How Do I Do Competitor Research?

In an effort to stay at the top of the ranking heap, it’s important to know which of your competitors are performing well on search engines. There are a few key queries to set you on the right path and help you use the information you find to your advantage.

What is your primary keyword?  Start by searching it on Google and you’ll get a list of a handful of your competitors. As you continue to search your own terms, you can see if the same companies come up time after time.  If they do consistently pop up during your searching, where do they rank?  Where are you in relation to them?  The better you optimize, the better your results will be in terms of impressions, ranking, and traffic.

It is important to refresh and reevaluate this process regularly; your competition can change over time, with new companies entering the marketplace and others pivoting into other markets or going out of business. It is always a good idea to reexamine your competitors periodically.

Similarly, you may be the one evolving or making the changes.  Staying on top of new terminology, technology, products, and services will help you stay fresh and current – and at the forefront of the search engine list.

Once you have determined who is your online competition, check out their website.  How old is it?  Is it visually dynamic?  Is it user-friendly?  Is the information current and the content relevant?  Does it translate to tablet/phone/mobile responsiveness easily?

What sets you apart from their approach?

It’s important to know your surroundings in order to keep your bearing.  A bit of proactive effort to educate yourself can serve you well in your presentation to your public, and ensure your continued commanding web presence.