Competitor Content Analysis: What to Copy and What to Skip

TL;DR

Competitor content analysis is about learning, not copying. Study what works in their content – structure, topics, depth, and formats – then build something better by combining their validated approaches with your unique expertise and angles. This guide shows you what to adopt, improve, and skip.

The Right Way to Analyze Competitor Content

Distinguish between analysis and imitation. Cover why studying competitors is standard practice but copying content is both unethical and ineffective for SEO.

What to Adopt From Competitors

Content Structure and Format

When competitors use a specific format (listicle, guide, comparison) and it consistently ranks, the format is validated by the market. Adopt proven formats that match search intent.

Topic Coverage and Depth

If competitors consistently cover certain subtopics within a piece, that is what searchers and Google expect. Match or exceed their topical coverage.

Content Length Benchmarks

Use competitor content length as a benchmark, not a target. If the top results are 3,000 words, your 500-word post probably will not compete. But making yours 5,000 words does not automatically win either.

Internal Linking Patterns

Study how competitors link between their content pieces. Their internal linking reveals their content strategy and topical clusters.

What to Improve Upon

Outdated Information

Find competitor content with old statistics, defunct tool references, or outdated advice. Update these with current information in your version.

Missing Perspectives

Identify viewpoints, use cases, or audience segments competitors ignore. Fill these gaps with your unique expertise.

Better Examples and Data

Where competitors use generic examples or no data, provide specific, real-world examples and original research or statistics.

Readability and Structure

Many high-ranking competitor pages have poor formatting, wall-of-text paragraphs, and confusing structure. Better readability is a real competitive advantage.

AI Search Optimization

Most competitor content is not optimized for AI search. Structure your content for both traditional SEO and AI discoverability. Link to creating AI-friendly content and GEO guide.

What to Skip Entirely

Their Brand Voice

Do not mimic a competitor’s tone and personality. Your brand voice should be distinctive. Readers and AI engines both value authenticity.

Outdated Strategies

Just because a competitor does something does not mean it works. Some competitor practices are legacy habits they have not updated. Evaluate critically.

Low-Value Content Types

If competitors publish thin category pages, auto-generated content, or obvious SEO filler, do not replicate it. Focus on content that genuinely helps your audience.

Their Keyword Cannibalization Mistakes

If a competitor has multiple pages targeting the same keyword, do not repeat their mistake. Create one definitive piece instead.

The Competitor Content Analysis Process

Step 1: Select Pages to Analyze

How to choose which competitor pages to study. Focus on their top-performing content by traffic and rankings.

Step 2: Audit Each Page

What to document for each page: target keyword, content format, word count, heading structure, media usage, internal links, and unique angles.

Step 3: Identify Patterns

How to synthesize individual page analysis into patterns about what works in your niche.

Step 4: Plan Your Content

How to turn analysis into a content plan that leverages competitor insights. Link to keyword research complete guide for keyword selection and Delulu9 for validating target keywords across Google, Bing, and Reddit.

Ongoing Competitor Content Monitoring

How to keep tabs on competitor content without spending hours every week. Cover RSS feeds, alerts, and periodic manual reviews. Link to track competitor rankings for the monitoring process.

Is it OK to use the same structure as a competitor's article?

Using a similar structure (like a step-by-step format or comparison table) is fine because structure follows search intent. What matters is that your content contains original insights, better examples, and more current information. Do not copy their text, but matching a proven format is standard practice.

How do I make my content better than a competitor's?

Focus on three areas: more current data and examples, unique perspectives they do not offer, and better readability. Original research, expert quotes, and real-world case studies are differentiators that are hard for competitors to replicate.

Should I analyze competitor content that ranks well or their newest content?

Both, for different reasons. Content that ranks well tells you what currently works. Their newest content reveals their current strategy and emerging topics they think will matter. Together, you get a complete picture.