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Why do your competitors keep outranking you on Google even when your content looks just as good as them (or maybe even better)? I get it - this can feel hopeless but let me tell you - the solution might be sitting right under your nose.
I'm talking about - competitor keyword strategy.
That's right! By analyzing keywords of competitors, you get to know exactly what's working for them (as well as what's not), which allows you to compete on the same page with them, giving you an opportunity to offer more value to your audience.
It's after a well executed competitor keyword strategy that you see your high value content win the competition against your rivals.
In this comprehensive guide, I'll walk you through exactly how to leverage keywords of competitors and find the gap to outrank your competition step by step.
Competitor keywords are the search terms that are helping your competitors score top on the SERPs, boosting their visibility and sales.
Let's use a real example to understand this better.
Say you run a home decor e-commerce store. If your competitor consistently ranks for terms like "modern wall art" or "affordable home decor," those phrases are the competitor keywords. These terms are what bring them traffic, and this is exactly what you can also rank for.
Before you turn intrigued to research them, it will be helpful to know that competitor keywords fall into two main categories:
You may target both but by understanding what keywords your competitors are using, you clearly get an insight to what's working for them and where they're missing out. This is how you refine your keyword strategy and target the right keywords that will help you lead the search engine (SERP).
Caution: Never copy competitors' keywords, as that will lead to black hat practice.
Searching what keywords my competitors are using isn't just about spying on their keywords. There's more to it, which we will explore below:
When you look at your competitor's keywords, you will be able to spot the topics you haven't covered yet. This instantly helps you spot the gap and gives you a chance to fill it up by creating new content that fills it.
By seeing how competitors rank for certain keywords, you can clearly spot what makes their content successful. Now, you can use the same information (in your own way) to make your own content better.
Competitors often rank for keywords with less keyword difficulty. Competitor keyword research helps you discover these keywords and reach people whom you couldn't before. This means more leads, leading to more sales.
Looking at competitor keywords also tells you what your target audience is searching for and what they want. Once you learn this, you can create content that solves their problems.
Competitor keyword research gives you new ideas and marketing strategies. You might discover trends in your industry that you hadn't noticed before, which can help you lead the competition.
Considering all the above benefits we can conclude that a proper competitor keyword research is all you need for creating a strong SEO strategy, to outperform your competitors and retain the audience.
Recommended Readings: Branded vs Non-Branded Keywords: What are they & How to Use Them?
Let’s explore how you can start with a competitor keyword strategy.
The first step in performing competitor keyword research is to have clarity on who your competitors are. They may not necessarily be your direct business rivals, but they can be other websites that are ranking for the same topic.
Start with a broad competitor keyword research.
Start with a topic or your main product as a search term. This will give you a list of potential competitors who already rank for it. These top-ranking domains are your SEO competitors.
Use keyword research tools.
Once you have the competitors, enter them into SEO tools to find websites ranking for similar keywords. This reveals competitors you might have overlooked.
Check Related Searches
At the bottom of Google search results, you'll find related searches. These keywords can often hint toward your indirect competitors targeting similar audiences.
Analyze backlink profiles
Check the content of top-ranking websites to find out which other site in your niche is linking to it. This way, you can find more competitors and study their content.
Consider indirect competitors
Think about businesses solving the same problem as you but with a different approach or product. If you don't have a strong Domain Authority (DA), you can just focus on the direct competitors.
Remember, your SEO competitors might differ from your business competitors. Focus on who's ranking for the keywords you want to target, regardless of their business model or size.
Recommended Readings: What are LSI keywords? How to Find and Use Them in Your SEO Strategy?
Advanced SEO tools ease the process of identifying competitors' keywords. These tools give you direct data about your competitors, which would be time-consuming manually. Here's how to make the most of them:
Historical data analysis is another powerful feature. They give you an insight on how competitor rankings have changed over time. With this, you can identify seasonal trends and spot keywords they've recently started ranking for. This helps you to stay ahead of your competitors in the industry.
SERP analysis helps you understand the search intent and difficulty associated with each keyword. Examine the types of content that are ranking—such as blogs, product pages, and videos—and evaluate the domain authority of the sites that are ranking. This information will guide you in creating content that aligns with user intent and competes effectively.
You can read more about four types of search intent keywords here.
Wondering, "How can I find my competitor's keywords" without tools? You can do this manually by exploring competitor websites. Manual research involves digging into the details of your competitor's websites to understand their keyword strategies without using any SEO tools. Here are a few areas that you need to focus on:
When researching manually, check for FAQ sections which can reveal long-tail keywords and common customer queries. More to it, reviewing their sitemap can show you their content hierarchy and reveal hidden pages.
True, manual research is time-consuming but then it also reveals detailed insights into your competitors' strategies whichtools might miss on. Consider it as a direct insight on how your competitors are structuring their content for high ranking and which keywords they're focusing on.
While collecting competitor keywords, focus on the quality or relevance of keywords rather than the quantity.
Identifying content gaps is crucial. Look for high-value keywords your competitors rank for where you lack content. This can guide your content creation strategy, helping you fill gaps in your coverage.
Don't overlook long-tail variations. These often have lower competition and higher conversion potential. If relevant to your business, also check for local opportunities. Location-based keywords competitors are targeting can be valuable for businesses serving specific areas.
We always enter the right location before jumping into keywords, which helps us target the right audience.
Not all competitor keywords will be equally valuable for your site. Here's how to evaluate and prioritize:
Consider your site's authority and compare your domain strength to top-ranking sites. It's wise to choose battles you can realistically win, so choose your competitors accordingly. Also, it's a good practice to estimate the potential ROI by considering whether ranking for this keyword will likely lead to conversions or other valuable actions.
Ultimately, you have to look for content gaps. While checking your competitor's content, see if there is a perspective that your competitors have missed. This is where you can stand out as unique and lead the competition.
Wondering how to check competitor's keywords for free? There are several effective free methods to get started:
Ubersuggest is another great tool that can be of great help to you, though in limited scope.
Google's "People Also Ask" and "Related Searches" features can also reveal something useful. For this, you need to search for the main keywords and note the questions and related terms Google suggests. These indicate keywords Google finds important as its audience has been searching for it.
Though free methods may not offer as much depth as paid tools, they're excellent for initial research and can still help you rank in selective niches. Use them first before investing in more advanced tools.
You found the competitor's keywords. But that's not it. It's also equally important to use them correctly. Let's see how you can use them.
Competitor keywords help you find fresh content ideas that will intrigue your target audience. You can also analyze keyword clusters to see which of your competitors rank. This will help you brainstorm content ideas around them. For example, if a competitor ranks for "best vegan protein powders," you could create a more comprehensive guide like "Top Vegan Protein Powders for Every Fitness Goal."
Identify gaps in their content and use these gaps to create something better. Are they missing detailed comparisons, FAQs, or tutorials? Then, use these gaps to create more valuable content than your competitor's.
Incorporate competitor keywords naturally in your titles. For instance, instead of "Protein Powders Guide," use "10 Best Vegan Protein Powders (Expert Reviews & Comparisons)."
Consider using tools like Google's "People Also Ask" section or competitor FAQs. This helps you in identifying questions what your audience is searching for. Note these and make them a part of your blog.
As important as any keywords are, place competitor keywords throughout your content in the right manner. This signals the search engines of good SEO content. Here's where to include these keywords:
Avoid keyword stuffing as it can harm user experience and lead to penalties. Instead, focus on naturally including the keywords and using semantic variations of your target terms.
Improve Your Overall Content Quality
Using competitor keywords isn't just about including them throughout your content. It's about creating something better than what's already ranking. You can do this by analyzing top-ranking competitor pages and asking:
Make sure your content fully answers user queries while offering real value. High-quality content keeps visitors engaged longer, boosting dwell time and signaling relevance to search engines.
Not all keywords are created equal. To maximize the impact of keywords for SEO strategy, prioritizing some keywords over others is necessary. But, which ones?
Start by focusing on high-intent keywords that indicate users are closer to taking action, such as making a purchase or signing up for a service. These keywords often include terms like "buy," "best," or "review."
Next, identify broader keywords that will bring a broader audience and attract more traffic. And then use niche keywords to get higher conversion rates.
Grouping keywords by search intent is also a helpful strategy. You can always align informational queries with blog posts and guides and target transactional searches with product pages. This strategy helps your content to match the user expectations which improves user engagement and rankings.
It could feel exciting and be at an advantage to have competitor keywords, but using them wrongly can cost you quality. Avoid these mistakes when using the keywords:
In conclusion, using competitor keywords is the secret to an impactful SEO. By finding out what keywords your competitors are using, you can create better content and outrank them. This requires a clear understanding of who your competitors are, using tools to see what keywords they are using, and naturally adding those keywords to your content . While implementing these, it's important to avoid mistakes like stuffing keywords. By doing this and staying up-to-date with search trends, you can improve your online visibility and get more targeted traffic to your site.
If you need help spotting your competitors and outranking them using competitor keywords, we're just one click away.
