How to Analyze Competitor Keywords for SEO

Analyzing your competitors' keywords is the secret to ranking higher on Google. Here's why it matters:

• 75% of users never scroll past the first page of search results.
• The top organic result gets 31.7% of clicks.
• Competitor keywords reveal trends, content gaps, and high-performing opportunities for your business.

Quick Steps to Start:

1. Find SEO Competitors: Look beyond your direct business rivals to identify who dominates your target keywords.
2. Use SEO Tools: Platforms like SEMrush, Ahrefs, and Moz can uncover competitor rankings, keyword gaps, and search volume insights.
3. Spot Keyword Gaps: Identify keywords that competitors rank for but you don’t.
4. Update Content: Optimize your pages with competitor-backed keywords and create new content for missed opportunities.

Tools Comparison Table:

Start analyzing today to stay ahead of the competition and drive more traffic to your site.

How To Check Competitor Keywords (Using Ahrefs & Semrush)

Step 1: Find Your SEO Competitors

Identifying your SEO competitors means looking beyond your direct business rivals. While you might focus on companies offering similar products or services, your real competition in search results often includes completely different types of websites.

Business vs. Search Competitors

Your business competitors and SEO competitors aren't always the same. For example, if you sell running shoes online, your SEO rivals might include review sites, fitness blogs, sports news platforms, YouTube channels, and health-focused websites. These are the entities competing for the same keywords in search results.

To succeed, you need to analyze a broader range of websites to uncover strategic opportunities.

Search Results Analysis

Use this approach to pinpoint your SEO competitors effectively:

Pay close attention to websites that dominate the top three positions, as these get the majority of clicks (54.4% of clicks^[3]). Study their content formats - whether it's detailed guides, comparisons, or product pages - to understand what works.

SEO Tools for Competitor Research

Leverage SEO tools to gain deeper insights into your competition:

• SEMrush: Great for tracking keyword performance and competitor ranking shifts.
• Ahrefs: Offers detailed backlink analysis and highlights content gaps.
• Moz: Known for its domain authority metrics and SERP feature tracking.
• SpyFu: Focuses on analyzing PPC and organic keyword strategies^[4].

"Regular reassessment is crucial because search landscapes change rapidly. Set up automated alerts in your chosen SEO tool to stay informed of significant changes"^[6].

If you're a local business, tools like BrightLocal or Moz Local can help identify competitors in your area. Keep an eye on Google Local Pack results and local directories, as these often highlight competitors that differ from those in traditional organic search^[3].

These steps and tools will prepare you for the next phase: diving into detailed keyword analysis.

Step 2: Tools for Keyword Analysis

To understand your competitors' keyword strategies, you'll need the right tools and a solid approach. Modern SEO tools offer detailed insights into competitor keywords, helping you make smarter decisions for your own strategy.

Keyword Research Tools Comparison

There are several tools available for competitor keyword analysis, each with its own strengths:

Studies show that Semrush and Ahrefs are among the most accurate, with search volume accuracy rates of 82% and 79%, respectively ^[4]. This level of precision is essential for making informed keyword decisions.

While these tools are powerful, combining them with expert guidance can help you uncover even more opportunities.

BrightSide SEO Services

For businesses looking for expert help, BrightSide SEO offers keyword research and competitor analysis services. Their process blends advanced tools with human expertise to deliver:

• Competitor Analysis: They use enterprise-grade tools to pinpoint industry-specific keyword opportunities, tracking 10-30 keywords for comprehensive market insights.
• Custom Strategies: BrightSide SEO creates tailored keyword plans aligned with your goals. Their Growth Plan includes 10 monthly blog posts targeting high-value keywords.

This mix of data-driven tools and expert input ensures actionable strategies.

Tool-based vs. Manual Analysis

A balanced approach to keyword research combines the efficiency of tools with the depth of manual analysis:

Benefits of Tool-based Analysis:

• Processes large datasets quickly
• Provides detailed metrics
• Regularly updated data
• Visualizes trends and patterns

Advantages of Manual Analysis:

• Highlights keyword nuances and relationships
• Identifies niche opportunities
• Offers deeper insight into user intent
• No additional cost

For example, tools might flag keywords with high search volumes, but a manual review of search results can reveal whether those terms align with your audience and goals.

When analyzing competitors, focus on these key metrics:

• Search volume trends
• Keyword difficulty
• SERP features (e.g., featured snippets)
• Traffic potential
• User intent

Combining automated data collection with manual insights will give you a competitive edge in your keyword strategy.

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Step 3: Find Keyword Gaps

Now that you have your competitor data, it’s time to pinpoint where their keyword strategy outshines yours.

How to Identify Keyword Gaps

SEO tools like Semrush and Ahrefs make it easy to compare your keyword coverage with your competitors. These tools help you uncover areas where you’re missing out. Remember, long-tail keywords (those with three or more words) make up 70% of all search queries^[7], and 50% of searches are four words or longer^[7]. This makes them excellent opportunities to drive organic traffic.

Here’s what to focus on:

• Missing Rankings: Keywords your competitors rank for, but you don’t (Top Priority).
• Position Gaps: Keywords where competitors rank higher than you (Moderate Priority).
• Search Volume: How often these keywords are searched monthly (High Priority).
• Ranking Difficulty: How competitive these keywords are (Mid-Level Priority).
• SERP Features: Any unique elements like featured snippets, videos, or maps (Lower Priority).

Choosing the Right Keywords

Not all keywords are created equal. Focus on those that align with your business goals and have the potential to drive results.

Look for Commercial Intent:

• Keywords that include terms like "buy", "price", or "review" often signal a higher chance of conversion.
• Search results filled with e-commerce pages or shopping ads suggest strong purchase intent.
• Keywords with higher CPCs (cost-per-click) usually indicate they’re valuable for businesses.

Assess the Competition:

• Use the "allintitle:" search operator to see how many pages have your exact keyword in their title.
• Check the domain authority of top-ranking pages to gauge your chances of competing.
• Study the content formats that rank well (e.g., guides, videos, product reviews).

Discovering Niche Opportunities

Beyond the basics, dive deeper to find hidden keyword opportunities that your competitors might have missed.

Try These Research Methods:

• Pull questions from the "People Also Ask" sections on Google.
• Browse industry forums to see what users are asking.
• Use tools like AnswerThePublic to find long-tail keyword variations.

Make it a habit to revisit your keyword gap analysis every quarter. Regular updates ensure you stay ahead and consistently improve your rankings.

Step 4: Use Competitor Keyword Data

Update Current Content

Once you've identified keyword gaps, focus on improving your existing content before diving into new material. Start by enhancing low-ranking pages. Here's how:

• Study how competitors structure their content and the level of detail they provide. Then, expand your articles by including what’s missing. For instance, if competitors include tool comparisons for "best SEO tools 2025", consider adding similar comparisons to your content ^[1][6].
• Optimize your titles, headings, and meta descriptions to incorporate the target keywords effectively.
• Ensure your content matches the search intent reflected in top-ranking pages for those keywords.

In addition, update meta tags, headings, and internal links to align with the new keyword targets. These tweaks can boost both relevance and quality ^[5].

Create Targeted Content

For keyword gaps where competitors are ranking and you aren’t, craft new content tailored to those opportunities. For example, you could create a detailed guide like "Local SEO Strategies for Small Businesses" featuring actionable tips and practical examples ^[3][2].

Monitor Competitor Changes

Keep an eye on your competitors' rankings, new content, and backlink strategies using SEO tools. Use their tactics as inspiration, but ensure your content reflects your brand’s unique voice and perspective.

Focus on strategic adjustments rather than just tracking data for the sake of it.

Conclusion: Next Steps

Now that you have your competitor keyword data, it's time to put it into action. Here's how you can use those insights to make real progress in your SEO strategy.

Quick Start Guide

Start by pinpointing your main SEO competitors. Then, turn what you've learned into measurable results by following this three-step plan:

1. Initial Competitor Analysis

Zero in on the keywords your competitors rank for and examine the types of content that help them achieve those rankings ^[6].

2. Keyword Prioritization

Organize the keywords you've gathered based on their search intent and how they align with your business goals. Consider factors like:

• Search volume
• Keyword difficulty
• Relevance to your products or services

This method builds on earlier analysis steps while keeping your efforts targeted and efficient ^[6][4].

Regular Monitoring Tips

Set up a system to track your progress without wasting time or resources. Use SEO tools to automate alerts for ranking shifts or newly emerging keywords that could be valuable ^[6].

Suggested Monitoring Schedule:

• Weekly: Review ranking alerts and check competitor content updates.
• Monthly: Dive into position changes and adjust your keyword targets as needed.

If managing this feels overwhelming, services like BrightSide SEO can handle monitoring tasks for teams with limited resources.

FAQs

What is keyword research and competitor analysis?

Keyword research is the process of finding search terms that people use, while competitor analysis looks at how your competitors effectively target those terms. These steps build on the competitor identification and gap analysis techniques discussed in earlier sections.

If you're short on time, tools like BrightSide SEO can help by providing insights such as:

• Keywords driving traffic for your competitors
• Areas where your keyword strategy is lacking
• Patterns in search intent for high-ranking keywords
• Difficulty analysis to assess ROI potential

For teams with limited resources, BrightSide SEO handles the analysis, leaving you to apply the strategies outlined in this guide.

Related Blog Posts

• How to Perform SEO Competitor Analysis: A Beginner's Guide
• How Competitor Keywords Boost SEO Rankings