Your SEO competitors are a treasure chest of information.
Knowing what they’re up to can make a huge difference in your SEO strategy and search engine rankings.
This is where competitor analysis SEO comes in.
With it, you can identify keyword gaps, analyze competitor backlink profiles, and see what type of content they’re creating. This way, you can learn what works and what doesn’t, which can help you improve your SEO efforts and stay ahead.
But how do you gauge your competitors’ SEO efforts?
In this guide, I’ll explain the key metrics you must track for competitor analysis SEO and how to use them to your advantage.
What is competitor analysis SEO, and why is it conducted?
Before I dive into the details of the key metrics, you might wonder what competitor analysis SEO is and why it’s so crucial.
This process involves checking out your competitors’ websites to see what they’re doing for SEO. This analysis is vital when you launch a new website, plan your SEO strategy, or want to get ahead of the competition.
Besides it being a vital part of your content strategy, here’s why competitor analysis SEO matters. This process helps you:
- Find new keyword opportunities and content ideas
- Compare your SEO performance with your closest competitors
- Learn from your competitor’s wins and mistakes to refine your SEO strategy
- Keep up with new SEO tactics and trends to stay ahead
Key metrics to track in competitor analysis SEO
Every report card has grades for different subjects, showing how well a student is doing. Similarly, each of the following metrics provides a score for different parts of your competitors’ SEO efforts.
Let’s dive in!
1. Organic traffic
Organic traffic measures the number of visitors arriving at your competitor’s site through search engines without using paid ads. It shows how effectively their content strategy and SEO efforts are attracting potential customers.
A recent study established that, at 17%, organic search is the second leading source of site traffic.
High organic traffic indicates that the site has quality content and effective SEO strategies. It can also mean higher search engine rankings and better engagement with your target audience.
Consider using SEO competitor analysis tools, like Semrush and Similarweb. These help you see which keywords and content bring the most visitors to your competitors’ sites. You can then replicate these strategies on your site.
In my case, I used Semrush to analyze organic traffic to the worldwildlife.org website. This graph displays its monthly visitors and whether traffic has been going up, down, or staying steady over different periods.
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2. Keyword rankings
Keyword rankings show where your competitor’s site stands for the target keywords you are aiming to rank for in search engine results pages (SERPs). Higher keyword rankings mean the site appears at the top and the first page of search results, driving more relevant traffic.
Using Ahref’s Keyword Rank Checker Tool, I analyzed the keyword “competitor analysis” and Ahref’s position for this keyword. The results show that Ahrefs ranks number 39 for this keyword.
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Other tools like Google Search Console, Semrush, and Ranktracker can also help identify your keyword ranking results.
Tracking these rankings helps you identify which keywords are driving traffic to your competitors’ sites. This information can provide valuable insights into their keyword strategies. It can also help you target these high-value keywords in your content.
3. Backlink profiles
A competitor backlink analysis reveals the quantity and quality of links pointing to their site. High-quality links from trusted websites helps improve your site’s credibility and rank higher in search results.
You can use tools like Backlinko, BuzzSumo, Seobility, Ahrefs, and Google Search Console to analyze your competitors’ backlink profiles.
For example, Ahref’s Free Backlink Checker shows you the competitor site’s domain rating, number of backlinks, and linking websites. It also shows you the percentage of do-follow links.
In the image below, I checked the backlink profile of Forbes.com. You can see that the site’s domain rating is 94, with 52 million backlinks, 88% of which is do-follow.
Based on The State of Backlinks for SEO in 2024, 67.5% of SEO experts believe that backlinks significantly impact search engine rankings. 85% think link building greatly boosts brand authority.
In competitor analysis SEO, analyzing competitor backlinks:
- Helps you identify link opportunities and understand their backlink strategies
- Help you understand the types of content and outreach campaigns that attract quality backlinks
- Guide your link-building strategy to improve your SEO performance
4. Domain authority
Domain authority (DA) is an indicator of how well a website will rank on search engines. It ranges from 0 to 100, with 0 being the lowest chance of ranking and 100 being the highest.
A higher domain authority indicates that your competitor’s website attracts higher organic traffic. It also shows that the website ranks well in search engines. Let’s go back to the worldwildlife.org website analysis. The DA, referred to as the “Authority Score” here is 77 and is described as “excellent and niche-relevant.”
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In competitor analysis SEO, comparing your domain authority with your competitors’ helps know where you stand. Use this information to:
- Enhance your backlink profile
- Optimize your content strategy
- Focus on high-quality backlinks.
5. Keyword gap analysis
Did you know that nearly 97% of web pages get no traffic from Google?
And you guessed it right, it has a lot to do with keywords!
With a keyword gap analysis, you can identify the keywords that your competitors are ranking for, and you aren’t. Use a tool like Ahrefs or Semrush to find keyword gaps and opportunities that you can target to improve your SEO efforts.
You can then tweak your content strategy according to the keywords you identify so you can drive more organic traffic to your site. Filling these gaps can improve your keyword rankings and overall SEO performance.
I used Semrush to compare WooCommerce and BigCommerce in a keyword gap analysis. The large blue circle shows the keywords BigCommerce ranks for, while the smaller green circle shows WooCommerce’s keywords. This highlights the significant number of keywords WooCommerce is missing in its strategy.
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Further down, you can see each site’s keywords’ details, including the missing, weak, or those they haven’t tapped into yet.
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6. Content gap analysis
This entails comparing your content with that of your successful competitors to find underperforming content, missing topics, and content ideas.
Analyzing the content gap can help you understand your competitors’ content types. This will show you areas where you can add value or improve.
You can then refine your content strategy by creating superior content that meets your audience’s needs — most importantly, quality content that outranks your competitors. Filling these content gaps can attract more visitors and improve your search engine rankings.
This approach matches your content marketing strategies with user search intent and competitive analysis strategy.
While various tools exist for running a content gap analysis, I used SpyFu’s RivalFlow AI to run the analysis for animaldiversity.org. The report is thorough, showing all the content the website can improve upon based on various keywords.
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7. User experience (UX)
UX measures how enjoyable and easy to navigate a website is for visitors. A positive user experience keeps visitors on the site longer and reduces the bounce rate. You can get a better UX/UI for your website by hiring a UX designer to ensure your site is highly accessible.
Comparing the UX of your site with that of your competitors helps identify areas for improvement, particularly in areas that affect UX significantly. Such factors include responsive design, navigation, page speed, accessibility, and mobile device compatibility.
Improving these elements enhances visitor satisfaction and can lead to better search engine rankings. For example, you can leverage multilingual SEO services if you want to reach users from various countries.
8. Search engine rankings
Search engine rankings decide how high up a website shows in search results when people look for something online.
How well does your competitor’s site perform in the SERPs for specific search terms?
With competitor analysis SEO, you can see how your search engine rankings compare to those of your closest competitors. Higher search rankings usually mean more visibility and potential traffic.
Studying these rankings will help you identify successful SEO strategies and apply similar tactics to improve your website. You’ll also be able to regularly track any changes to your position relative to your SEO competitors.
Here’s an example of a search engine ranking report that I got using The Hoth’s Google Rank Checker for the National Geographic website. The site ranks first for certain search terms.
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9. Featured snippets
Featured snippets, or “Position #0,” are visible at the top of search engine results. They provide quick information to users and can significantly increase relevant traffic to a website.
Here’s an example:
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Featured snippets receive 35.1% of all clicks, so securing them can position a site as an authority in its field.
Analyzing which competitors have featured snippets and understanding how they achieve them can help you optimize your content for this valuable position. This part of competitor analysis SEO is vital for getting noticed and driving traffic by using rich snippets and schema markup.
Once you identify your competitors, you can use the Semrush Position Tracking Tool to find out if they’ve appeared in the featured snippets. I analyzed HubSpot for the keywords ‘content marketing’, and the results show that the website hasn’t been featured in the snippets for this keyword.
Screenshot provided by author
Screenshot provided by author
10. Social media presence
79% of marketers believe an active social media community is essential to their overall strategy.
Social media presence measures how active and popular a site is on social media platforms. When a brand is present on social media, it can drive traffic, engagement, and brand awareness.
That’s why analyzing your competitors’ social media strategies can provide practical ways to boost your social signals among the 5.17 billion active social media users.
With this insight, you can improve your online presence and complement your SEO efforts. You can use an SEO checker like Sprout Social, BuzzSumo, and others to run a social competitive analysis.
Also, with Instagram being the most favorite social media platform, it’s essential to focus on Instagram SEO to ensure users easily find your content.
That said, I used RivalIQ to analyze the social presence of various major restaurant chains. Here are the reports.
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Here’s one of the more detailed reports that includes cross-channel posts.
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FAQ
Q1. What is competitor analysis in an SEO strategy?
A. Competitor analysis SEO is when you check out what your competitors are doing, particularly their SEO strategies. You look at their keyword rankings, backlink profiles, and types of content to find gaps in their strategies and use these to improve yours.
Q2. What are the different types of competitors to consider when conducting an SEO analysis?
A. The types of competitors to consider include:
- Direct business competitors – Websites similar to yours
- Indirect competitors – Websites that aren’t similar to yours but still compete for your target audience
- Content competitors – Websites that rank for the same keywords
- Market leaders – Dominant players in your niche
Q3. How do I check my competitors’ SEO?
A. You can use SEO tools like Ahrefs, Semrush, or Moz to see your competitors’ search engine rankings, organic traffic, and backlink profiles.
Q4. What’s the best SEO tool for checking out your competitors’ websites?
A. SpyFu, Ahrefs, BuzzSumo, Moz, and Semrush are some of the best SEO competitor analysis tools. They provide valuable insights into your competitors’ keyword rankings, organic search, and backlink profiles.
Q5. What are the 5 steps for competitor analysis SEO?
A. The key steps for competitor analysis SEO are:
- Identify and make a list of competitors.
- Look at their target keywords and keyword rankings.
- Use tools to see their backlink profiles and find link opportunities.
- See what types of content they publish and find content gaps.
- Monitor and analyze their social media presence.
Final thoughts
SEO competitor analysis isn’t just about keeping up with your competitors. It’s about getting ahead of them.
Understanding their strategies can help you find new opportunities to improve your site and outperform them. Whether it’s keyword gaps, backlink profiles, or user experience, every insight brings you closer to success. If you want to improve your SEO, contact us for relevant content that can help you outrank your key competitors.
