How to Use Competitor Analysis to Improve Your Website's SEO
Competitor analysis can transform a struggling SEO strategy into one that consistently ranks higher and attracts more organic traffic. This guide breaks down proven methods to identify what works for competitors and apply those insights to improve search visibility. Industry experts share tactical approaches to close ranking gaps, earn quality backlinks, and build content that matches what users actually search for.
Outrank Rivals With Long Tail Clusters
One of the most eye-opening competitor insights came while researching a rival Web3 analytics platform. We noticed they weren't just targeting obvious high-volume keywords—they were ranking for extremely niche, long-tail queries like "how to track DeFi wallet activity." These pages weren't pretty, but they were consistently pulling in qualified traffic.
That flipped a switch for us. We dug into their content structure and realized their internal links were doing all the heavy lifting. They had built tightly themed clusters around very specific pain points, and Google rewarded that depth. We applied the same strategy to our own site: we mapped out underserved queries, built out focused content hubs, and layered in smart internal links. Within two months, we outranked them on several high-intent pages, and demo signups doubled. The takeaway? Sometimes your competitors are handing you a blueprint, you just have to pay attention.
Earn Links With Research And Refreshes
We reviewed backlink profiles of similar resources and noticed that research based articles earned more organic mentions. Instead of focusing on direct link building, we invested time in creating content that people could trust and reference. One example was a data backed comparison of learning trends that included simple visuals for clarity. This helped readers understand the insights quickly and encouraged natural sharing.
We also observed that competitors gained links by refreshing older evergreen topics rather than publishing only new pieces. We adopted the same method and updated content that still had search value. This improved relevance and kept the information useful for readers. Over time, backlinks grew naturally and domain visibility improved because the content stayed helpful.
Set Review Pace To Win
We work with law firms across the US, helping them collect Google reviews to increase their local SEO reach. We used AI to build a Google Chrome extension for our users. With that Chrome extension we can show each law firm exactly how many reviews each of their competitors are collecting in the last few months. Because review recency is such a huge SEO signal for Google maps our users can see how many reviews they need to collect each month to beat their competitors. It has proved very effective.
Outmaneuver Competitors With Gap Analysis
I commonly treat my website's SEO as a chess match, with a deep focus on winning to secure a strong position in the industry. And this became a true possibility by using the most essential tool, like Ahrefs, which helps me analyse competitors' pages and identify what they are missing in their business strategy. To improve the website's SEO and achieve a remarkable ranking in Google search, it's extremely important to understand competitors' next steps and analyse what I can add to my page to enhance the brand's value and incorporate unique ideas into my business. This insight helps me to gain knowledge on how to level up my strategy against the high-ranking competitors and how to balance it with my profitable business.
Align Content To True Search Intent
When Google rolled out that major core update and many sites saw visibility drops, I realized the key was not to react impulsively but to analyze *why* those changes happened. The update centered around user intent and rewarding truly helpful content, so I shifted my focus to depth, context, and user satisfaction. I ran comprehensive content audits, identified thin pages, and restructured internal links to build topic clusters that made sense both to users and Google. Within a few months, those same sites regained traction — and many ranked higher than before.
The most effective tactic I used was aligning every piece of content with the *true search intent* behind each keyword. For instance, one client in the supplement space was optimizing for "best vitamins," but the searchers weren't ready to buy — they were researching. I transformed those posts into comparison-style guides that answered real questions before offering product recommendations. That single shift doubled their organic traffic and boosted conversions. My takeaway: Google's algorithms evolve, but if your content genuinely solves the searcher's problem, you're always future-proofing your SEO strategy.
Lead With Clarity To Lift Rankings
One time competitor analysis really helped us was when our site wasn't moving up in search, even though we felt our content was great. Instead of guessing what Google wanted, we decided to look at who was ranking above us and asked, "What are they doing that we're not?"
What stood out from this analysis was that their pages were just clearer. They answered questions right away, used simple headings, and explained things in great detail. Meanwhile, our pages were longer and more detailed, but they buried the main point halfway down.
So we made a simple change. We rewrote our key pages to lead with direct answers, tightened up headings, and removed content that didn't help the user make a decision. We didn't add more pages; we just made the important ones easier to understand.
Within a few weeks, some of those pages moved higher on SERPs, and more people stayed on our site instead of bouncing.
Competitor analysis isn't about copying. It's about spotting where users are being served better, and then fixing your own blind spots.
Match Expectations With Depth And Flow
I once used competitor analysis when I noticed our website traffic had stopped growing. The rankings were stable, but leads were slow. I decided to look closely at what similar businesses were doing better than we were.
I started by searching for the keywords we wanted to rank for. I opened the top results and studied their pages. I did not look at the tools first. I looked at the content itself. I noticed that many competitors were answering questions we had skipped. They explained things more simply. They also had clearer headings and better page flow.
One big insight was how detailed their pages were. Our content was good, but it was short. Competitors covered the same topic in more depth. They added examples, short explanations, and helpful sections. So I went back and expanded our pages. I filled the gaps without adding any clutter. I focused on clarity and real value.
Another thing I noticed was internal linking. Competitors were guiding readers to related pages. Our site had useful content, but it was not well-connected. I fixed that. I added links where they made sense. This helped users stay longer on the site.
I also paid attention to titles and meta descriptions. Competitors used clear and direct language. No buzzwords. I rewrote ours to match that tone. The click rate improved after that.
After these changes, traffic started to grow again. More importantly, the right visitors started coming in. Leads became more qualified. Conversations felt easier.
The biggest lesson for me was simple. Competitor analysis is not about copying. It is about understanding what users expect. SEO improves naturally when you meet those expectations better.
Show Proof With Industry Teardowns And Cases
One example of how we used competitor analysis to improve our own SEO came out of our internal learning sessions, which we usually block on Fridays.
Those Fridays aren't for one fixed activity. They're reserved for learning and sharpening strategy. In several of those sessions, we decided to run deep competitor analysis exercises. Each teammate picked one competitor, and the goal wasn't to copy tactics but to understand why they were ranking.
We analyzed the kind of content they were producing, the keywords they were targeting, how their landing pages were structured, how their homepage positioned their services, and how everything tied together. Patterns started to emerge. The competitors that consistently ranked well weren't just blogging. They were building focused landing pages, niche-specific content, and proof-driven assets.
One key insight we gained was the lack of detailed marketing teardowns and real case studies in our own content. Competitors were winning attention by showing expertise in action, not just talking about it. That led us to double down on SaaS marketing teardowns and detailed case studies that clearly demonstrated outcomes and thinking.
We applied those insights directly by targeting similar high-intent keywords and building content formats we knew the SERPs were rewarding. Those learning sessions turned competitor analysis into execution.
Target Niches And Decision Questions Clearly
I used competitor analysis most when I repositioned my own site from "general marketing" to "fractional CMO" work.
I pulled the top 5 ranking competitors for "fractional CMO" style terms and looked at three things: which pages drove most of their organic traffic, what the search intent was for those pages (information vs "hire someone now"), and the exact language they used in titles and H1s.
The big insight was that most of the organic traffic went to very specific, problem-led pages such as "fractional CMO for B2B SaaS" or "outsourced CMO pricing", not to broad "services" pages. I also saw they had deep informational content around key decision questions: "what does a fractional CMO do", "when to hire one", and "fractional CMO vs agency". My site barely touched those topics.
I applied this in three ways. First, I split my single services page into several focused landing pages by niche and outcome, like "fractional CMO for professional services firms", so each page matched a clear intent. Second, I created articles that answered the same decision questions I saw driving their traffic, but from my point of view and experience. Third, I simplified my titles and H1s to mirror the clarity they used: plain language, clear benefit, and who it's for in the headline.
The result was better rankings for those niche terms, more qualified visitors, and more enquiries from people who already understood the fractional CMO model before we even spoke.
Separate Credibility Gaps From Relevance Issues
A good example comes from situations where a competitor domain was consistently ranking ahead of us for priority keywords.
The first step was understanding why they were winning. We ran a detailed competitor analysis looking at domain authority, page authority, referring domains, and overall backlink quality, alongside a full on page comparison. This helped us separate what was an authority gap versus what was a content or execution gap.
In several cases, we found that while competitors had stronger backlink profiles, they were also doing a better job answering the query more clearly. Their pages aligned closely with search intent, used cleaner structures, and covered supporting subtopics that our content either missed or addressed too lightly.
Based on this, we adjusted our strategy on two levels. From an authority standpoint, we focused on closing the referring domain gap by prioritizing link opportunities from sources already linking to competitors. From an on page perspective, we restructured content to address intent more directly, improved internal linking, added missing sections, and simplified how answers were presented.
What this approach made clear is that competitor analysis is not just about copying metrics. It is about understanding whether you are losing due to authority, relevance, or clarity and then updating the strategy accordingly. When we aligned content improvements with realistic authority building, we saw steady gains in rankings and more competitive positioning against those domains.
Build Tools And Product‑Led Solution Pages
Competitor analysis revealed that several competitors were gaining visibility not just through blogs, but through tools, calculators, and solution-focused pages that addressed specific user problems. Many of these pages were ranking for high-intent queries and also appearing in AI-generated answers.
Applying this insight, the strategy shifted toward building product-led pages, interactive tools, and clearer solution content instead of publishing only informational articles. This closed the gap quickly, organic visibility improved, engagement increased, and the site began ranking for more conversion-driven keywords while also gaining visibility in AI and LLM search results.
Deploy City Sections And Regional Anchors
Every six months I run a three-level SWOT review of competitors that covers site metrics, client base, and positioning. In the most recent review, I noticed a competitor gaining traction with city-specific landing pages. We acted by building city pages of our own and prioritizing local backlinks with targeted anchor text to strengthen local search relevance.
Surface Core Nodes To Boost Crawlability
The most useful competitor insight came from studying internal structure rather than keywords. At Local SEO Boost, a review of top ranking local competitors showed that their service pages were not longer or more detailed. They were easier for search engines to reach. Their strongest pages sat one click from the homepage, while ours lived three layers deep behind blog content and category hubs. That difference showed up clearly in crawl frequency and index freshness.
Reworking the navigation and internal links changed results faster than new content ever had. Core service pages moved into the main menu and gained direct links from supporting articles instead of the other way around. Within about four weeks, impressions rose without any copy changes and average position improved by roughly two spots across several local terms. Local SEO Boost learned that competitor analysis works best when it focuses on how authority flows through a site. Structure often explains rankings more accurately than word count or backlinks.
Answer First And Update With Discipline
One example that stands out came from analyzing why a competitor with less content was consistently outranking us on high intent pages. At first glance, their site looked thinner. Fewer pages. Shorter copy. What they did better was resolve intent faster.
We broke down their top performing pages side by side with ours. The insight was not about keywords. It was about structure and commitment. Their pages answered one clear question immediately. Ours tried to cover multiple angles before getting to the point. We were thorough. They were decisive.
The competitor led with a direct answer in the first few lines, then supported it with evidence below. We buried the answer under context, caveats, and positioning. That delay mattered. Search results rewarded the page that reduced uncertainty fastest.
We applied this insight by rewriting a small set of core pages rather than touching everything. We clarified the primary query for each page and forced ourselves to answer it plainly at the top. Supporting detail stayed, but it followed the answer instead of competing with it. We also simplified internal linking so each page had a clear role instead of overlapping responsibilities.
Another insight came from their update behavior. They refreshed pages quietly and frequently. Not redesigns. Small adjustments based on new information. Our updates were infrequent and heavy. We shifted to lighter, more regular revisions tied to real changes in the market. That cadence helped.
The impact was measurable. Rankings stabilized first, then improved. More importantly, engagement improved. Bounce rates dropped. Time to first interaction shortened. The pages felt calmer because they were clearer.
What this taught me is that competitor analysis works when it focuses on behavior, not imitation. We did not copy their content. We copied their discipline around intent. SEO gains followed because we aligned more closely with how people actually look for answers.
The lesson I carry forward is simple. When a competitor wins consistently, it is usually because they made fewer promises and kept them faster. Studying that restraint changed how we approach every page since.
Match Local Needs With Focused Service Hubs
I have built over 400 landing pages across more than 80 niches and I also run a YouTube channel with over 12,000 subscribers focused on landing pages and website content, so I am constantly analyzing competitors to improve my own site.
A great example is how we ranked our ThrillX website for the keyword "Web Design Milton" in Ontario, Canada. We show up position #2. When I first looked at the search results, the pages that were ranking above us were not doing anything fancy. They were simply matching search intent better than we were.
I went through every competitor on the first page and mapped out exactly what they were doing. I noticed that the top results all had very clear service focused pages with the city name in their core headings, strong location specific copy, and internal links from blog posts and service pages pointing back to that Milton web design page.
At the time, our page was written more like a brand page than a local service page. It talked a lot about ThrillX, but not enough about Milton or the specific problems local businesses were searching for.
So I rewrote the page to mirror how real people search. I updated the H1 and H2 headings to include phrases like web design Milton and website design services in Milton. I added location specific sections that talked about the types of businesses we serve in that area. I also built internal links from related blog posts and other service pages using consistent anchor text that matched the keyword.
Within a few months, we moved into the number two spot in Google for web design Milton across Ontario, and the page started driving a steady stream of qualified leads.
The biggest insight for me was that competitor analysis is not about copying what others are doing. It is about understanding why Google is rewarding certain pages and then building something that serves the user's intent more clearly than anything else on the page.
Fill Low Volume Gaps With Micro Articles
At WP SEO AI we programmed an own but simple competitor comparison feature. The basis is keyword ranking data from a sophisticated SEO data provider. With it, we can get all keyword ranking data from our domain and our competitors. We have several colums showing [Keyword | Competition | Search Volume | wpseoai.com | competitor-domain.com]. All columns are eligable for filtering. One of the best and most effective filtering is, when we apply three filters: low competition, very low search colume and hightest ranks in column 'competitor-domain.com'. With it, we can answer the question: "For which long-tail keywords with low competition does our competitor rank and we don't yet?" And because this feature is built in directly into our SEO plugin inside WordPress, we immediately can go from analysis to action. After we identified all the keywords, we need to fill ranking gaps, we select them and start producing micro-content focussing on fullfilling the search intent of these long-tail keywords. With it, we continuously close more and more ranking gaps in regards to our competitors.
Replicate Valuable Backlinks For Quick Wins
One of the easiest SEO tactics to use, when analyzing competitors, is conducting backlink audits.
Using both paid and free tools, it is relatively easy to identify the current backlinks pointing to a given domain, then review them to determine if there are valuable backlinks listed that you can now go create for your own website.
So, as an SEO agency, you can imagine how difficult it is to rank on page one, because SEO-related keywords would have to be one of the most challenging niches to rank for. When we conducted a competitor backlink analysis, we identified over two dozen potential backlinks from our top three competitors. We use Search Console, SE Ranking, Backlink Watch, Neil Patel's Backlink Tool and Small SEO Tools to run this analysis.
Based on our testing, even no-follow sites can have a positive effect by simply driving traffic directly to the site, so don't underestimate a no-follow site like Reddit, as you can still get some benefit by posting links there.
This technique can be implemented relatively quickly and can produce instant and actionable results.
Mirror What Works And Execute Better
Real-World Example: Using Competitor Analysis to Improve SEO:
I worked on a B2B service website (digital agency / software services niche) that had good design and decent content but was stuck on page 2-3 for high-intent keywords. Surprisingly, competitors with weaker brands were ranking higher.
1. Identifying the Right Competitors:
Instead of analyzing big brands, I focused on 3 competitors ranking in the top 5 for our main service keywords with similar domain age and authority. Studying beatable competitors always delivers more practical insights.
2. Keyword Intent Mapping:
I noticed competitors were ranking for commercial and informational keywords on the same page, such as service terms, process explanations, and pricing-related queries.
Insight: Google preferred multi-intent pages, not single-keyword targeting.
Action: I rewrote service pages to include process details, cost ranges, FAQs, and use cases. This alone pushed my site's pages ranking to the top 20s.
3. Content Depth vs. Word Count:
Competitors didn't just publish long content they had clear sections, visual hierarchy, and answered buyer objections.
Insight: Google rewarded decision-support content.
Action: I added comparison tables, qualification sections, and industry-specific examples, which reduced bounce rate and improved engagement.
4. Internal Linking Strategy:
Competitors consistently linked blogs to service pages using partial-match anchors.
Insight: Internal links were building topical authority.
Action: I created topic clusters with one core service page supported by 6-8 blogs and updated old posts with internal links. Service page impressions increased without new backlinks.
5. Backlink Quality Over Quantity:
Competitors relied on relevant niche links, not high volume.
Action: I replicated link types through industry guest posts and contextual placements instead of homepage links.
6. SERP Feature Optimization:
Competitors dominated FAQs and People Also Ask results.
Action: I added FAQ schema and concise 40-60 word answers, resulting in multiple SERP placements.
Final Results (3-4 Months):
5 service keywords in top 3
35% increase in organic leads
Higher conversions and ranking stability
Key Lesson: Competitor analysis isn't about copying, it's about understanding what Google already trusts and executing it better.
Exploit LLM Mentions With Fresher Authority
As a new agency in the legal sector, we operate in the shadow of mammoth incumbents—legacy giants with unlimited budgets and decades of domain authority. We knew we couldn't out-spend them. So, we decided to out-smart them using AI Search Optimization.
The Insight: We abandoned traditional keyword analysis for something more forensic. We began systematically 'interrogating' the Large Language Models (LLMs) themselves. By running high-intent prompts, we identified exactly which competitors the AI trusted enough to cite as the 'answer'—and more critically, precisely where it was scraping that intelligence.
The Application: This exposed the invisible gaps in our armor. When we found a competitor winning a citation due to a specific digital footprint we lacked, we didn't just match it; we overhauled it. We scrutinized the content the LLMs were referencing and built superior, hyper-current versions of those assets on our own site.
We leveraged a key vulnerability in the giants: LLMs have a bias for recency. They crave the 'new.' By feeding the algorithms fresher, deeper data than the stagnant incumbents, we effectively hijacked their authority and fueled rapid growth despite their head start.
Prioritize Actions Over Titles In Metadata
Understanding competitors data also helped me write better SEO copy for my website. One realization early in my website incarnation was that competitors in the digital marketing realm were focused on the action vs title (i.e., content optimization vs content specialist) so ensuring my meta data had what I did vs. who I was in the marketing world made a huge difference in remaining competitive both locally and regionally. Plus, this optimization coupled with helpful portfolio pieces and blog articles was the perfect E-E-A-T trifecta.
Secure Topic Citations And Map Signals
I used a simple 3-step plan to help my client's website. I used a pro tool called Ahrefs to find the best secrets.
Step 1: The Spy Mission with Ahrefs I used Ahrefs to look at the competitors. It showed me exactly which websites were giving them links. I then got the same 100% niche-relevant backlinks for my client. This made our website very strong.
Step 2: The Map Trick (Local SEO) I wrote local articles and embedded the Google Map (GMB) location inside them. This helped Google understand that we are the best choice in that local area.
Step 3: The Result & Timeline The results were different for local and global areas:
Local Ranking: In just 7 days, we were at the top! My Google Search Console (GSC) showed that we started getting 3x more leads (calls and messages) than before.
Other Countries (Global SEO): For ranking in other countries, it takes more time—usually 1 to 3 months because the competition is much bigger.
By using Ahrefs for links and GMB for maps, I 3x the client business leads from Google in just one week!
Outperform Peers With Focused Technical Refinements
At EMILY(r), we regularly conduct competitor SEO audits to ensure our site not only reflects best practices, but outperforms others in visibility, keyword targeting, and user experience. One effective example was our deep-dive comparison between our site (https://www.ermarketinggroup.com/) and Flock and Rally (https://www.flockandrally.com/), a regional agency with strong branding and media presence.
Here's what our competitor analysis revealed:
- Content Gaps and Keyword Opportunities: While Flock and Rally had great brand storytelling, their site lacked SEO-optimized service pages and didn't rank for high-intent keywords like "SEO audits South Carolina" or "digital marketing for nonprofits." We saw an opportunity to claim those spaces with highly focused landing pages of our own.
- Meta and On-Page SEO: Their meta descriptions were often missing or vague, while their headers and internal link structure lacked keyword focus. We restructured ours with targeted meta tags, H1/H2 hierarchy improvements, and keyword-anchored internal links to strengthen topic authority.
- Speed and Mobile Experience: Using Google PageSpeed and SERanking tools, we found our site loaded significantly faster — but we still made improvements to image compression and mobile layout to widen the lead.
- Schema & AI/Voice Search Optimization: Flock and Rally lacked structured data markup (JSON-LD), which is crucial for visibility in AI-generated search results and featured snippets. We applied Local Business and Service schema to our own pages and updated them regularly for AI-readiness.
How we applied these insights:
- We are launching new SEO-focused service pages tied to our specialties (SEO, analytics, fundraising marketing, local search).
- We fine-tuned page speed, meta content, and implemented site-wide schema.
- We began publishing consistent blog content using keywords and topics Flock and Rally wasn't ranking for — helping us gain ground in long-tail and AI-driven search results.
Within 90 days, we saw measurable gains in keyword rankings, increased organic impressions in Google Search Console, and more inquiries through our Let's Chat page — proving that informed adjustments, not just creativity, drive visibility and growth.
