Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) tells a search engine algorithm how to value your web page compared to competitor pages for a given search term. Competitor benchmarking helps you see how your campaign performs against others in the same industry or others offering the same products.
It’s an important SEO technique and a staple of all our SEO campaigns here at SQ Digital.
A simple way to think of competitor analysis for SEO is to imagine that listings in a search engine are shops on the high street and that search engine users are people browsing on the street.
Competitor analysis involves identifying the shops that attract the most people and then looking closely at them to see what those shops are doing to draw in potential customers.
The principle for SEO competitor research is exactly the same.
SEO opportunities can be identified from the analysis of pages that appear higher in search results for a relevant search term. At SQ Digital, this reverse engineering method is used as an integral part of our SEO campaigns.
We use competitor research to audit content, keywords, backlink profiles and many other features underpinning SEO:
At the start of (and throughout) our clients’ campaigns, we find search terms that competitors are ranking for. We harness this information and use it to identify relevant keywords to use in our clients’ campaigns and gaps in competitor optimisation, which we can take advantage of by targeting a niche.
Keyword gap analysis helps us understand how feasible it is to rank high for specific keywords over a given timeframe. In turn, it allows us to inform clients of timescales and to suggest that other digital marketing channels, such as PPC, and content marketing, should be considered together with SEO for a comprehensive strategy.
We look at content length, semantic terminology, keyword volume, internal links, and many other content-associated factors for our content analysis work.
We use the data obtained to improve landing pages and blog posts further, a key element of our on-page SEO services. We also use this type of work to carry out click-through rate optimisation, where the conversion potential of a listing is analysed alongside other listings to identify improvements that will further encourage clicks, even from the same ranking position. Analysis like this is crucial for effective SEO content writing.
Local SEO is crucial for many of our clients who need to appear for localised search results. Google will offer results based on the searcher’s location when the right type of search is made. These include search queries that Google recognises for services from a business that must be nearby, for example, plumbers, garages or paint shops. We look at local rankings, search demand and the search engine results pages (SERPs) to optimise for local search and local map listings. Google My Business profiles play an important role in local organic traffic, and, as a result, we enhance this platform based on competitor research.
Our SEO competitor benchmarking is founded on quantitative research. The data we use is collected using sophisticated SEO software. We understand the impact that our work can have on our clients’ businesses’ online visibility and revenue, as our data-driven competitor research provides information that allows us to make intelligent decisions for your SEO campaign.
If you’re ready to transform your SEO strategy with an award-winning agency, contact us today.