Staying one step ahead of the competition is a prerequisite to succeed online in the constantly evolving landscape of SEO.
To achieve this, one of the most effective ways is, running a competitive analysis of keywords.
Through this process, you can learn which keywords the competitors are focusing on, how they rank for those keywords and where your own opportunities lie.
So in this blog, let us explore why would you want to run competitive analysis of keywords with example.
What is Competitive Keyword Analysis?
The process of researching the keywords that the competitors are ranking for and analyzing their strategies are termed as Competitive Keyword Analysis.
This goes deeper than basic keyword research. You will gain insights into how the competitors are attracting the audience rather than simply focusing on what the target audience is searching for.
By understanding their Keyword Strategy, you can improve your own SEO approach, target opportunities that go unnoticed and outperform them.
Why would you want to run Competitive Analysis of Keywords?
Any Business or Digital Marketing Strategy which aims to attract more traffic, improve visibility and stay ahead of the competitors, running a competitive analysis of keywords is important.
The following are some reasons why you want to do it:
1.To identify Opportunities for Growth
- Competitive Analysis of Keywords helps to identify the keywords that the competitors are ranking for. It discovers specific keywords that you are not currently targeting.
- This analysis reveals gaps in your own keyword strategy. It helps to spot valuable opportunities to expand the keyword list.
- With this analysis, identify the high-potential keywords that the competitors are benefit from. Then optimize the content and marketing strategies to attract traffic that you have been losing out.
- This leads to increased visibility and customer acquisition.
For example:
- A competitor is ranking for a specific product feature keyword.
- That particular keyword you are not targeting.
- Now you can create content focused on that feature.
- This will capture the leads interested in it.
2.To Improve PPC Campaigns
- Competitive keyword analysis is useful for paid search (PPC) campaigns too in addition to organic SEO.
- By finding out which keywords that the competitors are bidding on, it helps to identify profitable keywords, calculate the potential cost per click (CPC) and evaluate the competition for those terms.
- By using this information, you can optimize your pay-per-click (PPC) strategy. Also avoid spending money on excessively competitive terms by placing bids on highly relevant and effective keywords.
For example:
- You have noticed that competitors are investing a lot of money on certain high-cost keywords.
- Then, you choose to target less expensive, higher-converting keywords that provide a greater Return On Investment (ROI).
3.To discover Long Tail Keywords
- With Competitive keyword analysis, long tail keywords that the competitors are ranking for can be discovered. These keywords have relatively lower competition.
- These longer and more specific keyword phrases are used by searchers with specific intent. So they represent more qualified traffic.
- Targeting long-tail keywords improve the chances of ranking higher with less competition. It drives more relevant users to your site.
For Example:
- “CRM Software” is a broad keyword. Instead of focusing only on that, find the specific phrases that the competitors are ranking well.
- It includes “CRM Software for small business”, “CRM with automation features”. These keywords are easier to rank for and convert better.
4.To boost Organic Traffic
- By identifying high-traffic keywords that the competitors are ranking for, you can strategize to outrank them and capture some of that traffic for your own site.
- Analyzing competitors’ strategies exposes what works for them. It helps in enhancing the organic search results by creating targeted content or acquiring backlinks to increase the authority in search engines.
- This increases the likelihood of driving more relevant traffic to the website.
For Example:
- The competitor is ranking for a particular keyword with high monthly searches.
- Now you can work to create a better content or resource to target that keyword.
- This in turn will attract a larger share of the organic traffic.
5.To understand the Competitor Strategy
- Valuable Insights into the competitors SEO and Content Marketing Strategies are gained by analyzing the keywords they prioritize.
- This helps to determine what type of content they are creating, what topics they are focusing on and which keywords are bringing in the most visitors to their website.
- With this knowledge, you can adjust your approach to more effectively compete with them or perhaps outperform them in specific keyword categories.
For Example:
- A competitor is consistently ranking for educational content around key industry topics.
- Now you need to invest more in creating authoritative guides, blog posts or video content to compete in those areas.
6.To Benchmark your Performance
- Improving the SEO performance requires a clear understanding of where you stand relative to your competitors.
- A competitive analysis of keywords helps to benchmark the performance of the website against others in your industry.
- You can assess which areas you dominate and which ones need more attention, by comparing rankings for related keywords.
- This benchmarking helps in goal-setting and measuring the effectiveness of the continuous SEO efforts.
For Example:
- The competitor is ranking higher for certain keywords.
- Now you focus on your optimization efforts on improving those rankings. This can be done through content enhancement, backlinks or technical SEO fixes.
7.To refine the Content Strategy
- It is an indication that your content needs to be optimized if your competitors are ranking higher than you for a particular keyword.
- Competitive keyword analysis reveals the keywords that competitors are effectively utilizing.
- It assists you in adjusting your own content strategy to address any gaps, target related search terms or focus on emerging trends.
- By using relevant keywords that competitors are already leveraging, you can either create new pages or enhance ones that currently exist.
For Example:
- A competitor is targeting long tail keywords or using more in-depth content that you have missed.
- Now you can refine your content to include these long-tail phrases. Thus more qualified traffic is attracted to the website.
8.To stay ahead of Industry Trends
- When consumer behavior changes or new trends emerge, the landscape of keywords also evolves over time.
- A competitive analysis of keywords keeps you informed about these shifts. This shows which keywords your competitors are focusing on, specifically new or trending ones.
- This helps you to stay proactive rather than reactive. Also allows to adjust the content strategy that reflects the current market trends. This captures new opportunities before they become highly competitive.
For Example:
- A competitor suddenly starts ranking for keywords related to a new technology or product in your industry. It signals that the market is shifting.
- In order to stay current, this inspires you to develop services or create content that follow these emerging trends.
Conclusion
Thus, this article reveals why would you want to run competitive analysis of keywords. This is a highly intelligent move for the Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Approach.
It helps in Improvement of the content strategy, identifying opportunities and staying ahead of the competition.
Monitor closely what the competitors are doing and make changes in response. This keeps you in a better position to raise your rankings and draw in more visitors
