What Is an SEO Competitive Analysis? A Strategic Guide to Outranking Your Rivals

If you want to rank on Google, you’re not just fighting the algorithm—you’re competing against every business that wants the same audience you do. That’s why SEO competitive analysis is a critical piece of any search strategy.

At Alex Furfaro SEO Consulting, we use competitive analysis to uncover exactly what your competitors are doing to rank—and what your business can do better. This guide breaks down what SEO competitive analysis is, why it’s important, and how to use it to leapfrog over others in your niche.

What Is SEO Competitive Analysis?

SEO competitive analysis is the process of evaluating your top search engine competitors to understand:

• What keywords they rank for 
• How their content is structured 
• Where their backlinks are coming from 
• What strategies are driving their organic traffic 
• Where the ranking gaps and opportunities are for your business 

The goal is to identify strengths and weaknesses in your competitors’ SEO strategies—and use those insights to develop a smarter, more effective plan of your own.

Why Competitive Analysis Matters for SEO

It’s not enough to blindly create content or chase high-volume keywords. Your competitors are already out there ranking, earning clicks, and winning leads. SEO competitive analysis helps you understand what it takes to outperform them.

Benefits of SEO Competitive Analysis:

• Discover keyword gaps you can target 
• Find backlink sources to replicate or improve on 
• Understand how competitors structure and optimize their content 
• Avoid repeating strategies that aren’t working 
• Save time and budget by learning from others’ wins and mistakes 
• Benchmark your performance and set realistic goals 

This isn’t about copying your competitors—it’s about learning from them, then doing it better.

1. Identify Your True SEO Competitors

Your real SEO competitors aren’t always the same as your business competitors. They’re the sites that currently rank for the keywords your audience is searching for.

To find them:

• Google your target keywords and see who appears in the top 10 
• Use tools like Ahrefs, Semrush, or Ubersuggest to generate a competitor list based on shared keywords 
• Check both local competitors and niche authority sites 
• Look at both direct and indirect competition—some blogs or directories may compete even if they don’t offer your exact service 

Once you know who’s winning in search, you can reverse-engineer how they got there.

2. Analyze Their Keyword Strategy

What keywords are your competitors targeting—and how are they ranking?

Use keyword gap tools to compare:

• Keywords you both rank for 
• Keywords they rank for but you don’t 
• Keyword positions (Are they outranking you for core terms?) 
• Search intent alignment (Are they better matching what the user wants?) 

This helps you find opportunities to create new content, optimize existing pages, or improve your relevance.

3. Evaluate Their Content Strategy

Search engines love high-quality, helpful content. Analyze how your competitors are building theirs.

Review:

• Content length and depth 
• Topic coverage and topical authority 
• Use of headings (H1, H2, etc.) 
• Internal linking structure 
• Readability and formatting 
• Use of visuals, video, or interactive elements 
• Frequency of publishing 

Ask yourself:

• What content formats are they using (blog posts, guides, service pages)? 
• Are they answering more questions than you are? 
• Are they using more up-to-date or expert-level info? 
• How are they structuring their calls to action (CTAs)? 

Use this to strengthen your content calendar, fill content gaps, and improve how you present your expertise.

4. Audit Their Backlink Profile

Backlinks are still one of the most important ranking factors. Your competitors’ link profiles can reveal where they’re getting authority—and how you can get it too.

Analyze:

• Total number of referring domains 
• Domain authority of linking sites 
• Types of sites linking to them (media, blogs, directories) 
• Link acquisition tactics (guest posts, partnerships, PR) 
• Anchor text used in links 
• Lost or broken backlinks you can reclaim 

Use this to build a link outreach list or create better resources to earn backlinks naturally.

5. Evaluate Their Technical SEO

If a competitor is outranking you, technical performance might be a factor.

Use tools like:

• Google PageSpeed Insights 
• Lighthouse 
• Screaming Frog 
• Semrush Site Audit 

Check:

• Page load times 
• Mobile responsiveness 
• Schema markup 
• Site architecture and navigation 
• Use of HTTPS 
• Indexing and crawlability 

This part of the analysis helps ensure your technical foundation isn’t holding you back.

6. Review Their SERP Features and Click Appeal

Ranking on page one is great—but getting the click is even better. Look at how your competitors appear in search.

Analyze:

• Meta titles and descriptions—are they more compelling than yours? 
• Use of schema to trigger rich snippets (FAQs, reviews, etc.) 
• Presence in People Also Ask, video carousels, image results, or local packs 
• Use of featured snippets (position zero) 

Your SEO strategy should include ways to stand out visually in the SERPs, not just rank.

7. Benchmark and Set SEO Goals

Once you’ve collected all this intel, put it to work by benchmarking your current position.

Compare metrics like:

• Total organic traffic 
• Number of keywords ranked (top 3, top 10, top 100) 
• Domain Rating/Authority 
• Referring domains 
• Content publishing frequency 
• Local visibility (Google Business Profile and map rankings) 

From there, you can set goals like:

• Outranking a competitor on 5 target keywords 
• Matching their backlink profile within 6 months 
• Creating 10 blog posts to fill their topical gaps 

When to Bring in an SEO Consultant for Competitive Analysis

Competitive SEO analysis takes time, tools, and experience. If you’re unsure how to act on the data—or simply don’t have the bandwidth—working with an SEO consultant can help.

At Alex Furfaro SEO Consulting, we offer:

• In-depth keyword and content gap analysis 
• Competitor backlink profile reviews 
• Local SEO competitor benchmarking 
• Custom strategies for outperforming rivals 
• Ongoing reporting and campaign refinement 

We don’t just hand you data—we help you use it to win.

Final Thoughts: Don’t Just Compete—Outperform

SEO competitive analysis gives you the roadmap to beat your rivals—not by copying them, but by understanding what they’re doing and executing a better plan.

If you’re tired of being outranked by competitors with weaker products or services, this is your chance to level the playing field.

Ready to see where you stand? Reach out today for a competitor SEO analysis and we’ll show you what it takes to get ahead—and stay there.

FAQ

How often should I run an SEO competitive analysis?
Every 3–6 months, or whenever launching a new SEO campaign. The landscape changes, so ongoing analysis keeps you ahead.

Can I outrank competitors with higher domain authority?
Yes. With better content, stronger topical authority, and smart strategy, you can win—even against bigger players.

What tools are best for competitive analysis?
Ahrefs, Semrush, Moz, Ubersuggest, and Screaming Frog are great for data. Combine tools for the most complete picture.

Is it okay to use the same keywords as my competitors?
Yes—in fact, you should. But make sure your content is more helpful, updated, and better aligned with search intent.

Does competitive analysis work for local SEO?
Absolutely. You can analyze map pack rankings, local citations, Google Business Profiles, and nearby competitor content to improve your local strategy.