How do you conduct an SEO competitor analysis and turn the findings into action?

SEO competitor analysis starts by identifying competitors in the search results for your target keywords, then comparing domain profiles, content and on-page optimization, keywords, and backlinks. Use those differences to build a list of content updates and link-building prospects. The point is not to copy higher-ranking websites, but to identify opportunities worth investigating. A competitor’s use of a particular approach does not mean it is the reason for their higher rankings.

Start with search competitors, not just industry rivals

Business competitors and search competitors are not necessarily the same. The forum recommends searching for the keywords you want to rank for and recording the domains on the first page as your main competitors to compare. Even websites outside your industry may compete with you in the same search results.

For example, if a website outside your industry appears on the first page for a target keyword, include it in your initial review rather than comparing only familiar brands. Helen Franco notes that, in practice, it can sometimes be difficult to decide “who not to compare yourself with.” To narrow the scope, start with websites that appear in the results for your target keywords rather than including every industry competitor.

Assess overall strength before examining individual tactics

The source recommends using competitor analysis tools to understand competitors’ overall domain strength before examining their pages or link strategies in detail. It suggests reviewing domain authority, country, age, directory listings, and backlink data. This information provides context for comparison and should not be treated as a direct explanation for rankings.

• First, record each competitor’s domain profile to avoid drawing conclusions about an entire website from a single page.
• Then organize content and link differences separately to create a checklist for further review.

Turn content differences into specific updates

On-page analysis involves more than checking which keywords competitors use. It also means comparing publishing frequency, content types, metadata, title length and wording, heading tags, and internal linking. Use this information as a benchmark for your own on-page SEO, not as a set of specifications to copy point by point.

• Keywords: List terms that competitors cover but you have not yet addressed, and assess whether they are worth adding to your content.
• Titles and page information: Check whether your titles and metadata need adjustment.
• Internal links: Observe how competitors connect their content, then review how your own related pages are linked.

At Procrustes, we turn the questions that matter to clients into articles, with ongoing content planning, writing, and updates.

The source also suggests TF-IDF analysis to identify terms that could enrich existing content or uncover low-competition keywords you may have overlooked. This is a direction for research, however: a competitor’s use of a term alone does not establish that it has low competition or that adding it will necessarily improve rankings.

Turn backlink sources into outreach prospects

Analyzing which websites link to competitors can help you identify potential backlink sources for your own website. The next step is not to copy the entire backlink list, but to compile prospective sources and assess which are worth contacting.

The source strongly recommends using SEO tools, arguing that this step is almost impossible to complete manually. This is practical advice rather than a hard requirement. The analysis should produce a list of opportunities to investigate, not a guarantee of securing the same links or rankings.