In this Article
Search engine optimization with WEVENTURE
What is an SEO competitor analysis?
A competitor analysis helps you understand what your competitors are doing in terms of search engine optimization. To do this, you thoroughly analyze your competitors’ websites using various SEO tools.
Your goal: Identify who your competitors are and how to optimize your own website to position yourself successfully in the market. Sounds time-consuming? It is—but it’s worth it. The insights you gain enable you to develop sustainable strategies for your own website and secure a long-term top position.
How to run a successful competitor analysis
First, you need to identify your most important competitors. Various SEO tools can help with this: to identify your competitors’ relevant search terms, Semrush is a good choice. For backlink analysis, Ahrefs works best. Both approaches are essential, because competition exists everywhere—no matter how small the niche. That’s why the rule is: know your competitors! Don’t be fooled by small websites—sometimes they’re doing a lot of things right, and there’s plenty you can learn from them.
Start by identifying which search terms bring your competitors the most organic traffic. Sistrix is a great tool for this. With a keyword gap analysis, you can find keywords your competitors rank for but you don’t. The gap analysis also lets you see shared keywords where your competitors may rank better than you. You can then compare the corresponding URLs directly and optimize your own pages accordingly. In Sistrix, you’ll find this under “Opportunities” in the “Keywords” section. There, you can compare up to three competitors at once.
This process also gives you an overview of the level of competition for a keyword. Search terms with higher competition are generally harder to rank for. Once you’ve identified all relevant keywords, it’s worth taking a look at the SERPs: which pages rank higher than yours in the search results—and why? In this context, content quality can be a decisive factor. To outrank your competitors in the future, you also need to use your keywords correctly. But be careful: when placing keywords, moderation is key—avoid overusing them in a spammy way. Otherwise, you risk ranking losses. SEO experts refer to this as “keyword bashing,” which in the worst case can lead to a Google penalty. Our recommendation: focus on high-quality content, address the search intent of potential customers, and use keywords strategically.
Content analysis
Which existing texts are already ranking well, and which keywords are being used? How good is the content? When evaluating content, pay close attention to user search intent.
As part of your competitor analysis, also review internal linking. Does your competitor link from blog articles to service pages, creating strong topical connections between subpages? If so, this could be a strategy worth adopting.
In the SEO tool Semrush, you can create an SEO content template and enter your target keywords. Semrush then generates a template based on your competitors in the Google top 10, including content recommendations. These may include page titles, recommended text length, or even potential backlink partners. You can use these insights to optimize your content in a targeted way.
On-page analysis
In an SEO competitor analysis, content and keywords aren’t the only factors that matter. Web design, UX/UI, and page speed also need to be convincing. After all, what’s the point of great content if it takes five seconds to load and looks like it’s from the 1990s?
Page load speed—also known as page speed—is an important ranking factor, as longer load times typically lead to higher bounce rates. To check a website’s technical performance, PageSpeed Insights is the best tool to use.
There, you’ll get a clear overview and can check a website’s speed for both mobile and desktop. Important: to ensure accurate results, it’s best to run the test in your browser’s incognito mode.
Usability is also a crucial factor in SEO competition and continues to grow in importance. How does your website’s navigation compare to that of your competitors? For example, a burger menu may be chosen for design reasons over a visible navigation—but from a usability perspective, this can have significant drawbacks. Users may not notice the menu as easily or grasp it at a glance. That said, even visible navigation can be done poorly—or very well. The first level of navigation should be as lean and clear as possible, supplemented with meaningful subcategories when needed. Ideally, menu labels should be chosen based on search volume so that, for example, your product pages benefit from it.
You should be just as cautious with oversized CTAs. They can come across as intrusive or overwhelming to visitors and may actually deter them. Menus, navigation, and CTAs are therefore excellent areas for identifying optimization potential on your own website.
Finally, you should analyze your competitors’ meta data. The easiest way to do this is by using the Google Chrome extension “SEO META in 1 CLICK.”
The extension shows you key SEO information about a website at a glance. If a well-ranking competitor uses many concise CTAs and emojis in the meta description, you might consider doing the same. To use your meta data correctly, make sure to stick to the recommended character limits. Tools like the Google Snippet Generator or the Yoast plugin for WordPress can help with this.
Off-page analysis
We’ve already looked at internal linking, but you should also take a close look at your competitors’ backlink profiles. After all, backlinks are still one of Google’s strongest ranking factors. With SEO tools like Ahrefs, you can run a backlink analysis and evaluate and compare your competitors’ link profiles. It’s especially worth reviewing the URL Rating distribution, as it shows the strength of the linking page’s profile on a scale from 0 to 100.
Backlinks only add value to your site if the linking partner has a strong URL Rating score. Are your competitors getting backlinks from well-known magazines or online shops that could also be relevant partners for your site? If so, reach out to the appropriate contacts and secure high-quality backlinks. In addition, interesting and well-ranking blog articles can draw attention to your website and open the door to new partnerships.
Important: Backlinks should always be acquired in a “natural” way. We strongly advise against buying backlinks. Google can penalize you very quickly for this kind of violation.
3 tips for SEO competitor analysis
1. Always identify your true competitors
An SEO competitor analysis is only truly effective if you first analyze the market carefully. This allows you to identify your most important competitors.
2. Focus on relevant data
Because an SEO competitor analysis can be time-consuming, you should start by creating a list of potential optimization measures. You can then analyze your competitors with a clear objective in mind. Don’t go too deep into every detail—focus on the data that can positively impact your performance in the future.
3. Learn from practical and effective competitor strategies
Whether it’s technical SEO or content marketing, it’s perfectly fine to learn from others—but always implement insights in a way that fits your brand. Take a close look at which tactics make sense for your website and business, and consciously avoid approaches that don’t align with your goals.
Conclusion
An SEO competitor analysis is a key tool for successful search engine optimization. Through targeted analysis, you can identify your strongest competitors in the market. With this new knowledge, you can develop sustainable strategies and move ahead of the competition.
FAQ: How to conduct an SEO competitor analysis correctly
What is an SEO competitor analysis?
Why is an SEO competitor analysis important?
It helps you identify your competitors’ strengths and weaknesses. You learn which strategies work in your industry and can plan your own SEO efforts more effectively. This allows you to achieve better rankings and more organic traffic faster.
Which tools are suitable for an SEO competitor analysis?
The most important tools include Sistrix (keyword analysis), Semrush (content and competitor analysis), Ahrefs (backlink analysis), and PageSpeed Insights (technical performance). For meta data, the Chrome extension SEO META in 1 CLICK is especially useful.
How do I find my real SEO competitors?
They’re not always the same companies you compete with in the market. Check which domains rank in the top 10 Google results for your most important keywords. These domains are your true SEO competitors—regardless of company size or brand awareness.
What is a keyword gap analysis?
A keyword gap analysis shows which search terms your competitors rank for but you don’t. This helps you identify new keyword opportunities and topics to strategically expand your content strategy.
What’s included in an on-page competitor analysis?
This includes load times, usability, navigation, CTAs, and meta data. Compare how your competitors structure content, place keywords, and use internal links to quickly identify opportunities to improve your own pages.
How often should you run an SEO competitor analysis?
At least twice a year—quarterly is even better. Since rankings, algorithms, and competitor strategies constantly change, regular monitoring is essential for sustainable SEO success.
What are common mistakes in SEO competitor analysis?
Analyzing too much data without a clear objective, failing to prioritize insights, or blindly copying competitor strategies. Successful analyses are always based on individual goals and focused evaluation.
