It is crucial not only to know your physical competitors but also to understand who your competitors are in the digital landscape. Many of our clients who are new to the world of search engine optimization (SEO) tend to see their competitors exclusively in the physical business. However, the digital reality often reveals a completely different picture.

A striking example of this is retail. Imagine a local bookstore sees itself in direct competition with other bookstores in its city. In the digital universe, however, it competes against global giants like Amazon or specialized e-book providers that, from a physical perspective, are not direct competitors. This discrepancy between physical and online competitors highlights the critical importance of a thorough SEO competitive analysis.

The first step toward a successful analysis is defining the keyword set for which your company wants to rank. The right selection of keywords lays the foundation for every effective SEO strategy and determines who you compete with in the digital world.

Armed with a carefully selected keyword list, you can then begin the in-depth analysis of your digital competitors. This knowledge not only equips your company with the necessary insight but also enables you to specifically strengthen your online presence and successfully prevail against your actual competitors in the digital space.

Our Tools for Competitive Analysis

Sistrix: Our Tool for SEO Competitive Analysis

We rely on SISTRIX for SEO competitive analysis, among other things, and for good reason: it makes our lives easier and our work more effective. With this SEO tool, we recognize what has worked in the past and what hasn't. The user interface is clear, well-organized, and incredibly easy to use. This makes it simple for us to see directly how our clients compare to their competitors.

Google Search Console: Essential for Keyword Insights

The Google Search Console is a powerful instrument in our SEO arsenal. It provides us with valuable data directly from the world's largest search engine. With Google Search Console, we can precisely monitor the performance of our websites and understand how Google sees and evaluates our pages. This tool not only shows us which search queries our websites appear for but also how often they are clicked. This way, we quickly recognize which of our SEO efforts are bearing fruit and where action is still needed.

Screaming Frog: A Must for Technical SEO Analysis

Screaming Frog is an essential component of our technical SEO audits. This comprehensive tool enables us to crawl and analyze websites with regard to a variety of factors. We use Screaming Frog to detect problems such as dead links, missing meta tags, poor redirects, and much more. It also helps us understand the structure of a website, which is crucial for ranking and user experience. In short, Screaming Frog gives us the necessary insight to fix technical deficiencies and lay the groundwork for successful SEO.

Step-by-Step Competitor Analysis

An effective SEO competitive analysis combines the strengths of multiple tools to get a comprehensive picture of the competitive landscape. Here is a step-by-step guide that includes SISTRIX, Google Search Console, PageSpeed Insights, and Screaming Frog.

Sistrix: Our Tool for SEO Competitive Analysis

We rely on SISTRIX for SEO competitive analysis, among other things, and for good reason: It makes our lives easier and our work more effective. With this SEO tool, we recognize what has worked in the past and what hasn't. The user interface is clear, well-organized, and incredibly easy to use. This makes it simple for us to see directly how our clients compare to their competitors. Plus, we find hidden keyword treasures. Besides the major features, it's the little extras that make SISTRIX indispensable for us, such as the excellent analysis of backlinks or user experiences. In short: SISTRIX gives us the power to develop individual strategies that really ignite. Our enthusiasm for SISTRIX doesn't come out of nowhere – it's the combination of experience, success, and our curiosity about all things digital.

Step-by-Step Competitor Analysis

Step 1: Identify Competitors with SISTRIX

Start with SISTRIX to identify your main competitors online. Use the visibility index to see who is ahead in your industry or for your desired keywords. Analyze:

  • Transactional vs. Non-Transactional Competitors: Are the competitors directly active in your business areas or do they only have indirect relevance? It is essential to differentiate between direct and indirect competitors. This helps to align your own strategy more specifically and effectively.

  • Visibility Index: Who are the most visible websites in your industry? This index provides insight into the online presence of your competitors. Use this data to identify potential areas for improvement in your own online strategy.

  • Keyword Set: For which keywords do your competitors rank well or better than your website? A close look at the keyword set enables you to identify your own weaknesses and adjust your keyword strategy accordingly. We will go into this point in more detail in Step 2.

  • Market Shares: How are the market shares distributed among the competitors? Understanding market shares provides important insights into the market position of your competitors and helps in setting your own market share goals.

  • Traffic Sources: On which directories is most of the traffic located? Analyzing traffic sources enables you to identify and utilize new channels for acquiring website visitors. Check which directories of your competitors generate the most traffic. Are they just glossaries or actual service pages?

Step 2: Analyze Keyword Performance

  • Top Keywords: Which keywords bring you the most traffic? Understanding top keywords is crucial for aligning content with the needs of your target audience and increasing your online presence.

  • Gaps: For which keywords are you not performing as well as hoped? Or does your competitor rank for keywords that you may not have even considered yet, but that have a lot of potential? By identifying gaps in keyword performance, targeted measures can be taken to improve rankings.

  • International Performance: From which countries does most of the traffic come? For globally operating companies, it is important to know from which countries the traffic originates in order to develop targeted international SEO strategies.

Step 3: Check Website Speed with PageSpeed Insights

  • Performance Score: How good is the loading speed? At the latest, when your site appears subjectively well optimized and you still remain behind the competitor's ranking, you should compare the performance of yours and your competitors. A high performance score is crucial for a positive user experience and positively influences ranking.

Step 4: Analyze Technical SEO and On-Page Factors with Screaming Frog

  • Structure: How is the link structure of the website built? A well-thought-out website structure improves both the user experience and search engine crawling efficiency. Compare the page structure of your competitors with your own. Is the structure of the other company more user-friendly? How does a user navigate the website?

  • Meta Data: Are titles and descriptions optimized? Compare your meta data with those of the competition. Are there still optimization possibilities for your titles? Does your competitor perhaps use more suitable formulations or terms?

  • Content: How is the quality and quantity of content compared to your own site? Quality and relevance of content are decisive for good ranking and user engagement.

Step 5: Analyze Backlinks with SISTRIX

  • Number and Quality of Backlinks: How robust is the backlink profile? A strong backlink profile is an indicator of a website's authority and credibility on the web.

  • Sources: Where do the backlinks come from? Understanding backlink sources helps identify potential new sources for your own backlink acquisition.

Step 6: Adjust Strategy

With the gathered information, you can now adjust your SEO strategy. Identify areas where you can outperform your competitors, whether through improved content, faster loading times, or a stronger backlink strategy. Use the strengths and weaknesses of your competition to strengthen your position in the market.

We are convinced that SEO is complex and constantly changing. That's exactly why we rely on proven tools to offer in-depth analyses and customized strategies. Our goal is not only to improve your visibility but also to give you a clear competitive advantage. Would you like us to support you? We support you with targeted search engine optimization to understand your competitors and exploit untapped potential.