YouTube Competitor Analyzer
Find and analyze competitor channels using YouTube Data API v3.
Setup
- API Key: Get from Google Cloud Console - enable YouTube Data API v3
- Input: User's channel (for context) OR list of competitor channels to analyze directly
API Endpoints
BASE_URL = https://www.googleapis.com/youtube/v3
# Search channels
GET /search?part=snippet&q={query}&type=channel&maxResults={n}&key={API_KEY}
# Channel details
GET /channels?part=snippet,statistics,contentDetails,brandingSettings&id={ids}&key={API_KEY}
# Channel videos
GET /search?part=snippet&channelId={id}&order=date&type=video&maxResults=50&key={API_KEY}
# Video details
GET /videos?part=snippet,statistics,contentDetails&id={ids}&key={API_KEY}
Competitor Discovery Methods
1. Keyword Search
Extract keywords from user's channel (description, title, brandingSettings.keywords), search for channels:
GET /search?q={keyword}&type=channel&maxResults=10
2. Content Similarity
Get user's recent video titles, extract frequent words (>4 chars), search channels with those terms.
3. Category Search
Search within same YouTube category as user's channel.
4. Related Discovery
Search using user's video titles/descriptions to find channels creating similar content.
5. Direct Input
User provides specific channels to analyze: @handles, channel IDs, or URLs.
Competitor Ranking
// Size similarity (log scale)
sizeSimilarity = 1 - Math.abs(Math.log10(compSubs+1) - Math.log10(targetSubs+1)) / 10;
// Engagement per video
engagementRate = viewCount / (videoCount || 1);
// Overall score
overallScore = sizeSimilarity * 0.3 + relevanceScore * 0.7;
Sort by overallScore, return top 10-15.
Comparative Analysis
For each competitor, extract:
| Metric | Description |
|---|---|
| Subscribers | Direct count |
| Total Views | Channel lifetime views |
| Video Count | Total videos published |
| Views/Video | Average performance |
| Upload Frequency | Videos per month |
| Channel Age | Days since creation |
Compare user channel vs competitor averages:
- Above/below average positioning
- Growth rate comparison
- Content volume gaps
Content Gap Analysis
Compare across competitors:
- Content types they cover vs user doesn't
- Duration preferences
- Upload schedules
- Title/thumbnail patterns
- High-performing topics
Output Report Structure
# Competitive Analysis Report
## Executive Summary
- Competitors found, key positioning insights
## Competitor Table
| Channel | Subs | Videos | Views | Views/Video | Score |
## Competitive Positioning
- User vs competitor averages
- Market position assessment
## Content Strategy Comparison
- What competitors do differently
- Common patterns among top performers
## Opportunities
- Content gaps to fill
- Underserved niches
- Schedule optimization
## Recommendations
- Strategic actions based on analysis
Niche-Specific Search Terms
For spiritual/wellness channels:
meditation, mindfulness, yoga, spiritual, consciousness, wellness, self-help, awakening
For tech channels:
tech review, unboxing, tutorial, how to, comparison, tips, gadget
For gaming:
gameplay, let's play, walkthrough, gaming, stream, esports
Quota Optimization
- Limit discovery to 20-30 initial channels
- Detailed analysis for top 10-15 only
- Batch video IDs (max 50 per call)
- Cache results when comparing multiple times
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