Competitive analysis is a critical component of SEO because it can help a website owner understand how to optimize their site to rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs) by analysing the strengths and weaknesses of their competitors. The reverse engineering of a competitor's site can give us magical results. Here's a closer look at the role of competitive analysis in SERPs with examples:
Identify Competitors:
The first step in the competitive analysis is to identify the websites that are ranking well for the same keywords or topics as your website. This can help you understand who your main competitors are and what they are doing to rank well.
For example, a small business owner who runs a local bakery might identify other bakeries in the area as their main competitor.
Identifying Keywords:
By analysing their competitors, website owners can identify the keywords their competitors are ranking for, which can help them identify new keywords to target in their own content.
The bakery owner might analyse the keywords their competitors are targeting, such as "fresh bread" or "artisanal pastries," and identify keywords they aren't targeting, like "gluten-free options" or "locally sourced ingredients."
Understanding Content Strategy:
Analysing their competitors' content can help website owners understand what types of content are resonating with their target audience. What gaps exist in the market that they can fill with their own content.
The bakery owner might analyse their competitors' content and notice that they are producing more blog posts and social media content than their own website. They might decide to produce more content on their own website to attract more traffic.
Assessing Technical SEO:
Analysing their competitors' technical SEO can help website owners identify any issues on their own site that may negatively impact their search rankings and identify best practices to implement.
The competitor's website may load in less time and its images are optimized.
Evaluating Link Profiles:
Backlinks are an important factor in SEO. Analysing their competitors' backlink profiles can help website owners identify potential link-building opportunities and understand what types of links are helping their competitors rank higher in the SERPs result.
The bakery owner might analyse their competitors' backlinks and notice that they have earned links from local food bloggers and websites. They might decide to reach out to those same bloggers and websites to try to earn their own backlinks.
Tracking Changes:
Analysing their competitors over time can help website owners identify any changes in their content, link profiles, or technical SEO that may be affecting their search rankings.
High ranking website changes their strategy accordingly. They regularly do market research and adopt good practices. Thus keeping an eye on their strategy can not only save your time but increase its ranking as well.
Conclusion
Overall, competitive analysis is an essential component of SEO because it helps website owners understand what to do to improve their website and stand out in the search results. By analysing their competitors and identifying areas of opportunity, website owners can create a more effective SEO strategy that drives more targeted traffic to their site and ultimately drives more business