SEO Competitor Analysis: A Step-by-Step Framework

TL;DR

SEO competitor analysis is not about copying competitors. It is about understanding where they are strong, where they are weak, and where the opportunities are. This framework covers competitor identification, keyword gap analysis, content evaluation, backlink comparison, and turning findings into an action plan.

Why Competitor Analysis Is the Fastest Path to SEO Results

Explain why analyzing what already works for competitors is more efficient than guessing. Cover the reduced risk of targeting validated keywords and topics.

Step 1: Identify Your Real SEO Competitors

Your SEO competitors are not always your business competitors. Cover how to find sites that rank for your target keywords. Link to finding your SEO competitors for the full discovery process.

Step 2: Analyze Their Keyword Portfolio

What Keywords They Rank For

How to extract a competitor’s ranked keywords using free and paid methods. Cover manual SERP analysis and tool-based extraction.

Finding Keyword Gaps

Identify keywords competitors rank for that you do not. This is the core output of competitor analysis. Link to content gap analysis for the detailed gap process. Delulu9 helps by pulling competitor keyword data across Google, Bing, and Reddit in one interface.

Assessing Their Keyword Weaknesses

How to find keywords where competitors rank with weak content that you can outperform.

Step 3: Evaluate Their Content Strategy

Content Volume and Frequency

How much they publish and how often. Cover what this signals about their investment level.

Content Quality and Depth

How to assess content quality beyond word count. Cover expertise signals, data usage, and structural quality. Link to competitor content analysis for what to learn from their content.

Content Clusters and Topical Authority

How to map out a competitor’s topic clusters and identify their authority areas.

Step 4: Analyze Their Backlink Profile

Overview of how to assess competitor backlinks for quantity, quality, and acquisition strategy. Link to analyzing competitor backlinks for the budget-friendly approach.

Step 5: Review Their Technical SEO

What to check in a competitor’s technical implementation: site speed, mobile experience, schema markup, and site architecture. Cover what advantages they might have that you can replicate.

Step 6: Check Their AI Search Presence

How to assess competitor visibility in AI search results. Query Claude, ChatGPT, and Perplexity with your target prompts and note which competitors get mentioned. Link to how LLMs recommend software and GEO guide.

Step 7: Build Your Action Plan

How to synthesize all analysis into a prioritized action plan. Cover the balance between quick wins (keyword gaps with weak competition) and long-term investments (building topical authority in competitor-dominated areas).

Competitor Analysis Cadence

How often to repeat this analysis. Cover quarterly reviews versus triggered reviews after major competitive changes.

How many competitors should I analyze?

Start with 3-5 direct SEO competitors. Analyzing too many dilutes focus and creates analysis paralysis. Choose the competitors that rank most frequently for your target keywords, not just the biggest names in your industry.

Should I worry about competitors in AI search too?

Yes. AI search is a new competitive surface. Check which competitors get recommended when people ask AI assistants questions related to your product category. This is increasingly important for SaaS companies where buyer research happens in AI chat.

What is the biggest mistake in competitor analysis?

Trying to compete head-on with sites that have 10x your domain authority. Instead, find the gaps where competitors are absent or weak. Your analysis should identify opportunities to differentiate, not to imitate.