--- title: "Run a competitor SEO analysis that turns keyword, content, link, and technical gaps into a ranked plan" description: "Choose the right competitors, find keyword, content, backlink, and technical gaps, size each opportunity, and convert the findings into a 12-month plan." canonical: "https://scalewithsearch.com/articles/seo-competitor-analysis-framework" date: "2026-03-20" modified: "2026-10-02" --- ## Site navigation - [Scale With Search](https://scalewithsearch.com/) - Real estate - Real estate - [Real estate](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/real-estate) - Work - Start here - [Send your brief](https://scalewithsearch.com/work#send-your-brief) - [Prepare your six-question brief](https://scalewithsearch.com/work#prepare-your-six-question-brief) - Build - [Site build, content library with SEO, signal desk](https://scalewithsearch.com/work) - For your business - Trades and home services - [Auto body and collision shops](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/auto-body-and-collision-shops) - [Foundation and home repair contractors](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/foundation-and-home-repair) - [Garage door and fencing contractors](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/garage-door-and-fencing-contractors) - [HVAC contractors](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/hvac-contractors) - [Janitorial and commercial cleaning companies](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/janitorial-and-commercial-cleaning) - [Locksmiths](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/locksmiths) - [Moving companies](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/moving-companies) - [Pest control companies](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/pest-control-companies) - [Plumbing and electrical contractors](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/plumbing-and-electrical-contractors) - [Restoration and water or fire damage companies](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/restoration-and-water-fire-damage) - [Roofing companies](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/roofing-companies) - [Towing companies](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/towing-companies) - [Tree services and landscaping companies](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/tree-services-and-landscaping) - [Solar installers](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/solar-installation) - [General contractors](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/general-contractors-and-construction) - [Paving, concrete, and flooring contractors](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/paving) - Practices and professional services - [Bookkeeping and tax practices](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/bookkeeping-and-tax-practices) - [Dental practices](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/dental-practices) - [Family and criminal defense law firms](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/family-and-criminal-defense-law-firms) - [Med spas and aesthetics practices](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/med-spas-and-aesthetics) - [Personal injury law firms](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/personal-injury-law-firms) - [Veterinary clinics](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/veterinary-clinics) - [Gyms and fitness studios](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/fitness) - [Therapy and outpatient health practices](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/therapy-and-outpatient-health) - [Medical billing companies](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/medical-billing) - [Insurance agencies](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/insurance-agencies) - [Financial advisors](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/financial-advisors) - [Property management companies](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/property-management) - [Recruiting and staffing agencies](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/recruiting-and-staffing) - [Architects and interior designers](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/architects-and-interior-designers) - [Logistics and supply chain companies](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/logistics-and-supply-chain) - Agencies, MSPs, and manufacturing - [IT and managed service providers](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/it-and-managed-service-providers) - [Machine shops and precision manufacturers](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/machine-shops-and-precision-manufacturing) - [Marketing agencies and freelancers](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/marketing-agencies-and-freelancers) - [SEO agencies and consultants](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/seo-agencies-and-consultants) - [Small manufacturers and fabricators](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/small-manufacturers-and-fabricators) - Restaurants, shops, studios, and nonprofits - [Restaurants and hospitality businesses](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/restaurants-and-hospitality) - [Retail stores and ecommerce sellers](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/retail-and-ecommerce) - [Photographers, event planners, and travel agents](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/photographers) - [Churches and nonprofits](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/churches-and-nonprofits) - [All industries](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/) - Learn - For your office - [Office job guides](https://scalewithsearch.com/guides/) - [Browser calculators](https://scalewithsearch.com/tools/) - Start here - [How it works](https://scalewithsearch.com/how-it-works) - [Free Starter Kit](https://scalewithsearch.com/kit/business-memory-starter-kit.zip) - [Synthetic specimen](https://scalewithsearch.com/specimen/working-session-specimen.zip) - Guides - [The Complete Guide to Business Memory for AI Agents](https://scalewithsearch.com/articles/business-memory-for-ai-agents-guide) - [The Complete Small-Business Guide to AI Agent Governance](https://scalewithsearch.com/articles/ai-agent-governance-guide-small-business) - [The Complete Guide to Leaving Vendor AI Memory](https://scalewithsearch.com/articles/leaving-vendor-ai-memory-guide) - Articles by cluster - [Business memory](https://scalewithsearch.com/articles/business-memory-for-ai-agents-guide) - [Agent governance](https://scalewithsearch.com/articles/ai-agent-governance-guide-small-business) - [Migration and ownership](https://scalewithsearch.com/articles/leaving-vendor-ai-memory-guide) - For machines - [llms.txt](https://scalewithsearch.com/llms.txt) - [llms-full.txt](https://scalewithsearch.com/llms-full.txt) - [Machine view](https://scalewithsearch.com/?view=machine) - Company - Evidence - [Proof](https://scalewithsearch.com/proof) - Company - [About](https://scalewithsearch.com/about) # Run a competitor SEO analysis that turns keyword, content, link, and technical gaps into a ranked plan. A marketing team exports 5,000 keywords where competitors outrank it and hands the spreadsheet to the content lead. Nothing happens. The list has no order, no grouping, and no view of why the competitors rank. Competitor analysis finds opportunities by working backward from competitor rankings, content, and technical choices. A systematic analysis shows four things: - keyword gaps where competitors rank and you do not; - the content formats that bring them traffic; - backlink sources you can also earn; - the technical advantages behind their performance. This guide owns the repeatable evidence-audit worksheet: competitors, keyword gaps, backlink evidence, technical comparisons, and ranked actions. Use [competitor analysis for marketing decisions](/articles/competitor-seo-analysis-marketing) to turn the findings into positioning, channel allocation, and a budget case. ## Pick the competitors worth studying Search competitors are not always business competitors. Companies that compete with you for customers may not rank for your target keywords, while sites you never considered dominate the results. Study both, and label the distinction in the worksheet. Hand positioning and budget interpretations to the marketing decision guide. To find search competitors, follow these steps: 1. Export the rankings for 50 to 100 priority keywords from Semrush or Ahrefs. 2. Count how often each domain appears in the top 10. 3. Mark every domain in the top 10 for 30% or more of the queries as a primary search competitor. Then sort competitors into three tiers: | Tier | Who they are | What they teach | Depth of analysis | |---|---|---|---| | 1: direct competitors | Companies that target the same customers with similar products | How search visibility affects market share; business strategy | Full, across every dimension below | | 2: search competitors | Sites that rank for your keywords but serve another purpose, such as media, comparison, or how-to sites | Which formats and topics Google favors for your queries | Content strategy and backlink profiles | | 3: aspirational competitors | Category leaders with much higher authority, for example 10 or more points of Domain Rating above you | What works at scale | Selective; look for tactics you can copy, not metrics to match | A full analysis of 10 or more competitors spreads attention too thin. Study 3 or 4 tier 1 competitors and 2 or 3 tier 2 competitors in depth. Watch the rest at a high level for major shifts. ## Find keyword gaps A keyword gap is a query where competitors rank on page 1 and you rank poorly or not at all. Gaps point to content with proven demand and proven rankability. The Ahrefs Content Gap tool automates the search. Enter your domain and several competitors, and it lists keywords where at least two competitors rank and you do not. Filter the results three ways: - Keyword difficulty: start with Ahrefs difficulty below 40 for achievable wins. - Search volume: prioritize 500 or more monthly searches. - Search intent: commercial and transactional keywords bring revenue. The Semrush Keyword Gap tool works the same way and adds two useful filters. Weak keywords are those where you rank below every competitor, which marks optimization work. Unique keywords are those where you rank and competitors do not, which marks positions to defend. Export the gaps and group them by topic. Five thousand separate keywords do not make a plan. Themes such as "integration keywords", "pricing comparisons", "how-to guides", and "glossary terms" point to content programs instead of one-off articles. The [keyword gap analysis guide](/articles/keyword-gap-analysis) covers the tool settings in detail. Check priority keywords by hand as well. Note four things: - the search features competitors hold, such as featured snippets, People Also Ask, and local packs; - the formats that rank, such as videos, PDFs, long guides, and tool pages; - the depth and structure of the ranking pages; - the page types, such as blog posts, product pages, and category pages. Tools show what competitors rank for. The manual check shows why: quality, format, depth, and user experience that tools do not measure. Size each gap with search volume × achievable CTR × landing-page conversion rate. In an illustrative example, 12,000 searches at 10% CTR and 5% conversion yield 60 conversions. An informational query with 8,000 searches at 10% CTR and 0.5% conversion yields 4. Record each input and its evidence. These are scenario calculations, not measured competitor conversions. ## Work out the competitor's content strategy A competitor's content strategy shows which content types bring its organic traffic, and that informs your roadmap. Export the competitor's top pages from the Top Pages report in Ahrefs Site Explorer. Review the top 20 to 30 and sort them by type: - how-to guides and tutorials; - glossary and definition pages; - comparison and alternatives content; - template and tool pages; - original research and data studies; - product and service pages. The mix shows the strategy. If 60% of a competitor's traffic comes from how-to guides, it chose education over product marketing. If comparison pages dominate, it captures buyers at the evaluation stage. The [competitor content analysis guide](/articles/competitor-content-analysis) goes deeper into this review. Compare depth. Check the average word count of top-ranking content and the use of images and video. Check freshness, meaning the last update date in results or the page source. Note interactive elements such as calculators, assessments, and configurators. Clearscope or Frase can generate a brief that lists the elements top pages share. Sometimes every page 1 result for a keyword has a comparison table, answers to common questions, and more than 2,500 words. Match those elements. Look for gaps inside topics. A competitor may rank for "email marketing guide" but have nothing on segmentation, automation workflows, or deliverability. Full coverage of those subtopics can make you the more authoritative source. Check update patterns in the Wayback Machine. Earlier versions of a competitor's page show how often it changes and what changes. A page refreshed each quarter with new statistics, examples, and sections is actively maintained. A page untouched for two years or more is a chance to outrank it with fresher content. ## Analyze backlink profiles Backlink analysis shows competitors' link building methods and the links you can also earn. Export each competitor's backlink profile from Ahrefs or Majestic. Review four properties: - referring domains, the unique sites that link; - the Domain Rating or Trust Flow of those sites; - the anchor text mix, branded or keyword-rich; - the link types: editorial, directory, forum, or comment. Remove the links you cannot or should not copy: - links from the competitor's own properties; - reciprocal exchanges; - low-quality directories and link farms; - site-wide footer or sidebar links with little editorial value. What remains, editorial links from blogs, news sites, and resource pages that linked on merit, is your target list. Patterns in the list reveal strategy. Many `.edu` links suggest a scholarship program or outreach for educational resources. Industry publication links suggest PR campaigns or guest posts. Tool and resource directory links suggest active directory submissions. Links from roundup posts suggest outreach to sites that publish "alternatives" lists. Two methods turn the analysis into links. First, broken link building. When a competitor's backlinks point to pages that now return 404, contact the linking sites and suggest your equivalent page. Ahrefs marks broken backlinks in its export. Second, content-based replication: find the competitor pages that earn the most links, and decide whether you can build a better version. If a competitor's industry statistics page earned 150 backlinks, a more complete page with original data can earn similar links. ## Compare technical performance Technical differences can explain ranking gaps that content quality does not. **Speed.** Compare pages in PageSpeed Insights or GTmetrix. Check Core Web Vitals: Largest Contentful Paint, Interaction to Next Paint, and Cumulative Layout Shift. Also check page weight, request count, server response time, and JavaScript and CSS optimization. Interaction to Next Paint replaced First Input Delay as a Core Web Vital in March 2024. If competitors load 1 to 2 seconds faster across the board, the gap likely contributes to their rankings. Google uses page experience signals in ranking, so speed equal to or better than a competitor's removes a disadvantage. The [Core Web Vitals developer guide](/articles/core-web-vitals-developer-guide) covers the fixes. **Mobile.** Google indexes the mobile version of pages, so mobile experience drives rankings. Test competitor pages on real devices and with a mobile Lighthouse run. Google retired its Mobile-Friendly Test in December 2023. Check responsive layout, mobile-specific content differences, tap target size and spacing, and mobile speed, which is often worse than desktop. **Structured data.** Run competitor pages through the Schema Markup Validator and the Rich Results Test. Note the types they use (such as Product and Review), how complete the markup is, and the search features they earn. Competitors with rich results often have more complete markup. Markup of equal completeness improves your eligibility. Two types need care. Since August 2023, Google shows FAQ rich results only for well-known government and health sites. Google removed HowTo rich results in September 2023. **Architecture.** Crawl competitor sites in Screaming Frog, at a low speed and within reasonable limits. Review URL patterns (flat or hierarchical), internal link density, breadcrumbs, sitemap organization, and `robots.txt` rules. Sites with strong internal linking distribute authority efficiently, and well-linked pages outrank orphaned ones. **Rendering.** Use the View Rendered Source extension to see whether a competitor renders on the server or the client. It also shows how the single-page app hydrates and how much content arrives in the initial HTML. Sites that render critical content on the server gain crawl and indexing advantages over pure client-side rendering. Some sites block Screaming Frog and other crawlers with `robots.txt` or rate limits. Respect the block. Aggressive crawling against a site's wishes can breach its terms and strain its servers. Use manual review of key pages and observation of search features instead. Add data from Ahrefs and Semrush, whose crawlers work independently of yours. ## Turn the findings into a plan Analysis without execution changes nothing. Convert every finding into prioritized work. Build an opportunity matrix that scores each gap on three factors: - impact: search volume × achievable CTR × conversion rate × average order value, with assumptions labeled; - difficulty: keyword difficulty plus the competitive picture; - resources: content time, technical effort, and links needed. Take the high-impact, low-difficulty gaps first for quick wins, and plan the high-impact, high-difficulty gaps as longer initiatives. Keep a worksheet row for every proposed action. This is an illustrative audit sample with fictional evidence IDs and estimates: | Finding | Saved evidence | Proposed action | Priority rationale | Owner | |---|---|---|---|---| | Integration query gap | SERP snapshot K-01; reviewed integration documentation; current ranking export | Add a source-backed integration walkthrough | Distinct buying task; feasible content effort | Content lead | | Competitor resource page earns editorial links | Linking-page records L-01 to L-05; target-page review | Build an original reference resource | Relevant editorial evidence; no promise of equivalent links | Outreach lead | | Priority template has delayed LCP resource | Performance traces T-01/T-02 under matched conditions | Test image discovery and request priority | Reproducible technical bottleneck | Developer | Rank each row by expected value, effort, uncertainty, and business fit. Record the estimate’s units and the evidence date. A third-party difficulty score is one screening input, not a delivery schedule. Ask the owner to verify the finding before a task enters the roadmap. Use the [quarterly planning guide](/articles/seo-campaign-planning-quarterly) to fit validated tasks into capacity. Use the marketing interpretation guide when deciding whether the evidence supports a campaign, positioning change, or channel budget. Keep those business choices separate from the audit’s observed facts. Do not try to fill every gap. Five thousand gaps attacked at once produce mediocre content everywhere. Own one topic cluster completely before you expand. Full authority on "email marketing", across 100 related keywords, is worth more than thin coverage split across email marketing, social media, and content marketing. Do not copy competitor content either. Copying adds no value, and Google filters near-duplicate pages from results. Use competitor pages as a guide to the elements Google rewards, such as depth, structure, and media. Then build a clearly better page with original insight, current data, a new angle, or a better experience. When competitors have far more authority, for example ten times your Domain Rating, focus where authority matters less: long-tail queries, local searches, and new topics that no one owns yet. Target keywords with difficulty below 30, where content quality can outweigh authority. Build links steadily while you take the rankings within reach. The [SEO competitive moat guide for founders](/articles/seo-competitive-moat-founders) covers how to turn those early positions into lasting advantage. Run a full analysis every 6 months, and monitor key signals monthly: authority changes, new top-ranking competitor pages, and major link gains. Run an extra analysis after an algorithm update or a major competitor move, such as funding or a launch. ---- ```text .|########||. .|########||. .|########||. |##||. .||##|. |##||. .||##|. |##||. .||##|. |#|. .|#|. |#|. .|#|. |#|. .|#|. |#| |#| |#| |#| |#| |#| .#| |#. .#| |#. .#| |#. .#. .#| .#. .#| .#. .#| |#. .#| |#. .#| |#. .#| |# ...... #| |# ...... #| |# ...... #| .# ||#########| #| .# ||#########| #| .# ||#########| #| .#. |######||######|. .#. .#. |######||######|. .#. .#. |######||######|. .#. #. .##|###|##|#|######| .# #. .##|###|##|#|######| .# #. .##|###|##|#|######| .# || |##|#||||||||||||#||#| || || |##|#||||||||||||#||#| || || |##|#||||||||||||#||#| || # |#||||||||||||||||||||#| #. # |#||||||||||||||||||||#| #. # |#||||||||||||||||||||#| #. || |#||||||||||||||||||||||#| || || |#||||||||||||||||||||||#| || || |#||||||||||||||||||||||#| || # .#||||||||||||||||||||||||#| # # .#||||||||||||||||||||||||#| # # .#||||||||||||||||||||||||#| # || ....|||#||||||##|#|||#|#||##||||....|. || || ....|||#||||||##|#|||#|#||##||||....|. || || ....|||#||||||##|#|||#|#||##||||....|. || #. . ....|# ....#||| ||| .#||| ....#. .# #. . ....|# ....#||| ||| .#||| ....#. .# #. . ....|# ....#||| ||| .#||| ....#. .# # . ||||#| .#####|| . .#| .#||| ||||# #. # . ||||#| .#####|| . .#| .#||| ||||# #. # . ||||#| .#####|| . .#| .#||| ||||# #. .| ||||| #. |#|||||. || #. |#||. .||||| || .| ||||| #. |#|||||. || #. |#||. .||||| || .| ||||| #. |#|||||. || #. |#||. .||||| || || |.... #. ....|#. |. ...|. ....|| || || |.... #. ....|#. |. ...|. ....|| || || |.... #. ....|#. |. ...|. ....|| || #. .||||||##||||||##||####|||||||#||||||#| .# #. .||||||##||||||##||####|||||||#||||||#| .# #. .||||||##||||||##||####|||||||#||||||#| .# # .||####|###########################|. # # .||####|###########################|. # # .||####|###########################|. # # .#||||||.#.|| # |. ..# #| #|||||#| # # .#||||||.#.|| # |. ..# #| #|||||#| # # .#||||||.#.|| # |. ..# #| #|||||#| # # .#|||||| .. |# ## |#| ...#|#|||#| # # .#|||||| .. |# ## |#| ...#|#|||#| # # .#|||||| .. |# ## |#| ...#|#|||#| # # .#|||#|# .# .#| #| ##|.#..#|||||#| # # .#|||#|# .# .#| #| ##|.#..#|||||#| # # .#|||#|# .# .#| #| ##|.#..#|||||#| # # .#||||||############|######|||||#| # # .#||||||############|######|||||#| # # .#||||||############|######|||||#| # # |...||#||||||#||||#|#||||||#|||||#||| |.| # # |...||#||||||#||||#|#||||||#|||||#||| |.| # # |...||#||||||#||||#|#||||||#|||||#||| |.| # #. .. ||||# .|||##|. |#| .|| || .|||#. #| # .# #. .. ||||# .|||##|. |#| .|| || .|||#. #| # .# #. .. ||||# .|||##|. |#| .|| || .|||#. #| # .# || | ...|| ...##| | #| .|. |. ##### .. .| || || | ...|| ...##| | #| .|. |. ##### .. .| || || | ...|| ...##| | #| .|. |. ##### .. .| || || ||||| || ||||#| . |. |. |#. ||||| |#| || || || ||||| || ||||#| . |. |. |#. ||||| |#| || || || ||||| || ||||#| . |. |. |#. ||||| |#| || || .# |.....#|....|#.||||.|||##.|#|....||.#||.#. #. .# |.....#|....|#.||||.|||##.|#|....||.#||.#. #. .# |.....#|....|#.||||.|||##.|#|....||.#||.#. #. #.|||||||#############################| ||| .# #.|||||||#############################| ||| .# #.|||||||#############################| ||| .# || ##||#||#||||||#||#||#||#||##. || || ##||#||#||||||#||#||#||#||##. || || ##||#||#||||||#||#||#||#||##. || # .#|||||||||#||#|||||||||||#| # # .#|||||||||#||#|||||||||||#| # # .#|||||||||#||#|||||||||||#| # || |#||||||||||||||||||||||#| || || |#||||||||||||||||||||||#| || || |#||||||||||||||||||||||#| || .# |#||||||||||||||||||||#| #. .# |#||||||||||||||||||||#| #. .# |#||||||||||||||||||||#| #. || |#||||||||||||||||||#| || || |#||||||||||||||||||#| || || |#||||||||||||||||||#| || #. .######|#|#########| .# #. .######|#|#########| .# #. .######|#|#########| .# .#. |#####||||#####| .#. .#. |#####||||#####| .#. .#. |#####||||#####| .#. |# ||########|| #. |# ||########|| #. |# ||########|| #. |# ...... #| |# ...... #| |# ...... #| |#. .#| |#. .#| |#. .#| |#. .#. |#. .#. |#. .#. .#| |#. .#| |#. .#| |#. |#| |#| |#| |#| |#| |#| .|#|. .|#|. .|#|. .|#|. .|#|. .|#|. |##||. .||##| |##||. .||##| |##||. .||##| .||########||. .||########||. .||########||. Scale With Search 2026 [scalewithsearch.com](https://scalewithsearch.com) ```