000 words tend to rank the highest. In some cases, though, shorter content with straightforward answers does better. For instance, I checked the top results for “how to clean hiking boots” once and saw that all the pages included step-by-step photos. Adding detailed pictures to our guide bumped us up from the third page to the fourth spot.
Step 6: Create an Action Plan from Your Research
Once you’ve gathered insights, immediately create a focused action plan based on what you’ve discovered. Prioritize easy wins—quick fixes that take little effort but bring big results. Then, identify missing topics your competitors failed to explain well, along with high-value keywords to use that have low competition. Also, list any site issues slowing down your performance and new link sources that are linking to your competitors and could potentially link to you.
Using an SEO competitor analysis template keeps all your findings in one place. The point isn’t to copy what your rivals are doing but to outshine them. Spot weaknesses in their approach, and add your unique spin to cover those gaps.
Affordable Tools to Analyze SEO Competitors
Using the right tools makes studying competitors much simpler. You can generally break them down by purpose and cost.
All-in-One SEO Platforms
These platforms provide comprehensive dashboards for competitor analysis. SEMrush ($139.95/month) is fantastic for analyzing keyword gaps and providing detailed traffic and domain data, while also tracking your positions in search. Ahrefs ($129/month) excels at backlink evaluation and monitoring content performance, while also offering a powerful site audit feature. Moz Pro ($99/month) focuses on domain authority, helps with on-page tweaks, monitors search rankings, and assists in link research.
Focused Tools
For more targeted data, tools like SpyFu ($39/month) offer historical records, deep PPC insights, and help with keyword research. SimilarWeb ($149/month) is great for tracking where traffic comes from, breaking down audience details, and measuring engagement statistics. If you’re focused on social performance and content virality, BuzzSumo ($199/month) examines content performance and helps you find key influencers.
Free Options
You don’t need a massive budget to start. Google Search Console provides essential performance metrics, index coverage, and Core Web Vitals reports for your site. Ubersuggest offers simple keyword statistics and site audit insights in its free version. Finally, AnswerThePublic helps you visualize keyword questions and gain instant insight into user search intent. Pick tools that match your budget and exact needs, as often, combining free tools can give you useful insights when you’re just beginning.
Real People, Real Results: Success Stories
Here are a few examples of how actual businesses used SEO competitor analysis to succeed:
Case Study 1: The Software Startup A software company struggled to generate leads despite creating content. After analyzing competitors, they found everyone focused on features while ignoring specific pain points. By tackling these overlooked topics, they saw a 264% increase in leads in just 7 months.
Case Study 2: The Local Bakery A bakery in the neighborhood saw its rivals ranking for local search terms it had missed. After conducting a technical SEO analysis of its competitors, the bakery fixed its site speed problems and added local schema markup. This led to a 214% boost in organic traffic within 4 months and brought in a steady flow of new customers.
Case Study 3: The Solo Blogger A travel blogger put content clustering into action after studying competitor site structures. The outcome? A 1300% jump in organic traffic over 7 months by creating content with more connections than competitors.
Common Roadblocks (And How to Get Past Them)
Even when you follow the right steps, you might run into some obstacles:
Problem 1: Too Many Competitors The sheer volume of rivals can be overwhelming. The solution is to zero in on 3-5 direct rivals who best match your business model and target audience, making the data manageable and relevant.
Problem 2: Tight Budget for Tools Paid tools are powerful but expensive. The solution is to start with free tools like Google Search Console, proving the value of competitor analysis before investing in advanced platforms as you begin to see results.
Problem 3: Rankings Shift Constant changes can cause panic. The solution is to create a regular timetable (monthly or quarterly) for analysis instead of reacting instantly to every minor ranking fluctuation.
Problem 4: Too Much Information Data overload leads to inaction. The solution is to rank your actions based on potential impact versus the resources needed, kicking off with quick wins to gain momentum and demonstrate success.
To Sum Up: Your Chance to Play Detective
SEO competitor analysis isn’t about copying what others do—it’s about learning from their wins and fails to create something better. By studying their keywords, content, backlinks, and technical setup, you’ll spot chances they’ve overlooked.
Keep in mind, this isn’t a one-off task. The best SEO strategies involve constant competitor tracking and tweaking. Markets shift, algorithms change, and rivals update their methods.
Kick off with the steps outlined here, use the template we’ve provided, and start collecting data today. Your competitors have ranked above you for too long—now’s the time to use their own tactics to climb above them.
What’s the single most surprising thing you’ve learned from analyzing a competitor?