Competitor Keyword Analysis: A Step-by-Step Guide to Outranking Your Rivals.

In the modern digital world, being in front of your competitors is more important than being number two. This can be achieved most efficiently through conducting competitive keyword research. Understanding the keywords these other websites are ranking for will enable you to formulate a plan to outdo them and increase the free visits to your site.
This blog will guide you on the steps you must follow while conducting the competitor keyword analysis and the benefits it will bring to your web technology business.

What is Competitor Keyword Analysis?

Competitors’ keyword analysis is the practice of discovering schemes of search queries pursued by competing companies to apply that intelligence to one’s web optimization work. This may include studying their most effective keywords, backlinks strategies, and which keywords bring traffic to their competitors’ sites.
Why is Competitor Keyword Analysis Important?
Competitor keyword analysis allows you to:

• Identify gaps in your SEO strategy
• Discover untapped keyword opportunities
• Understand industry trends
• Benchmark your website against competitors
• Gain insight into your competitor’s content marketing strategy
  

Let’s dive into the steps to conduct a successful competitor keyword analysis.

Step 1: Identify Your Top Competitors

Before it is possible to move into keyword analysis, it is necessary to typify one or several top competitors. It can be competitors who offer the same services directly or firms that share the same audience from different angles.
Tools to Identify Competitors:

• Google Search: Type in the keywords related to your niche and see who ranks on the first page.
• SEMrush: It helps to know who your organic and paid competitors are based on the keywords you use in the SEO Competition Analysis Tool.
• Ahrefs: It also comes with a competing domains option in the broad guide that lets you see the websites fighting with yours.
  

Step 2: Analyze Their High-Ranking Keywords

As soon as you have determined the relevant competitors, the next activity is to find the keywords pertinent to the competitors. The targeted keywords are high-ranking keywords, which will bring traffic to their site,
Tools for Keyword Analysis:

• Ahrefs: The organic keywords section will report how your volunteers are doing in searching for competitors’ use of inappropriate keywords.
• SEMrush: Their Keyword Gap tool permits you to put in the keywords of your website and any five competitors within it.
• Moz Keyword Explorer: This tool gives insights into your competitors’ keywords to rank higher.
  

Step 3: Find Keyword Gaps

• A keyword gap analysis helps decide which keywords are available for you as your competitors use them to rank. This step can be beneficial in identifying areas with little or no competition but can bring traffic to your site.
  How to do a Keyword Gap Analysis:
• Identify your current keyword ranking.
• Spell out the keywords that pertain to you and compare them with your competitors.
• Churn out the keywords that you target, but do not present them in terms of the level of volume and difficulty.
  Tip: Try targeting less popular keywords with a moderate traffic level, as the competition would be less.
  

Step 4: Assess the Competitor Content

• To what extent is the content helpful in improving the rankings of keywords? After identifying the keywords your rival websites rank for, you must try to understand what content has been written focusing on that keyword.
  Need some helping questions for Evaluating Competitor Content:
• How many words are used in the content?
• Is it a general overview or a detailed article for experts?
• Does the content have pictures, videos, After Effects, etc.?
• Does the content serve the purpose of what users are trying to ask?
  Tip: This approach allows content production with better value and structure than the competitors.
  

Step 5: Examine Their Backlink Strategy

• One of the maximum SEO ranking factors is backlinks. If we speak about competitors’ keyword analysis, it should also cover, in particular, where the competitors get their backlinks.
  Tools for Backlink Analysis:
• Ahrefs: It shows the websites that link to your competitors in the ‘Backlink Profile.’
• SEMrush: Use the “Backlink Analytics” tool to find the referring domains for your competitors.
  Tip: Encounters positioned their web pages where other websites linked to their competitors. Explain to them how much better the content is and ask them to place backlinks on your site or write a guest post.
  

Step 6: Track Competitors’ Actions

• SEO is an ongoing process, so it should not be considered once and for all. Let it be emphasized again- the competitor’s keyword analysis should be a process that goes on and on since it is known too well that the aggressive solicitors will not sit back. Keeping an eye on those with the keywords and monitoring their rank regularly will help you remain ahead.
  Tools for Tracking Competitors of Keywords:
• Google Alerts: You can set up alerts on any brand name, including your competitors.
• Ahrefs Alerts: Receive an alert once your competitor gets a new backlink or posts new content on their site.
• SEMrush Position Tracking: The positions of target keywords have to be checked for the inquiry either for your site or your competitors.
  

Step 7: Do Something With Your Results

• Data collection is over; it’s time to act on it. Here’s how to do it:
• Focus on the missed keywords included in the keyword gap analysis.
• Alter the existing text so that the company would perform well on the competitors’ keywords.
• Produce other pieces of content that can rank for other high-volume and relevant keywords.
• Secure high-quality links to your website to improve the low domain authority and ranking of keywords.
  

Final Thoughts

As part of the SEO package, a detailed analysis of competitors’ activities in the field of keywords should be included. It helps to figure out your rival’s essential aspects and be relevant in the constant evolution of the information world. If you look for lower-hanging fruits with keyword gaps, optimize your pages, and spy on your competitors, you will be able to pull up a better and more productive SEO strategy and gather more traffic from search engines.