competitor-analysis

# Competitor Analysis

This skill provides comprehensive analysis of competitor SEO and GEO strategies, revealing what's working in your market and identifying opportunities to outperform the competition.

## When to Use This Skill

- Entering a new market or niche
- Planning content strategy based on competitor success
- Understanding why competitors rank higher
- Finding backlink and partnership opportunities
- Identifying content gaps competitors are missing
- Analyzing competitor AI citation strategies
- Benchmarking your SEO performance

## What This Skill Does

1. **Keyword Analysis**: Identifies keywords competitors rank for
2. **Content Audit**: Analyzes competitor content strategies and formats
3. **Backlink Profiling**: Reviews competitor link-building approaches
4. **Technical Assessment**: Evaluates competitor site health
5. **GEO Analysis**: Identifies how competitors appear in AI responses
6. **Gap Identification**: Finds opportunities competitors miss
7. **Strategy Extraction**: Reveals actionable insights from competitor success

## How to Use

### Basic Competitor Analysis

```
Analyze SEO strategy for [competitor URL]
```

```
Compare my site [URL] against [competitor 1], [competitor 2], [competitor 3]
```

### Specific Analysis

```
What content is driving the most traffic for [competitor]?
```

```
Analyze why [competitor] ranks #1 for [keyword]
```

### GEO-Focused Analysis

```
How is [competitor] getting cited in AI responses? What can I learn?
```

## Instructions

When a user requests competitor analysis:

1. **Identify Competitors**

   If not specified, help identify competitors:
   
   ```markdown
   ### Competitor Identification Framework
   
   **Direct Competitors** (same product/service)
   - Search "[your main keyword]" and note top 5 organic results
   - Check who's advertising for your keywords
   - Ask: Who do customers compare you to?
   
   **Indirect Competitors** (different solution, same problem)
   - Search problem-focused keywords
   - Look at alternative solutions
   
   **Content Competitors** (compete for same keywords)
   - May not sell same product
   - Rank for your target keywords
   - Include media sites, blogs, aggregators
   ```

2. **Gather Competitor Data**

   For each competitor, collect:
   
   ```markdown
   ## Competitor Profile: [Name]
   
   **Basic Info**
   - URL: [website]
   - Domain Age: [years]
   - Estimated Traffic: [monthly visits]
   - Domain Authority/Rating: [score]
   
   **Business Model**
   - Type: [SaaS/E-commerce/Content/etc.]
   - Target Audience: [description]
   - Key Offerings: [products/services]
   ```

3. **Analyze Keyword Rankings**

   ```markdown
   ### Keyword Analysis: [Competitor]
   
   **Total Keywords Ranking**: [X]
   **Keywords in Top 10**: [X]
   **Keywords in Top 3**: [X]
   
   #### Top Performing Keywords
   
   | Keyword | Position | Volume | Traffic Est. | Page |
   |---------|----------|--------|--------------|------|
   | [kw 1] | [pos] | [vol] | [traffic] | [url] |
   | [kw 2] | [pos] | [vol] | [traffic] | [url] |
   
   #### Keyword Distribution by Intent
   
   - Informational: [X]% ([keywords])
   - Commercial: [X]% ([keywords])  
   - Transactional: [X]% ([keywords])
   - Navigational: [X]% ([keywords])
   
   #### Keyword Gaps (They rank, you don't)
   
   | Keyword | Their Position | Volume | Opportunity |
   |---------|----------------|--------|-------------|
   | [kw 1] | [pos] | [vol] | [analysis] |
   ```

4. **Audit Content Strategy**

   ```markdown
   ### Content Analysis: [Competitor]
   
   **Content Volume**
   - Total Pages: [X]
   - Blog Posts: [X]
   - Landing Pages: [X]
   - Resource Pages: [X]
   
   **Content Performance**
   
   #### Top Performing Content
   
   | Title | URL | Est. Traffic | Keywords | Backlinks |
   |-------|-----|--------------|----------|-----------|
   | [title 1] | [url] | [traffic] | [X] | [X] |
   
   **Content Patterns**
   
   - Average word count: [X] words
   - Publishing frequency: [X] posts/month
   - Content formats used:
     - Blog posts: [X]%
     - Guides/tutorials: [X]%
     - Case studies: [X]%
     - Tools/calculators: [X]%
     - Videos: [X]%
   
   **Content Themes**
   
   | Theme | # Articles | Combined Traffic |
   |-------|------------|------------------|
   | [theme 1] | [X] | [traffic] |
   | [theme 2] | [X] | [traffic] |
   
   **What Makes Their Content Successful**
   
   1. [Success factor 1 with example]
   2. [Success factor 2 with example]
   3. [Success factor 3 with example]
   ```

5. **Analyze Backlink Profile**

   ```markdown
   ### Backlink Analysis: [Competitor]
   
   **Overview**
   - Total Backlinks: [X]
   - Referring Domains: [X]
   - Domain Rating: [X]
   
   **Link Quality Distribution**
   - High Authority (DR 70+): [X]%
   - Medium Authority (DR 30-69): [X]%
   - Low Authority (DR <30): [X]%
   
   **Top Linking Domains**
   
   | Domain | DR | Link Type | Target Page |
   |--------|-----|-----------|-------------|
   | [domain 1] | [DR] | [type] | [page] |
   
   **Link Acquisition Patterns**
   
   - Guest posts: [X]%
   - Editorial/organic: [X]%
   - Resource pages: [X]%
   - Directories: [X]%
   - Other: [X]%
   
   **Linkable Assets (Content attracting links)**
   
   | Asset | Type | Backlinks | Why It Works |
   |-------|------|-----------|--------------|
   | [asset 1] | [type] | [X] | [reason] |
   ```

6. **Technical SEO Assessment**

   ```markdown
   ### Technical Analysis: [Competitor]
   
   **Site Performance**
   - Core Web Vitals: [Pass/Fail]
   - LCP: [X]s
   - FID: [X]ms
   - CLS: [X]
   - Mobile-friendly: [Yes/No]
   
   **Site Structure**
   - Site architecture depth: [X] levels
   - Internal linking quality: [Rating]
   - URL structure: [Clean/Messy]
   - Sitemap present: [Yes/No]
   
   **Technical Strengths**
   1. [Strength 1]
   2. [Strength 2]
   
   **Technical Weaknesses**
   1. [Weakness 1]
   2. [Weakness 2]
   ```

7. **GEO/AI Citation Analysis**

   ```markdown
   ### GEO Analysis: [Competitor]
   
   **AI Visibility Assessment**
   
   Test competitor content in AI systems for relevant queries:
   
   | Query | AI Mentions Competitor? | What's Cited | Why |
   |-------|------------------------|--------------|-----|
   | [query 1] | Yes/No | [content] | [reason] |
   | [query 2] | Yes/No | [content] | [reason] |
   
   **GEO Strategies Observed**
   
   1. **Clear Definitions**
      - Example: [quote from their content]
      - Effectiveness: [rating]
   
   2. **Quotable Statistics**
      - Example: [quote from their content]
      - Effectiveness: [rating]
   
   3. **Q&A Format Content**
      - Examples found: [X] pages
      - Topics covered: [list]
   
   4. **Authority Signals**
      - Expert authorship: [Yes/No]
      - Citations to sources: [Yes/No]
      - Original research: [Yes/No]
   
   **GEO Opportunities They're Missing**
   
   | Topic | Why Missing | Your Opportunity |
   |-------|-------------|------------------|
   | [topic 1] | [reason] | [action] |
   ```

8. **Synthesize Competitive Intelligence**

   ```markdown
   # Competitive Analysis Report
   
   **Analysis Date**: [Date]
   **Competitors Analyzed**: [List]
   **Your Site**: [URL]
   
   ## Executive Summary
   
   [2-3 paragraph overview of key findings and recommendations]
   
   ## Competitive Landscape
   
   | Metric | You | Competitor 1 | Competitor 2 | Competitor 3 |
   |--------|-----|--------------|--------------|--------------|
   | Domain Authority | [X] | [X] | [X] | [X] |
   | Organic Traffic | [X] | [X] | [X] | [X] |
   | Keywords Top 10 | [X] | [X] | [X] | [X] |
   | Backlinks | [X] | [X] | [X] | [X] |
   | Content Pages | [X] | [X] | [X] | [X] |
   
   ## Competitor Strengths to Learn From
   
   ### [Competitor 1]
   - **Strength**: [description]
   - **Why It Works**: [analysis]
   - **How to Apply**: [action item]
   
   [Repeat for each competitor]
   
   ## Competitor Weaknesses to Exploit
   
   ### Gap 1: [Description]
   - Who's weak: [competitors]
   - Opportunity size: [estimate]
   - Recommended action: [specific steps]
   
   [Repeat for each gap]
   
   ## Keyword Opportunities
   
   ### Keywords to Target (Competitor overlap)
   | Keyword | Volume | Avg Position | Best Strategy |
   |---------|--------|--------------|---------------|
   | [kw] | [vol] | [pos] | [strategy] |
   
   ### Untapped Keywords (No competitor coverage)
   | Keyword | Volume | Difficulty | Opportunity |
   |---------|--------|------------|-------------|
   | [kw] | [vol] | [diff] | [description] |
   
   ## Content Strategy Recommendations
   
   Based on competitor analysis:
   
   1. **Create**: [Content type] about [topic] because [reason]
   2. **Improve**: [Existing content] to match/exceed [competitor content]
   3. **Promote**: [Content] to sites like [competitor's link sources]
   
   ## Action Plan
   
   ### Immediate (This Week)
   1. [Action item]
   2. [Action item]
   
   ### Short-term (This Month)
   1. [Action item]
   2. [Action item]
   
   ### Long-term (This Quarter)
   1. [Action item]
   2. [Action item]
   ```

## Example

**User**: "Analyze why HubSpot ranks so well for marketing-related keywords"

**Output**:

```markdown
# Competitive Analysis: HubSpot

## SEO Strategy Overview

HubSpot dominates marketing keywords through a combination of:
1. **Massive content moat** - 10,000+ blog posts
2. **Free tools as linkbait** - Website grader, email signature generator
3. **Educational brand** - Academy, certifications, courses
4. **Topic cluster model** - Pioneered the pillar/cluster approach

## What Makes Them Successful

### Content Strategy

**Publishing Volume**: 50-100 posts/month
**Average Word Count**: 2,500+ words
**Content Types**:
- In-depth guides (35%)
- How-to tutorials (25%)
- Templates & examples (20%)
- Data/research (10%)
- Tools & calculators (10%)

**Top Performing Content Pattern**:
1. Ultimate guides on broad topics
2. Free templates with email gate
3. Statistics roundup posts
4. Definition posts ("What is [term]")

### GEO Success Factors

HubSpot appears in AI responses frequently because:

1. **Clear definitions** at the start of every post
   > "Inbound marketing is a business methodology that attracts customers by creating valuable content and experiences tailored to them."

2. **Quotable statistics**
   > "Companies that blog get 55% more website visitors"

3. **Comprehensive coverage** - AI trusts their authority

### Linkable Assets

| Asset | Backlinks | Why It Works |
|-------|-----------|--------------|
| Website Grader | 45,000+ | Free, instant value |
| Marketing Statistics | 12,000+ | Quotable reference |
| Blog Ideas Generator | 8,500+ | Solves real problem |

## Weaknesses to Exploit

1. **Content becoming dated** - Many posts 3+ years old
2. **Generic advice** - Lacks industry-specific depth
3. **Enterprise focus** - Underserves solopreneurs
4. **Slow innovation** - Same formats for years

## Your Opportunities

1. Create more specific, niche content they can't cover
2. Target long-tail keywords they ignore
3. Build interactive tools in emerging areas
4. Add original research they don't have
5. Focus on GEO-optimized definitions in your niche
```

## Advanced Analysis Types

### Content Gap Analysis

```
Show me content [competitor] has that I don't, sorted by traffic potential
```

### Link Intersection

```
Find sites linking to [competitor 1] AND [competitor 2] but not me
```

### SERP Feature Analysis

```
What SERP features do competitors win? (Featured snippets, PAA, etc.)
```

### Historical Tracking

```
How has [competitor]'s SEO strategy evolved over the past year?
```

## Tips for Success

1. **Analyze 3-5 competitors** for comprehensive view
2. **Include indirect competitors** - they often have innovative approaches
3. **Look beyond rankings** - analyze content quality, user experience
4. **Study their failures** - avoid their mistakes
5. **Monitor regularly** - competitor strategies evolve
6. **Focus on actionable insights** - what can you actually implement?

## Related Skills

- [keyword-research](../keyword-research/) - Research keywords competitors rank for
- [content-gap-analysis](../content-gap-analysis/) - Find content opportunities
- [backlink-analyzer](../../monitor/backlink-analyzer/) - Deep-dive into backlinks
- [serp-analysis](../serp-analysis/) - Understand search result composition