Using Competitor Analysis in Keyword Research
Competitor analysis is a powerful strategy to enhance your keyword research. By examining what keywords your competitors rank for, you can uncover valuable opportunities and gaps in your own SEO strategy.
In this article, we’ll explore how to use competitor analysis for keyword research and gain an edge in your market.
✅ Why Use Competitor Analysis?
Identify profitable keywords your competitors rank for
Find gaps or low competition keywords they may have missed
Understand keyword difficulty by analyzing competitor sites
Gain insights into their content strategy and backlink profile
✅ Step 1: Identify Your Competitors
Your competitors can be websites that rank for similar topics or target the same audience. Use Google search or SEO tools to find your main online competitors.
✅ Step 2: Use Tools to Analyze Competitor Keywords
Several SEO tools allow you to enter a competitor’s domain and see which keywords they rank for:
Ahrefs: Comprehensive competitor keyword data and traffic estimates
SEMrush: Keyword gaps and competitor analysis features
Ubersuggest: Free competitor keyword overview
Moz: Competitor keyword reports
✅ Step 3: Analyze Keyword Overlap and Gaps
Find keywords where both you and your competitors rank (overlap).
Discover keywords competitors rank for but you don’t (gaps). These are opportunities to target.
Evaluate keyword difficulty and search volume for these keywords.
✅ Step 4: Study Competitor Content and Backlinks
Look at how competitors optimize their content for the keywords:
Length and depth of their content
Use of keywords in titles, headers, and meta descriptions
Quality and quantity of backlinks
This helps you understand what it takes to outrank them.
✅ Step 5: Create Your Keyword Strategy
Prioritize keywords with low to medium competition that competitors rank for.
Target gaps with unique, high-quality content.
Keep monitoring competitor strategies regularly.
✅ Final Thoughts
Competitor analysis is a vital part of keyword research that can reveal hidden opportunities and help you refine your SEO efforts. Use this approach to build a smarter, more competitive keyword strategy.