TL;DR:
- Define true SERP competitors, not just business rivals.
- Map keyword gaps and intent, then set priorities.
- Benchmark content quality, UX, and technical health.
- Reverse-engineer links, entities, and SERP features.
- Turn findings into a 90-day action plan with owners.
You do not beat competitors by guessing. You win by measuring what works for them, then choosing smarter targets. This guide gives you a clear, repeatable process to find gaps, set priorities, and ship work that moves rankings.
The steps below work for any site and any niche. The examples reference common tools, yet every step includes a tool-agnostic approach.
Date of guide: September 22, 2025.
Step 1: Identify your real search competitors
Your business rivals and your search rivals are not always the same. Real search competitors are the sites that rank for the queries you want.
How to build the list
- List 10 core topics you want to rank for.
- For each topic, Google the head term and two long-tails. Note which domains appear often in the top 10.
- Add sites surfaced by a competitor-discovery report in a major suite.
- Remove giants you cannot or should not chase now, such as Wikipedia or government portals, unless they dominate many of your targets.
Aim for a shortlist of 5 to 8 domains. Tag them as direct competitors or informational publishers.
Tip: Record brand vs non-brand share for each rival. This tells you if they rank due to brand power or content and links.
Step 2: Pull a clean keyword universe
You need one master sheet of keywords across you and your rivals.
Minimum dataset for each keyword
- Current rank for you and top rivals.
- Search volume and country.
- Difficulty or SERP strength metric.
- Intent label, such as informational, commercial, transactional, or navigational.
- Primary SERP features, for example snippets, People Also Ask, video, local pack.
Fast way to build it
- Export top keywords for each rival from your tool of choice.
- Export your current ranking keywords.
- Union the lists, then de-duplicate.
- Add intent and SERP feature columns.
Step 3: Run a keyword gap and priority pass
Gap analysis shows where rivals rank and you do not, or where they outrank you. Do not chase every gap. Use a simple scoring model.
Priority score (keep it simple)
- Opportunity size: log-scaled volume or traffic potential.
- SERP win chance: inverse of difficulty and SERP feature mix.
- Business fit: 1 to 3 score based on revenue link.
- Current coverage: 0 if you have a strong page, 1 if weak, 2 if missing.
Sort by the total. Target clusters, not single terms.
What good targets look like
- Topics where multiple rivals rank with mid-DR pages.
- Queries with clear intent you can satisfy better.
- SERPs where non-brand pages win and few heavy sites dominate.
- Clusters where one hub page plus 3 to 5 spokes can cover the topic.
Step 4: Analyze top pages and content patterns
For each target cluster, open the top 5 to 8 ranking pages.
Score each page on
- Match to intent. Does the page answer the core task fast?
- Information gain. What unique data, angles, or examples does it add?
- Structure. Strong H2/H3s, clear intro, quick answers, visuals.
- Experience signals. Readability, page speed, mobile layout, ads load.
- Freshness. Last updated date and signs of up-to-date facts.
- Entities. People, brands, places, and terms tied to the topic.
Steal like a scientist
- Note common subtopics across winners. These are table-stakes.
- Note missing angles and outdated facts. These are your edges.
- Capture unique assets rivals use, such as calculators or datasets.
Step 5: Benchmark technical health and UX
You cannot outrank with broken pages.
What to check
- Crawl errors, indexation, and canonical issues.
- Core Web Vitals and mobile layout.
- Internal linking to and from your target cluster.
- Schema coverage, such as Article, FAQ, Product, LocalBusiness.
- Title tags, meta descriptions, and header clarity.
Run a focused crawl on the cluster pages first. Fix blockers before you scale content.
Step 6: Reverse-engineer links and mentions
Links still matter. Chase what moves needles, not vanity.
Link patterns to look for
- Percent of links to the top cluster pages.
- Types of sites linking, such as news, blogs, resources, communities.
- Anchor patterns, for example brand, URL, partial match.
- Fresh links over the last 6 to 12 months.
- Unlinked brand mentions you can convert.
Low-friction plays
- Refresh and pitch a better “stats” or “definitions” page to sources that cite rivals.
- Build one strong asset per cluster, such as a template or explainer.
- Guest contributions where the audience matches your topic.
Step 7: Map SERP features and win angles
Your plan should target SERP features you can win.
Common wins
- Featured snippet. Add a 40 to 60-word answer box near the top. Use a clear question H2 and a tight definition.
- People Also Ask. Use short Q&A subsections that mirror PAA wording.
- Images and video. Add compressed, descriptive images and short videos. Use descriptive file names and alt text.
- Local pack. For local intent, optimize your profile, categories, and reviews. Build strong location pages.
Step 8: Turn insights into a 90-day plan
Plan in sprints. Keep it small and owned.
Example 90-day plan
- Weeks 1 to 2. Fix technical blockers on target pages. Improve titles, intros, and internal links.
- Weeks 3 to 6. Ship one hub and 3 to 5 spokes for the top cluster. Add FAQ, tables, and visuals. Publish update dates.
- Weeks 7 to 10. Promote the hub with 10 to 20 warm pitches to relevant sites. Convert unlinked mentions.
- Weeks 11 to 12. Review results. Double down on pages that reach positions 5 to 15 with more links and section upgrades.
Assign an owner for each task. Add start and due dates.
Step 9: Track what matters
Report weekly on actions, not only ranks.
Core KPIs
- Top-3 and top-10 share for target keywords.
- Click-through rate change for target pages.
- Non-brand clicks from Search Console.
- New linking domains to target pages.
- Time to publish and time to first index.
A quick checklist
| Area | What to do | Owner | Status |
| Competitor list | 5 to 8 SERP rivals set | SEO | |
| Keyword universe | Union across you and rivals | SEO | |
| Gap scoring | Score by size, chance, fit | SEO + PMM | |
| Content briefs | H2s, info gain, SERP features | Editor | |
| Tech fixes | CWV, indexation, schema | Dev | |
| Link plan | Targets and outreach list | PR/SEO | |
| Tracking | KPIs and reporting cadence | Analyst |
Common mistakes to avoid
- Chasing head terms only. You burn effort and wait longer.
- Copying rival headings without adding new value.
- Ignoring intent. A product page will not rank for a how-to query.
- Shipping content before fixing crawl or speed issues.
- Treating link building as volume, not fit and quality.
- Doing a one-off audit, then going back to random blogging.
Why it matters
Competitor analysis cuts noise. It shows where you can win in the next 90 days. It guides content, links, and fixes that raise clicks and revenue, not just vanity ranks. You get clear targets, faster feedback, and compounding gains.
Tool-by-tool tips (use what you have)
- Search Console and SERPs only. You can run this workflow with exports and manual SERP reviews. It is slower, but accurate.
- Any major SEO suite. Use competitor discovery, keyword gap, top pages, and backlink reports to speed up each step.
- Analytics. Tie target pages to goals. Track non-brand traffic and assisted conversions.
Light guidance from primary sources
Google’s documentation explains how crawling, indexing, and ranking systems work. Use it to align your site with search basics. Also, learn how SERP features display and what signals help users pick your page. Industry guides from major SEO suites can help you execute keyword gaps, competitor reports, and link reviews with their tools.
Sources:
- Google Search Central, SEO Starter Guide, https://developers.google.com/search/docs/fundamentals/seo-starter-guide, accessed 2025-09-22
- Google, How Google Search ranking works, https://www.google.com/intl/en_us/search/howsearchworks/how-search-works/ranking-results, accessed 2025-09-22
- Ahrefs, How to Do an SEO Competitor Analysis [With Template], https://ahrefs.com/blog/seo-competitor-analysis/, published 2025-02-17, accessed 2025-09-22
- Semrush, A Guide to Keyword Competition in SEO & PPC, https://www.semrush.com/blog/keyword-competition/, updated 2025-09-19, accessed 2025-09-22
- Semrush, How to Do an SEO Competitor Analysis, https://www.semrush.com/blog/how-to-do-seo-competitive-analysis/, updated 2025-01-08, accessed 2025-09-22