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)