Want to run an SEO competitor analysis?

So you can learn what backlinks they have and what keywords they’re ranking for?

So you can “steal like an artist” and build the same backlinks and rankings for your website?

This is one of the most powerful ways to grow your SEO.

Simply find your top 5-10 competitors and research them using the SEO tools I outline in this article.

SEO tools have made it super easy to look at your competitors to uncover SEO opportunities for your own business.

In this article, I’ll outline my 6 favorite SEO tools for competitor analysis.

By the end of the article, you should feel confident researching your competition and using the data to help form your own SEO strategy.

Let’s get into it!

What is SEO competitive analysis?

It’s the practice of researching your top competition for your business and analyzing the following:

• The backlinks they have going to their website
• The anchor text that those backlinks are created with
• The keywords that they’re ranking for on Google
• Getting more granular, the keywords they’re ranking in the top 10 for and that are driving the most traffic
• The content on their website — sales pages and blog articles
• The design of their website and the overall user experience
• The main call to actions on their website and how they’re converting readers to subscribers and leads

SEO competitor research is analyzing your competitors across all levels of SEO.

Your goal is to understand how they’re already succeeding or failing in the industry that you’re in with their SEO.

You can then take those learnings and apply them to your own SEO strategy.

6 Tools I Use to Do Competitor Analysis for SEO

1. SEMrush

• SEMrush allows you to compare your website with competitors, track their rankings, and analyze their backlinks to uncover opportunities.

2. Ahrefs

• Ahrefs’ extensive backlink database and detailed competitor analysis tools are the best for identifying strengths and weaknesses.

3. Moz Pro

• Moz Pro’s Open Site Explorer allows you to compare link metrics and see how your competitors are performing.

4. SpyFu

• SpyFu’s historical data allows you to see how competitors’ strategies have evolved over time.

5. BuzzSumo

• BuzzSumo is excellent for content analysis and understanding what type of content resonates with your competitors’ audience.

6. Majestic

• Majestic’s Trust Flow and Citation Flow metrics are valuable for understanding the quality of competitors’ backlinks.

Action Items

1. Use SEMrush or Ahrefs to analyze competitors’ backlinks and keyword strategies.
2. Evaluate competitors’ content performance with tools like BuzzSumo.
3. Monitor competitors’ link metrics and domain authority using Moz Pro or Majestic.
4. Dive into historical SEO strategies of competitors using SpyFu for actionable insights.
5. Cross-reference data from multiple tools to identify opportunities and gaps.

FAQs

What is the main purpose of competitor analysis in SEO?

Competitor analysis helps you understand the strengths and weaknesses of other players in your industry. By identifying successful strategies, such as high-ranking keywords or backlink sources, you can replicate or improve upon their approach to gain an edge in search rankings.

Which tool is best for backlink analysis?

Ahrefs is often regarded as the best for backlink analysis due to its extensive database and detailed insights. It allows you to uncover valuable linking opportunities and evaluate the quality of your competitors’ backlinks.

How does SpyFu help with SEO strategy?

SpyFu provides historical data on competitors’ keywords, ad spend, and strategies. This insight allows you to identify trends, spot evolving tactics, and refine your approach based on competitors’ past and present strategies.

Why is BuzzSumo important for competitor analysis?

BuzzSumo focuses on content performance, showing which types of content resonate most with competitors’ audiences. It’s an excellent tool for identifying trending topics and shaping your content strategy to attract and engage your target audience.

Can I use these tools together for better results?

Yes, combining tools like SEMrush, Ahrefs, and BuzzSumo gives a more comprehensive view of competitors. Each tool offers unique features, from keyword and backlink analysis to content insights, enabling a well-rounded understanding of market opportunities.

Thoughts and Outro

SEO competitor analysis is CRITICAL for your SEO strategy.

If you go and ask 100 SEOs if they use it for creating their SEO strategy and the SEO strategies of their clients, 99-100 should answer that “Yes”, it’s a big part of their SEO research and strategy formulation.

And it 100% makes sense.

There’s data out there on what’s already working for your closest competitors…why wouldn’t you tap into it?

The SEO tools outlined in this article make that data super available so you can sift through it, filter, sort, and make sense of what’s working and how you can use it for your own SEO.

If you still have questions, feel free to reach out to me and I’ll gladly answer. Or find me on LinkedIn and Twitter/X where I make SEO and digital marketing simpler for millions every day.

All my best,

Connor

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