Search engine optimisation (SEO) can be daunting and hard to know where to start. However, with a bit of help, getting the basics right can be far more straightforward than expected. Analysing your online and offline competitors is one of the most effective strategies to help your online presence grow.
A good SEO agency will assist with this matter and the actions required to analyse competitors’ traffic and take advantage of it. But why is this so important, and how can it be done right?
What is competitor traffic analysis?
Competitor traffic analysis looks at the traffic your competitors generate online. You should focus on:
- Identifying from where your competitor’s traffic is coming. Is it social media, search engines, or other sites?
- Examining their key marketing strategies. Are they going for inbound links, utilising PPC (pay per click) advertising, or something else?
- Analysing their top keywords. What keywords are they ranking highly on?
Why does competitor analysis matter?
You can benefit from knowing what your competitors are doing. When you examine their traffic, you will:
- Identify their strengths and notice your weaknesses
- Improve your understanding of your target audience and its behaviour
- Notice market trends you might have missed
You will recognise how your competitors are conducting their SEO. This valuable information gives you a better insight into your strategy. You can stay one step ahead of your competition if you are aware of what they are doing.
Think about marathon running, for example. While every racer has to execute their race strategy, they also need to stay alert to what others are doing. They need to know how to respond to early break-offs and other shifts during the race.
Competitor traffic in the COVID-19 era
The pandemic has changed the rules of business. Most companies had to adjust to social distancing rules and lockdowns. According to a McKinsey study, the adoption of digital technologies sped up by several years due to COVID-19. Research also shows how online sales’ portion of total sales grew by over 10% compared to pre-pandemic gains.
SEO performance is now essential for every business; whether you relied on your online audience in the past or not doesn’t matter. You need to make sure your SEO strategy is working in an increasingly digital world. If you haven’t done so before, now is an excellent time to start working with a PPC marketing agency, too!
How to take advantage of your competitors’ traffic?
Competitors’ traffic analysis is essential. The process can also be relatively simple. You need to focus your efforts on:
1. Finding your competitors
The first thing is to examine your competitors. You might already have a good idea who your biggest competition is. However, keep in mind there are three types of competitors out there. You can have:
- Direct competitors – They offer the same products and services to the same market and customer base. Depending on your business, they could be local or global, for example, Nike and Adidas.
- Indirect competitors – They offer similar products and services, but their goals and audiences might be different from yours. One such example is Dominos and Mcdonald’s.
- Substitute competitors – Companies offering a product or service to your customer base without it being the exact thing, e.g., Rolex and Casio.
The easiest way to find competitors is with a simple Google search.
2. Checking their backlink sources
You surely want to have a look at the marketing campaigns your competitors are running. SEO agencies can help you identify the keywords competitors are focusing on. While you might not want to target these exact keywords, knowing what they are can be a big help.
It is especially useful to look at your competitors’ backlink sources. Analysing your competitors’ backlink portfolios will help you with your link building strategy because you’ll be able to determine which valuable and reliable websites that they’ve managed to obtain backlinks from previously, as well as examine their anchor text (the word used to link to the other website) portfolio.
3. Analysing their social media
Finally, you shouldn’t forget about social media. You should look at how well your competitors are faring on different platforms. Focus on engagement and keep an eye on things like likes, views, and shares. The most popular content can help you understand what your customers might be interested in.
Aside from social media, you should check competitor websites as well. You want to know the kind of content your competitors have and the visual brand image they are using. Again, it’s important not to copy any of it but to understand how to differentiate your business best.
Put the above strategies to good use and take advantage of your competitors’ traffic. Reliable SEO & PPC agencies can act as your guide. They have a good understanding of what other companies are doing online and can further boost your marketing strategies!