Analysing your competitors’ websites can be a valuable way to improve your digital marketing strategy.

However, it’s essential to keep in mind that website competitors are not necessarily the same as business competitors.

1. Learn from SEO Savvy Competitors

Take a look at your competitors who are performing well in search engine rankings. Analyse their website structure, the content they publish, and their keyword strategy. Emulate what they are doing, such as using similar keywords, optimising website structure, and leveraging social media to promote content.

2. Identify Serious Gaps with Less Savvy Competitors

Less savvy competitors can also provide valuable insights. Identify gaps in their website and marketing strategies that you can exploit. You can leapfrog over them and gain a competitive edge in the market. For example, look for areas where they lack content, have poor user experience, or lack optimisation for specific keywords.

3. Use keywords to Sneak Peek at Competitors

Start by checking a keyword you would like to rank for in search engines. Use the incognito mode on your web browser to see the search results as they appear to the general public. This way, you can analyse the competition without any biases. Here are some things to look for when analysing search results:

• Check the top results and see if they are actually business competitors.
• Look for any website showing up on page one more than once.
• Determine if your competitors are paying for ads.
• Look at related keyword suggestions at the bottom of the page.
• Check if the results are mostly directories or direct businesses.
• Analyse if the websites have reviews and ratings.

4. Deconstruct Your Top Competitors’ Websites

Identify three competitors from the search results and go to their websites to analyse them in detail. Here are some things to look for when deconstructing their website:

• Check the title, description, and page URL for keywords.
• See which page opens when you click on the link.
• Use the “CTRL” or “CMD” and “F” keys to find out how many times the keyword appears on the page.
• Look at the page source for metadata.  To view the page source you can right-click most websites and choose ‘View Page Source.  If this option is unavailable they may have disabled it.  You can override this by putting “view-source:” at the beginning of the URL in the address bar then hit ‘enter’.
• Analyse if they have backlinks, which can indicate their website’s authority.

To streamline your competitor analysis, you can also use tools such as Moz.com’s Competitor Tool to find out more about your competitors’ website metrics, backlinks, and search engine ranking.

Analysing your competitors’ websites can provide you with valuable insights and ideas to improve your digital marketing strategy.

Keep in mind that website competitors may differ from business competitors, and there are different things to look for when analysing their websites. By following the tips and tricks mentioned above, you can improve your online presence and gain a competitive edge in the market.