by Tega AkuruliAnalyzing Competitor Strategies for SEO Improvement
In the fast-paced digital marketing environment, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) remains one of the greatest generators of organic traffic and brand visibility. However, achieving top search engine rankings on sites like Google is highly competitive. One of the greatest things you can do to strengthen your SEO strategy is look at your competitors’. Competitor analysis reveals what is working for others in your industry and how you can replicate and enhance it. Here, we are going to demystify step-by-step competitor SEO strategy analysis for measurable improvement in this article.
1. Identify Your Top Competitors
You need to identify your top SEO competitors prior to analyzing them. They are not your business competitors necessarily but rather the websites showing up on the first page of Google for your target keywords.
Tools to Use:
- Google Search – Manually search your keywords and take note of the top-ranking domains.
- SEMrush / Ahrefs / Ubersuggest – Enter your domain and choose the “Competitors” tab.
- Moz Keyword Explorer – Discover keyword overlap and SERP competitors.
Tip: Prioritize competitors that consistently rank for multiple keywords within your niche.
2. Do Keyword Gap Analysis
A keyword gap analysis shows you which keywords your competitors are ranking for and you’re not. This shows you content opportunities and lost traffic potential.
Steps:
- Make a list of ranking keywords on your website.
- Compare them to those of your competitors’ keyword lists.
- Find “content gaps” where you lack coverage.
Tools:
- Ahrefs’ Content Gap Tool
- SEMrush Keyword Gap Tool
- Google Keyword Planner (indirectly)
Action: Create content around missing high-volume or intent-driven keywords.
3. Competitor On-Page SEO Audit
Look at how competitors structure their content and optimize for SEO on certain pages. Look particularly at their use of keywords, headings, and formatting.
Key Elements to Review:
- Title Tags and Meta Descriptions
- URL structure
- Header Tags (H1, H2, etc.)
- Keyword placement and frequency
- Internal linking
- Use of images, videos, infographics
How:
- Crawl their pages using Screaming Frog.
- If WordPress, use Yoast SEO plugin to compare.
Action: Apply the best practices you learn to your own content structure and metadata.
4. Learn Competitor Content Strategy
Highly ranking competitors have a content strategy that adheres to user intent and defines topical authority. See what type of content they create and how they interact with their readers.
Look for:
- Blog frequency and length
- Topic clusters and content hubs
- Use of FAQs and How-to articles
- Engagement (comments, shares, backlinks)
Tools:
- BuzzSumo for popular content
- Ahrefs Content Explorer
Action: Develop a content calendar based on similar or enhanced themes, enhanced visual appeal, and more comprehensive coverage.
5. Test Technical SEO Factors
Technical SEO directly affects crawlability, user experience, and ranking. Check what your competitors are doing to keep your site technically healthy.
Key Areas:
- Mobile responsiveness
- Page speed
- HTTPS security
- Structured data / schema markup
- Canonical tags and XML sitemaps
Tools:
- Google PageSpeed Insights
- GTmetrix
- Google Mobile-Friendly Test
- Ahrefs Site Audit
Action: Make sure your site is at least on par with the technical standards of leading competitors.
6. Analyze Backlink Profiles
Backlinks are still one of the strongest ranking signals. Comparing your competitors’ backlink profiles identifies opportunities for your own link-building activity.
What to Look For:
- Number of referring domains
- Authority and quality of backlinks
- Anchor text distribution
- Sources of backlinks (blogs, directories, forums, etc.)
Tools:
- Ahrefs Site Explorer
- SEMrush Backlink Analytics
- Moz Link Explorer
Action:
- Identify high-authority websites linking to your competition and present them with your content.
- Replicate or upgrade linkable assets (e.g., infographics, case studies).
7. Monitor Their User Experience (UX) and Engagement
Google’s algorithm is increasingly biased towards websites that offer excellent user engagement and experience.
What to Look At:
- Site structure and navigation
- CTAs and conversion paths
- Interactive elements (chatbots, quizzes)
- Dwell time and bounce rate (via SimilarWeb/SEMrush)
Action: Make your UX better or on par with the competition faster loading, smarter menus, and content that retains the user longer.
8. Track Competitor SEO Performance Over Time
SEO is in flux. Competitors’ strategies shift. You can stay ahead by monitoring shifts in their performance and revising your plan accordingly.
Tools:
- Ahrefs/SEMrush Position Tracking
- Google Alerts (mentions of your brand or keywords)
- SEOquake Browser Extension (on-page changes)
Action: Regularly update your competitor analysis and adapt your strategies accordingly in response to market changes.
9. Benchmark and Set Realistic Goals
Use the information gathered to set fact-based SEO objectives for your site.
Example Benchmarks:
- Drive domain rating to that of top 3 competitors
- Rank in top 10 for 20% of competitor keywords within 3 months
- Get 20 new backlinks from competitor link sources within 6 months
Action: Create a dashboard (using Google Looker Studio or Excel) to track your progress and adjust your strategy every month.
Competitor research isn’t copying it’s about understanding and creativity from what works. When implemented strategically, it gives you a powerful map to enhance your content, technical setup, and link-building to beat your competition. Whether you’re an SEO beginner or a seasoned marketer, regular competitor audits are key to maintaining your competitive edge in organic search visibility.