seo-competitor-analysis — SEO Competitive Intelligence
Analysis Framework
Step 1: Competitor Identification
Competitor Types
| Type |
Definition |
How to Find |
| Direct competitors |
Same product/service, same market |
Business knowledge |
| Indirect competitors |
Different product, same problem solved |
User research |
| SERP competitors |
Rank for same keywords, any industry |
DataForSEO / SERP analysis |
SERP Competitor Discovery
- Take your top 20 target keywords
- Analyze top 10 results for each
- Count domain frequency across all SERPs
- Domains appearing for 5+ of your keywords = SERP competitors
- Select top 3-5 competitors for deep analysis
Competitor Overview Dashboard
| Metric |
Your Site |
Comp A |
Comp B |
Comp C |
| Domain Rating (DR) |
— |
— |
— |
— |
| Est. organic traffic |
— |
— |
— |
— |
| Indexed pages |
— |
— |
— |
— |
| Domain age |
— |
— |
— |
— |
| Referring domains |
— |
— |
— |
— |
| Keywords in top 10 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
Step 2: Keyword Competition Analysis
Keyword Overlap Matrix
Your Site Comp A Comp B Comp C
Your Site — 45% 32% 28%
Comp A 45% — 51% 38%
Comp B 32% 51% — 42%
Comp C 28% 38% 42% —
Gap Analysis Categories
| Category |
Definition |
Action |
| Shared keywords |
All competitors rank |
Table stakes — must compete |
| Your unique keywords |
Only you rank |
Protect and strengthen |
| Competitor-only keywords |
They rank, you don't |
Evaluate and target |
| Untapped keywords |
No one ranks well |
First-mover advantage |
Share of Voice (SOV) Calculation
SOV = Σ (estimated_clicks per keyword) / Σ (total_clicks for all tracked keywords) × 100
Where estimated_clicks = search_volume × CTR_for_position
Track SOV monthly to measure competitive trajectory.
SERP Feature Ownership
| Feature |
Your Site |
Comp A |
Comp B |
Comp C |
| Featured Snippets |
X/Y |
— |
— |
— |
| AI Overview citations |
X/Y |
— |
— |
— |
| PAA appearances |
X/Y |
— |
— |
— |
| Video carousels |
X/Y |
— |
— |
— |
| Image packs |
X/Y |
— |
— |
— |
Step 3: Content Strategy Analysis
Content Audit per Competitor
| Element |
What to Analyze |
| Content types |
Blog posts, guides, tools, comparison pages, case studies, videos |
| Publishing frequency |
Posts per week/month, consistency |
| Top pages |
Highest-traffic 20 pages (via DataForSEO/SEMrush estimates) |
| Content depth |
Average word count, comprehensiveness |
| Content format |
Lists, tables, videos, infographics, interactive elements |
| E-E-A-T signals |
Author bios, credentials, citations, original research |
| Content freshness |
Update frequency, publication dates visible |
Content Gap Identification
- Map competitor's content to topic clusters
- Compare coverage against your site
- Identify: topics they cover that you don't
- Assess quality gap: are their pages better even for shared topics?
- Find differentiation angles: what unique perspective can you offer?
Content Strategy Matrix
| Topic |
Your Coverage |
Comp A |
Comp B |
Gap Type |
Priority |
| [topic] |
None |
Strong |
Medium |
Missing |
High |
| [topic] |
Weak |
Strong |
Strong |
Quality |
High |
| [topic] |
Strong |
None |
None |
Advantage |
Defend |
Step 4: Technical & Link Analysis
Technical SEO Comparison
| Factor |
Your Site |
Comp A |
Comp B |
Comp C |
| LCP (mobile) |
— |
— |
— |
— |
| INP (mobile) |
— |
— |
— |
— |
| CLS (mobile) |
— |
— |
— |
— |
| HTTPS |
— |
— |
— |
— |
| Mobile responsive |
— |
— |
— |
— |
| Schema types used |
— |
— |
— |
— |
| Site speed score |
— |
— |
— |
— |
Backlink Profile Comparison
| Metric |
Your Site |
Comp A |
Comp B |
Comp C |
| Total backlinks |
— |
— |
— |
— |
| Referring domains |
— |
— |
— |
— |
| DR/DA score |
— |
— |
— |
— |
| Link velocity (monthly) |
— |
— |
— |
— |
| Dofollow ratio |
— |
— |
— |
— |
| Top linking domains |
— |
— |
— |
— |
Cross-reference: seo-backlinks skill for detailed backlink analysis and link gap discovery.
Competitor Site Architecture
- URL structure patterns (flat vs deep hierarchy)
- Internal linking strategy (hub pages, breadcrumbs, related content)
- Navigation structure (mega menu, sidebar, footer links)
- Sitemap organization
AI Search Visibility Comparison
| Signal |
Your Site |
Comp A |
Comp B |
Comp C |
| AI Overview citations |
— |
— |
— |
— |
| Brand mention frequency |
— |
— |
— |
— |
| llms.txt present |
— |
— |
— |
— |
| Structured data coverage |
— |
— |
— |
— |
| Answer-first content |
— |
— |
— |
— |
Cross-reference: seo-geo skill for AI search optimization strategies.
Step 5: Strategic Recommendations
SWOT Analysis (SEO Dimension)
|
Helpful |
Harmful |
| Internal |
Strengths: Your SEO advantages |
Weaknesses: Your SEO gaps |
| External |
Opportunities: Market gaps to exploit |
Threats: Competitor moves to watch |
Quick Win Opportunities
Criteria for quick wins:
- Competitor weakness + your existing strength
- Low difficulty keywords where competitors rank but you don't
- SERP features competitors haven't captured
- Content topics with thin competitor coverage
Differentiation Strategy
| Strategy |
When to Use |
Example |
| Content depth |
Competitors have thin content |
Write the definitive guide |
| Unique data |
No one has original research |
Publish surveys, benchmarks |
| Format innovation |
All competitors use same format |
Interactive tools, calculators |
| Niche focus |
Competitors are generalists |
Specialize in a vertical |
| Freshness |
Competitor content is outdated |
Regular updates, latest data |
| E-E-A-T superiority |
Weak author signals in niche |
Expert authors, credentials |
Priority Action Plan
| Priority |
Action |
Expected Impact |
Timeline |
| Critical |
[actions blocking performance] |
High |
This week |
| High |
[significant competitive gaps] |
High |
This month |
| Medium |
[optimization opportunities] |
Medium |
This quarter |
| Low |
[nice-to-have improvements] |
Low |
Backlog |
Data Sources
DataForSEO Competitor Endpoints
| Endpoint |
Purpose |
/v3/dataforseo_labs/google/competitors_domain/live |
Discover SERP competitors |
/v3/dataforseo_labs/google/domain_intersection/live |
Keyword overlap analysis |
/v3/dataforseo_labs/google/domain_rank_overview/live |
Domain metrics overview |
/v3/dataforseo_labs/google/ranked_keywords/live |
All keywords a domain ranks for |
/v3/backlinks/competitors/live |
Backlink-based competitors |
Alternative: Manual Analysis
Without API access, use WebFetch + WebSearch to:
- Fetch competitor pages and analyze content structure
- Check robots.txt, sitemap.xml for site architecture clues
- Search
site:competitor.com to estimate indexed pages
- Analyze SERP for target keywords to find ranking competitors
Scoring
| Category |
Weight |
| Competitor Identification Accuracy |
15% |
| Keyword Gap Analysis |
25% |
| Content Strategy Insights |
25% |
| Technical & Link Analysis |
20% |
| Strategy Actionability |
15% |
Output Format
Generate COMPETITOR-ANALYSIS-[domain].md with:
- Competitor Overview (dashboard with key metrics)
- Keyword Gap Analysis (overlap matrix, missing keywords, SOV)
- Content Strategy Comparison (gaps, quality differences, formats)
- Technical Benchmark (CWV, speed, schema, mobile)
- Backlink Comparison (profile summary, link gap)
- AI Search Visibility (citations, brand mentions, structured data)
- SWOT Analysis (SEO-focused)
- Priority Action Plan (quick wins → strategic → long-term)
1---2name: seo-competitor-analysis3description: Comprehensive SEO competitor analysis covering competitor identification, keyword overlap and gap analysis, content strategy reverse-engineering, backlink profile comparison, technical SEO benchmarking, and AI search visibility comparison. Use when user says "competitor analysis", "competitive SEO", "competitor keywords", "competitor audit", "SEO benchmark", or "competitive intelligence".4---56# seo-competitor-analysis — SEO Competitive Intelligence78## Analysis Framework910### Step 1: Competitor Identification1112#### Competitor Types13| Type | Definition | How to Find |14|------|-----------|------------|15| **Direct competitors** | Same product/service, same market | Business knowledge |16| **Indirect competitors** | Different product, same problem solved | User research |17| **SERP competitors** | Rank for same keywords, any industry | DataForSEO / SERP analysis |1819#### SERP Competitor Discovery201. Take your top 20 target keywords212. Analyze top 10 results for each223. Count domain frequency across all SERPs234. Domains appearing for 5+ of your keywords = SERP competitors245. Select top 3-5 competitors for deep analysis2526#### Competitor Overview Dashboard27| Metric | Your Site | Comp A | Comp B | Comp C |28|--------|----------|--------|--------|--------|29| Domain Rating (DR) | — | — | — | — |30| Est. organic traffic | — | — | — | — |31| Indexed pages | — | — | — | — |32| Domain age | — | — | — | — |33| Referring domains | — | — | — | — |34| Keywords in top 10 | — | — | — | — |3536### Step 2: Keyword Competition Analysis3738#### Keyword Overlap Matrix39```40 Your Site Comp A Comp B Comp C41Your Site — 45% 32% 28%42Comp A 45% — 51% 38%43Comp B 32% 51% — 42%44Comp C 28% 38% 42% —45```4647#### Gap Analysis Categories48| Category | Definition | Action |49|----------|-----------|--------|50| **Shared keywords** | All competitors rank | Table stakes — must compete |51| **Your unique keywords** | Only you rank | Protect and strengthen |52| **Competitor-only keywords** | They rank, you don't | Evaluate and target |53| **Untapped keywords** | No one ranks well | First-mover advantage |5455#### Share of Voice (SOV) Calculation56```57SOV = Σ (estimated_clicks per keyword) / Σ (total_clicks for all tracked keywords) × 1005859Where estimated_clicks = search_volume × CTR_for_position60```6162Track SOV monthly to measure competitive trajectory.6364#### SERP Feature Ownership65| Feature | Your Site | Comp A | Comp B | Comp C |66|---------|----------|--------|--------|--------|67| Featured Snippets | X/Y | — | — | — |68| AI Overview citations | X/Y | — | — | — |69| PAA appearances | X/Y | — | — | — |70| Video carousels | X/Y | — | — | — |71| Image packs | X/Y | — | — | — |7273### Step 3: Content Strategy Analysis7475#### Content Audit per Competitor76| Element | What to Analyze |77|---------|----------------|78| **Content types** | Blog posts, guides, tools, comparison pages, case studies, videos |79| **Publishing frequency** | Posts per week/month, consistency |80| **Top pages** | Highest-traffic 20 pages (via DataForSEO/SEMrush estimates) |81| **Content depth** | Average word count, comprehensiveness |82| **Content format** | Lists, tables, videos, infographics, interactive elements |83| **E-E-A-T signals** | Author bios, credentials, citations, original research |84| **Content freshness** | Update frequency, publication dates visible |8586#### Content Gap Identification871. Map competitor's content to topic clusters882. Compare coverage against your site893. Identify: topics they cover that you don't904. Assess quality gap: are their pages better even for shared topics?915. Find differentiation angles: what unique perspective can you offer?9293#### Content Strategy Matrix94| Topic | Your Coverage | Comp A | Comp B | Gap Type | Priority |95|-------|-------------|--------|--------|----------|----------|96| [topic] | None | Strong | Medium | Missing | High |97| [topic] | Weak | Strong | Strong | Quality | High |98| [topic] | Strong | None | None | Advantage | Defend |99100### Step 4: Technical & Link Analysis101102#### Technical SEO Comparison103| Factor | Your Site | Comp A | Comp B | Comp C |104|--------|----------|--------|--------|--------|105| LCP (mobile) | — | — | — | — |106| INP (mobile) | — | — | — | — |107| CLS (mobile) | — | — | — | — |108| HTTPS | — | — | — | — |109| Mobile responsive | — | — | — | — |110| Schema types used | — | — | — | — |111| Site speed score | — | — | — | — |112113#### Backlink Profile Comparison114| Metric | Your Site | Comp A | Comp B | Comp C |115|--------|----------|--------|--------|--------|116| Total backlinks | — | — | — | — |117| Referring domains | — | — | — | — |118| DR/DA score | — | — | — | — |119| Link velocity (monthly) | — | — | — | — |120| Dofollow ratio | — | — | — | — |121| Top linking domains | — | — | — | — |122123Cross-reference: `seo-backlinks` skill for detailed backlink analysis and link gap discovery.124125#### Competitor Site Architecture126- URL structure patterns (flat vs deep hierarchy)127- Internal linking strategy (hub pages, breadcrumbs, related content)128- Navigation structure (mega menu, sidebar, footer links)129- Sitemap organization130131#### AI Search Visibility Comparison132| Signal | Your Site | Comp A | Comp B | Comp C |133|--------|----------|--------|--------|--------|134| AI Overview citations | — | — | — | — |135| Brand mention frequency | — | — | — | — |136| llms.txt present | — | — | — | — |137| Structured data coverage | — | — | — | — |138| Answer-first content | — | — | — | — |139140Cross-reference: `seo-geo` skill for AI search optimization strategies.141142### Step 5: Strategic Recommendations143144#### SWOT Analysis (SEO Dimension)145| | Helpful | Harmful |146|--|---------|---------|147| **Internal** | **Strengths**: Your SEO advantages | **Weaknesses**: Your SEO gaps |148| **External** | **Opportunities**: Market gaps to exploit | **Threats**: Competitor moves to watch |149150#### Quick Win Opportunities151Criteria for quick wins:152- Competitor weakness + your existing strength153- Low difficulty keywords where competitors rank but you don't154- SERP features competitors haven't captured155- Content topics with thin competitor coverage156157#### Differentiation Strategy158| Strategy | When to Use | Example |159|----------|------------|---------|160| **Content depth** | Competitors have thin content | Write the definitive guide |161| **Unique data** | No one has original research | Publish surveys, benchmarks |162| **Format innovation** | All competitors use same format | Interactive tools, calculators |163| **Niche focus** | Competitors are generalists | Specialize in a vertical |164| **Freshness** | Competitor content is outdated | Regular updates, latest data |165| **E-E-A-T superiority** | Weak author signals in niche | Expert authors, credentials |166167#### Priority Action Plan168| Priority | Action | Expected Impact | Timeline |169|----------|--------|----------------|----------|170| Critical | [actions blocking performance] | High | This week |171| High | [significant competitive gaps] | High | This month |172| Medium | [optimization opportunities] | Medium | This quarter |173| Low | [nice-to-have improvements] | Low | Backlog |174175## Data Sources176177### DataForSEO Competitor Endpoints178| Endpoint | Purpose |179|----------|---------|180| `/v3/dataforseo_labs/google/competitors_domain/live` | Discover SERP competitors |181| `/v3/dataforseo_labs/google/domain_intersection/live` | Keyword overlap analysis |182| `/v3/dataforseo_labs/google/domain_rank_overview/live` | Domain metrics overview |183| `/v3/dataforseo_labs/google/ranked_keywords/live` | All keywords a domain ranks for |184| `/v3/backlinks/competitors/live` | Backlink-based competitors |185186### Alternative: Manual Analysis187Without API access, use WebFetch + WebSearch to:1881. Fetch competitor pages and analyze content structure1892. Check robots.txt, sitemap.xml for site architecture clues1903. Search `site:competitor.com` to estimate indexed pages1914. Analyze SERP for target keywords to find ranking competitors192193## Scoring194195| Category | Weight |196|----------|--------|197| Competitor Identification Accuracy | 15% |198| Keyword Gap Analysis | 25% |199| Content Strategy Insights | 25% |200| Technical & Link Analysis | 20% |201| Strategy Actionability | 15% |202203## Output Format204205Generate `COMPETITOR-ANALYSIS-[domain].md` with:2061. **Competitor Overview** (dashboard with key metrics)2072. **Keyword Gap Analysis** (overlap matrix, missing keywords, SOV)2083. **Content Strategy Comparison** (gaps, quality differences, formats)2094. **Technical Benchmark** (CWV, speed, schema, mobile)2105. **Backlink Comparison** (profile summary, link gap)2116. **AI Search Visibility** (citations, brand mentions, structured data)2127. **SWOT Analysis** (SEO-focused)2138. **Priority Action Plan** (quick wins → strategic → long-term)
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