When it comes to competing for search engine real estate, the battlefield is fierce. Search engine optimization (SEO) is no longer just about optimizing your content; it’s about outperforming your competitors. With the top three search results garnering more than 2/3 of the clicks and the top result receiving more clicks than the 3rd-10th combined, the stakes are high.
In such a competitive landscape, conducting an SEO competitor analysis becomes crucial. This practice involves evaluating the content and websites of your industry counterparts to uncover areas where you can outshine them and capitalize on their weaknesses.
Understanding SEO Competitor Analysis
SEO competitor analysis entails assessing the content and websites of other companies in your industry to identify opportunities to tailor your content better for specific search queries. By pinpointing gaps in your competitors’ content strategy, you can create a stronger strategy for your own content.
How to Conduct an SEO Competitor Analysis
Performing a comprehensive competitor analysis involves several key steps:
Step 1: Identify Competitors
In addition to your direct competitors, consider your indirect, SERP, and keyword competitors to get a holistic view of who you’re up against in the search rankings.
Step 2: Run a Keyword Gap Analysis
Identify keywords your competitors are ranking for but you aren’t, and vice versa. These keyword gaps present opportunities for you to capture more rankings and traffic.
Step 3: Identify Your Niche
Define your brand’s unique value proposition and specialization to differentiate yourself from competitors in the search landscape.
Step 4: Analyze the SERP for User Intent
Understand the user intent behind your target keywords to ensure your content aligns with what users are searching for.
Step 5: Evaluate Competing Content
Assess your competitors’ content quality, format, keyword optimization, and identify gaps and opportunities for your own content strategy.
Step 6: Analyze Competitors’ Backlinks
Examine your competitors’ backlink profiles to understand their link-building strategies and identify opportunities to earn valuable backlinks for your site.
Step 7: Analyze Competitors’ Site Experience
Evaluate your competitors’ website user experience, speed, responsiveness, and technical SEO aspects to improve your own site’s performance.
Moving From Audit to Action
After completing the competitor audit, you’ll have valuable insights into target keywords, content performance, search intent matching, ranking opportunities, and site experience improvements. Armed with this information, you can develop a strategic content plan to dominate the SERPs.
If you need help with your SEO strategy, including competitor analysis and site audits, TopRank Marketing is here to assist. Request a free SEO scorecard today to see how we can elevate your search visibility.
About the author
Joshua Nite is dedicated to bringing humanity, empathy, and humor to content marketing. His two ironclad rules: Never settle for commodity content, and never write anything you wouldn’t want to read. Great writing takes heart, soul, guts and rhythm. Josh is also the once and future Pundamonium Pun Slam champion, a stand-up comedian and storyteller, and is getting pretty good at electric guitar. His only weakness: Extreme self-consciousness when writing about himself in the third person.