SEO Competitor Analysis

Identifying Competitors

1. Identifying Competitors

  • Manual Search: Enter target keywords in Google and analyze top-ranking websites.

  • SEO Tools: Use Ahrefs, SEMrush, or Moz to discover competitors based on keyword overlap and backlink profiles.

  • Filter Criteria: Focus on sites with similar domain authority (DA) and content depth.

2. Keyword Gap Analysis

  • Competitor Keywords: Export their ranking keywords using tools (e.g., Ahrefs’ “Top Pages” report).

  • Opportunities:

    • Target low-competition, high-volume keywords they rank for but you don’t.

    • Identify long-tail variations with decent traffic.

  • Metrics to Compare:

    • Search volume

    • Keyword Difficulty (KD)

    • Click-through rate (CTR) trends

3. Website Structure Audit

  • Navigation & UX:

    • Logical hierarchy (e.g., Home > Category > Subcategory).

    • Breadcrumb menus and internal linking efficiency.

  • UI/Design:

    • Mobile responsiveness (test via Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test).

    • Clear CTAs and readability (font size, spacing).

4. Content Analysis

  • Niche Coverage:

    • Do they address subtopics you’ve missed?

    • Check for “Content Hubs” (pillar pages + cluster content).

  • Content Quality:

    • Depth (word count, multimedia use).

    • Freshness (update frequency; use Wayback Machine for historical checks).

  • TDKH Optimization:

    • Analyze their title tags, meta descriptions, headers (H1-H3), and keyword placement.

  • Multilingual/Interactive Elements:

    • Forum integrations, multilingual toggle, or user-generated content (e.g., reviews).

5. Backlink Profile Comparison

  • Total Backlinks vs. Referring Domains:

    • Prioritize diversity (100 links from 10 domains < 50 links from 30 domains).

  • Authority of Linking Domains:

    • Filter by Domain Rating (DR) in Ahrefs.

  • Anchor Text Distribution:

    • Natural vs. over-optimized (e.g., exact-match anchors like “best SEO tools”).

6. Traffic Sources

  • Top Pages: Identify which pages drive the most organic traffic.

  • Channels: Compare organic vs. social vs. referral traffic (via Google Analytics or SimilarWeb).

  • Geographic Data: See if they dominate specific countries (useful for localization).

7. Meta Tag & SERP Strategy

  • Title/Description: Note emotional triggers (e.g., “Free,” “Step-by-Step”).

  • Rich Snippets: Check for FAQ schemas, star ratings, or breadcrumb markup.

8. Technical SEO Audit

  • Core Web Vitals: LCP, FID, CLS scores (use Google Search Console).

  • Indexability:

    • site:competitor.com to count indexed pages.

    • Check for thin/noindexed pages.

  • Page Speed: Test via PageSpeed Insights (focus on mobile).

9. Paid Traffic Insights

  • SEMrush Advertising Research:

    • Identify paid keywords and ad copy strategies.

  • Landing Page Analysis:

    • Study their high-converting PPC pages (layout, offers, CTAs).