Competitor Analysis: Reverse Engineer Top Rankings

How to Find SEO Competitors

1. Google your main target keywords (5-10 keywords)
2. Note which sites appear repeatedly in top 10
3. Ignore mega-brands (Wikipedia, Amazon, major news sites)
4. Focus on sites with similar domain authority (within 20 points)
5. List 5-10 direct SEO competitors

Use SEMrush Organic Research

Step-by-step:

1. Enter your domain in SEMrush
2. Go to "Organic Research" > "Competitors"
3. See sites competing for same keywords
4. Focus on "Competitor Level" of 60%+

Top Competitor Keywords Report

Using Ahrefs:

1. Enter competitor domain in Site Explorer
2. Go to "Organic Keywords"
3. Sort by Traffic (shows highest-traffic keywords)
4. Filter for position 1-10 only
5. Export keywords you could also target

What to Look For

• Keywords with 100-1,000 monthly searches (easier to rank)
• Keywords you don't currently rank for
• Question-based keywords (often easier to rank)
• Commercial intent keywords that drive conversions
• Trending keywords gaining search volume

Analyzing Competitor Backlinks

Using Ahrefs Backlinks Report:

1. Enter competitor domain in Site Explorer
2. Go to "Backlinks" section
3. Filter: Dofollow, Domain Rating 30+
4. Sort by "Domain Rating" (highest first)
5. Note link types: guest posts, resource pages, mentions

Using Ahrefs Content Gap

1. Go to Site Explorer > Content Gap
2. Enter your domain in first field
3. Enter 2-4 competitor domains below
4. Select "Show keywords that all of the below targets rank for"
5. Click "Show keywords"
6. Sort by Volume or Keyword Difficulty

Example Results

If 3 competitors rank for "email marketing software for nonprofits" but you don't, that's a clear content gap to fill.

Action: Create comprehensive content targeting that keyword.

Set Up Rank Tracking

Tools to use:

• SEMrush Position Tracking: Track your keywords + competitor rankings side-by-side
• Ahrefs Rank Tracker: Monitor your position changes vs competitors
• Google Search Console: Free tracking of your own rankings

What to Monitor

• When competitors jump from position 5 to 1 (what did they change?)
• When they drop rankings (opportunity to overtake them)
• New pages they create that start ranking quickly
• Seasonal patterns in their rankings

Analyze Top-Ranking Pages

For each target keyword, analyze top 3-5 ranking competitor pages:

• Word Count: How long is their content?
• Content Depth: How comprehensive is it?
• Content Format: Lists, guides, comparisons, videos?
• Images/Media: How many visuals do they use?
• Internal Links: How many relevant internal links?
• Freshness: When was it last updated?

Create Better Content

The 10x Content Rule:

Your content should be 10x better than what currently ranks:

• More comprehensive (not just longer)
• Better organized with clear structure
• More up-to-date information
• Better visual design and media
• Unique insights or data they don't have

Site Speed Comparison

Tools and metrics:

• PageSpeed Insights: Test competitor pages, compare Core Web Vitals scores
• GTmetrix: Compare load times, total page size, number of requests
• Lighthouse: Audit performance, accessibility, SEO scores
• Note: If competitors have faster page speeds, you're at a ranking disadvantage

Title Tag & Meta Description Analysis

What to examine:

• Title tag length: Are they using full 60 characters or keeping it shorter?
• Keyword placement: Where is primary keyword positioned in title?
• Power words: Are they using numbers, years, "best", "guide", etc.?
• Brand inclusion: Do they include brand name in titles?
• Meta descriptions: How compelling are their CTAs? Do they use questions?

Header Tag Strategy

Analyze header structure:

• How many H2s do top-ranking pages use? (typically 5-12)
• Are H2s keyword-rich or question-based?
• Do they use H3s to break down complex topics?
• What's the ratio of text to headers? (aim for 200-300 words per H2)

Content Length & Depth

Tool: Use word count tools or "View Page Source" to analyze:

• Average word count: For top 10 results (often 1,500-3,000 words)
• Content depth: Do they cover topics comprehensively or superficially?
• Examples & data: Do they include original research, case studies, screenshots?
• Multimedia: How many images, videos, charts do they include?

Internal Linking Patterns

How to analyze:

1. Use Ahrefs Site Explorer → Internal Links
2. See which pages receive the most internal links (these are their "pillar" pages)
3. Analyze anchor text distribution for internal links
4. Map out their content hub structure (pillar + cluster)
5. Note how they link from homepage to important pages

Social Metrics to Track

• Follower count: Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram
• Engagement rate: Likes, comments, shares per post
• Posting frequency: How often do they post? (daily, weekly)
• Content types: Blog promotion, original tips, videos, infographics
• Response rate: Do they actively engage with followers?

Viral Content Analysis

Use BuzzSumo to find competitors' most-shared content:

1. Enter competitor domain in BuzzSumo
2. Sort by social shares (Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Reddit)
3. Note content formats that get the most shares (lists, infographics, research)
4. Analyze headlines and angles that resonate
5. Create similar (but better) content for your audience

Paid Search Analysis

Using SpyFu or SEMrush Advertising Research:

1. Enter competitor domain
2. View "Paid Keywords" report
3. See which keywords they're bidding on
4. Check estimated ad spend and CPC
5. Analyze ad copy and landing pages
6. Note keywords they bid on but don't rank for organically

What This Tells You

• High-value keywords: If they're bidding on it, it likely converts well
• Gaps in organic strategy: Keywords they pay for = opportunity to rank organically
• Ad copy insights: Learn what messaging resonates with your shared audience
• Seasonal patterns: When do they increase/decrease ad spend?

Heatmap & Behavior Analysis

Tools to use:

• SimilarWeb: See competitor traffic sources and engagement metrics
• Estimate bounce rate: High bounce rate = poor UX (opportunity for you)
• Session duration: Longer sessions = engaging content (replicate their approach)

SWOT Analysis Framework

Create a SWOT analysis for your site vs top competitors:

• Strengths: What do you do better? (faster site, better content, more backlinks)
• Weaknesses: Where do competitors outperform you?
• Opportunities: Content gaps, link opportunities, keywords they're missing
• Threats: What if they improve? New competitors entering space?

Unique Value Propositions

Ways to differentiate from competitors:

• Niche down: Target more specific audience than competitors
• Better content: More comprehensive, updated, with original data
• Unique features: Free tools, calculators, templates competitors don't offer
• Personal brand: Build author authority competitors lack
• Community: Create engaged community (forum, Facebook group) they don't have

30-60-90 Day Competitive Action Plan

Days 1-30 (Quick Wins):

1. Create content for top 5 content gaps you identified
2. Reach out to 10 sites that link to 3+ competitors (not you)
3. Improve page speed to match or beat fastest competitor
4. Add schema markup competitors are using
5. Optimize top 10 underperforming pages (title, content, CTAs)

Days 31-60 (Build Momentum):

1. Launch pillar content strategy matching competitor structure
2. Build 20-30 high-quality backlinks to key pages
3. Implement site architecture improvements
4. Create content upgrades/lead magnets for top pages
5. A/B test CTAs and landing pages

Days 61-90 (Scale & Dominate):

1. Publish 2-3 comprehensive guides (3,000+ words) per week
2. Launch link building outreach campaign (50+ prospects/month)
3. Update and republish 10-15 old posts with fresh content
4. Expand to new keyword clusters competitors haven't covered
5. Build community assets (tools, templates) competitors lack

Ongoing Monitoring Checklist

• Weekly: Check new backlinks competitors earned (replicate opportunities)
• Weekly: Monitor new content they publish (identify trending topics)
• Monthly: Run content gap analysis to find new opportunities
• Monthly: Review ranking changes (who's moving up/down?)
• Quarterly: Full competitive audit (refresh all data)

Scenario

Site: New SaaS blog (DR 15) in project management niche

Goal: Rank for "project management tips" and related keywords

Top 3 Competitors: Monday.com blog (DR 78), Asana blog (DR 82), Wrike blog (DR 65)

Competitive Analysis Findings

• Content gaps: Found 45 keywords competitors rank for (position 1-10) but site doesn't
• Backlink opportunity: 12 resource pages linking to 2+ competitors but not site
• Content quality: Competitors average 2,000 words; site averages 800 words
• Technical SEO: Site page speed slower than all 3 competitors
• Schema markup: Competitors use Article + FAQ schema; site has none

Actions Taken

1. Content expansion: Rewrote 10 thin posts to 2,000+ words with original insights
2. Content gaps: Published 20 new articles targeting competitor keywords (KD under 30)
3. Link building: Earned 18 backlinks from resource pages and guest posts
4. Technical fixes: Improved page speed by 40%, added schema markup
5. Internal linking: Created topic cluster structure matching competitors

Results After 90 Days

• 15 keywords in top 10 (up from 0)
• Organic traffic increased 320% (50 → 210 visitors/day)
• Domain Rating improved from 15 → 23
• 3 featured snippets earned
• 45 new email signups from organic traffic

Key Takeaway: Systematic competitor analysis + execution = measurable results even against high-DR competitors.

How do I identify my SEO competitors?

Your SEO competitors aren't always your business competitors - they're sites ranking for keywords you want to rank for. To identify them:

1. Google your target keywords and note which sites consistently appear in top 10
2. Use Semrush or Ahrefs 'Organic Competitors' report to find domains with keyword overlap
3. Filter out mega-brands (Wikipedia, Amazon) you can't realistically compete with
4. Focus on sites with similar domain authority (within 20 points)

You typically have 5-10 true SEO competitors per niche.

What should I analyze when studying competitor content?

When analyzing competitor content, examine:

• Content length and depth (word count, comprehensiveness)
• Content format (blog posts, videos, tools, infographics)
• Content structure (headers, bullet points, tables)
• Multimedia usage (images, videos, charts)
• Internal linking patterns
• Update frequency (dates, freshness)
• E-A-T signals (author credentials, sources cited)
• User engagement (comments, shares)
• Content gaps (topics they haven't covered)

Look for patterns in top-ranking content to understand what Google rewards.

How can I find my competitors' backlinks?

Find competitor backlinks using backlink analysis tools:

1. Enter competitor domain in Ahrefs, Semrush, or Moz
2. Go to Backlinks or Link Profile report
3. Filter by quality metrics (Domain Rating, Domain Authority)
4. Identify link sources (guest posts, resource pages, directories, mentions)
5. Export high-quality backlinks to target for your own link building

Look for patterns: which sites link to multiple competitors (linkable assets), which strategies work (guest posting, broken link building), and which opportunities you can replicate.

What is a content gap and how do I find one?

A content gap is a keyword or topic that your competitors rank for but you don't. Find content gaps using:

1. Ahrefs Content Gap tool: Enter your domain and 2-3 competitor domains to see keywords they rank for that you don't
2. Semrush Keyword Gap tool: Similar functionality showing keyword overlap and opportunities
3. Manual SERP analysis: Google your target topics and note content types you haven't created

Prioritize gaps with high search volume, manageable difficulty, and strong business relevance.

How often should I analyze my competitors?

Conduct a comprehensive competitor analysis quarterly (every 3 months) to stay updated on their strategies.

Monitor key competitors monthly for:

• New top-performing content
• Significant ranking changes
• Major backlink acquisitions

Set up automated alerts for:

• When competitors publish new content (RSS feeds, content monitoring tools)
• When they earn high-authority backlinks
• When they rank for new keywords you're targeting

Competitive SEO is dynamic - regular monitoring helps you stay ahead.