What Is SEO Competitor Analysis and Why Does It Matter?

Think of SEO competitor analysis as reading your rivals’ playbook. Instead of reinventing the wheel, you can refine and turbocharge your strategy using their successes—and failures—as a guide.

Here’s why it matters:

• It’s Tactical Intelligence: Learn which keywords and strategies bring your competitors success and identify where they’re leaving money on the table.
• It’s a Growth Engine: Build a strategy that addresses untapped opportunities in content, backlinks, and technical SEO.
• It’s Non-Negotiable: To win in the digital arena, you need data-backed decisions, not guesswork.

How to Identify Your True SEO Competitors

At Leverage, we always start by pinpointing your real competitors. Spoiler: They might not be who you think.

Who Are Your SEO Competitors?

• Direct Competitors: Businesses offering similar products or services in the same region.
• Search Intent Competitors: Websites ranking for your target keywords, even if they’re outside your industry.
• Content Rivals: Blogs, forums, or informational sites stealing your organic audience.

Using tools like Semrush, Ahrefs, and Google Search Console, we uncover the websites fighting for your audience’s attention.

Cracking the Keyword Code: Winning Search Terms

Keywords are the currency of SEO. Your competitors’ keyword strategy reveals where they’re excelling—and where they’re not.

Leverage’s Keyword Analysis Approach

• Discover Keyword Gaps: With tools like Semrush’s Keyword Gap, we find the keywords your competitors rank for that you’ve overlooked.
• Target Long-Tail Keywords: We focus on high-intent phrases that your competitors are too busy to notice.
• Analyze Ranking Dynamics: Understanding why a competitor ranks for a keyword is just as important as knowing what they rank for.

Content: The Battle for Engagement

Here’s the truth: Great content isn’t optional—it’s essential. By studying your competitors’ content, we at Leverage help you craft content strategies that outshine the competition.

How We Analyze Competitors’ Content

• Content Types: Are they writing blogs, creating videos, or publishing case studies?
• Frequency and Quality: Is their content consistent and engaging?
• Gaps in Coverage: Where are they falling short? We identify underserved topics and create content that fills those voids.

Backlinks: Not Always Necessary, But Incredibly Valuable

Backlinks aren’t a must-have for every SEO strategy, but when they are, competitor research makes them easier to acquire and more effective.

Leverage’s Smarter Backlink Strategy

• Analyze Competitor Backlinks: Tools like Ahrefs and Moz reveal their most impactful referring domains.
• Replicate and Refine: If a site links to them, they could link to you—with better, targeted content.
• Focus on Relevance: We prioritize quality links that align with your goals, not just quantity.

Technical SEO: The Foundation of Success

Even the flashiest websites can crumble under poor technical SEO. At Leverage, we audit competitors’ technical foundations to uncover insights that can improve your site’s performance.

What We Benchmark

• Site Speed: Faster sites rank higher—period.
• Mobile Optimization: Over half of all web traffic is mobile. Are competitors prepared?
• Core Web Vitals: We analyze page responsiveness, stability, and speed to ensure your site meets Google’s standards.

Our goal? To ensure your site isn’t just competitive—it’s superior.