Your competitors hold a wealth of information that can be harnessed to elevate your SEO strategy. In this guide, we will explore the art of SEO competitor analysis, revealing how to uncover valuable insights that can help you outperform your rivals.
What is an SEO Competitor Analysis?
An SEO competitor analysis is a deep dive into the SEO strategies employed by your competitors. The objective is to identify their strengths and weaknesses, enabling you to position your website for better rankings and enhanced visibility.
Why Should You Perform an SEO Competitor Analysis?
Conducting an SEO competitor analysis offers several advantages:
- Learn from Their Success and Mistakes: Gain insights into what works and what doesn’t in your industry, helping you avoid common pitfalls.
- Exploit Their Weaknesses: Identify areas where your competitors are vulnerable and capitalize on them.
- Emulate Their Strengths: Understand what strategies are driving your competitors’ success and replicate them.
- Prioritize SEO Tasks: Determine which SEO tasks to focus on in your future strategy.
- Evaluate the Competition: Gauge how challenging it is to outperform your competitors in the SEO landscape.
When Should You Perform an SEO Competitor Analysis?
You should consider conducting an SEO competitor analysis under the following circumstances:
- Launching a New Website: Start by understanding your competitive landscape when you’re venturing into a new online space.
- Planning Your SEO Strategy: Use competitor insights to inform your SEO strategy and set realistic goals.
- Losing Rankings: If your website’s rankings have dropped or competitors are consistently outranking you, it’s time to investigate.
How to Execute an Effective SEO Competitor Analysis
Let’s assume you’re running a new infographic design tool and explore a hypothetical SEO competitor analysis process:
1. Identify Your SEO Competitors
Your SEO competitors are websites vying for the same keywords in organic search, which might differ from your direct business competitors. To identify them quickly, follow these steps:
- Use a tool like Ahrefs’ Site Explorer to enter your domain.
- Access the Organic Competitors report to discover websites ranking in the top 10 for the same keywords as your site.
- These are likely your SEO competitors.
For instance, if you are a new infographic design tool, your competitors might include well-known names like Canva, Visme, Venngage, Piktochart, and Adobe. Be mindful of the Domain Rating (DR) of competitors, as high DR sites like Adobe and Canva may have a distinct advantage.
2. Investigate Their Traffic Sources
Understanding where your competitors’ search traffic is directed can offer valuable insights into their strategy. Follow these steps:
- Use Ahrefs’ Site Explorer to enter your competitor’s domain.
- Access the Site Structure report to see how their website is structured.
- Analyze which parts of their website attract the most organic traffic.
For instance, if you discover that Venngage gets a substantial portion of its monthly traffic from its template subfolder, consider creating similar content to tap into this SEO opportunity.
3. Identify Content Gaps
Content gaps represent keywords your competitors rank for, but your website does not. Here’s how to identify content gaps:
- Utilize Ahrefs’ Competitive Analysis tool.
- Enter your domain in the Target section and your competitors’ domains in the Competitors section.
- Access the Content Gap report to identify relevant keywords for your site.
For example, if “infographic examples” is a keyword your competitors rank for, it’s an opportunity for you to target as well.
4. Target Featured Snippets
Featured snippets are prized positions in search results. Identifying featured snippets that your competitors own can help you optimize your content to steal these positions:
- Use Ahrefs’ Competitive Analysis tool.
- Enter your competitor’s domain in the Target section and your domain in the Competitors section.
- Access the Content Gap report, and set the SERP features filter to “Where target ranks” and check “Featured snippet.”
- Look for opportunities to optimize your content and capture featured snippets.
For instance, if Venngage owns the featured snippet for “how to make posters,” optimizing your content to secure this position could be advantageous.
5. Analyze Their International Traffic
Understanding the geographical sources of your competitors’ organic traffic can guide your content localization efforts
- Use Ahrefs’ Site Explorer to enter your competitor’s domain.
- Review the Traffic by Country section to identify regions contributing to their traffic.
For instance, if the bulk of a competitor’s traffic comes from the U.S., consider focusing on English-language content. However, explore opportunities in other countries by translating your content and expanding your reach.
In conclusion, mastering the art of SEO competitor analysis empowers you to refine your SEO strategy effectively. By learning from competitors, exploiting their weaknesses, and emulating their strengths, you can navigate the dynamic SEO landscape with confidence and drive your website towards greater success.