SEO Competitive Analysis Framework
Companies need a clear view of their competition and customer search intent to improve their search rankings.
Strong competitor research shows what works, what needs work, and where chances exist to grow your search presence. This guide shows you the main parts of competitor research, from methods to tools to data review and planning.
The SEO competitive analysis framework detailed here comes standard with every Monthly Plan at Alex Groberman Labs.
Research Methods
Step 1: Find Your Competition
Direct Competition: Companies selling similar items to the same buyers
Search Competition: Web pages that show up for your key search terms
Tools: SEO Stuff, SEMrush, Ahrefs, or Google Search show shared search terms
Step 2: Pick Your Research Areas
Match research to your goals (example: more web traffic, more links, or better content)
Example: To rank for specific search terms, study companies doing well with detailed content
Step 3: List Competition Strong Points
On-Page Work: Check search term use, page descriptions, content value, and code markup
Off-Page Work: Study incoming links, link sources, and social media signals
Technical Work: Check page speed, phone display, and search engine access
Tip: Make a chart comparing each company's strong and weak points
Tools to Use
The right tools make research faster and more exact. It is impossible to establish proper Enterprise SEO Workflow Management without them.
Main Research Tools:
Search Term Research and Checking:
Tools: SEO Stuff, SEMrush, Ahrefs, Moz
Purpose: See how search terms rank, how many searches they get, and how hard they are to rank for
Link Research:
Tools: Majestic, Ahrefs, Moz Link Explorer
Purpose: Find good links to other sites and spots to build new links
Technical Checks:
Tools: Screaming Frog, Sitebulb, Google Search Console
Purpose: Study site building, core rankings, and search engine reading
Content Research:
Tools: BuzzSumo, Clearscope, Frase
Purpose: Find which content brings the most readers
Traffic Research:
Tools: Google Analytics Benchmarking, SimilarWeb
Purpose: Compare traffic sources, reader types, and referring sites
Tip: Put these tools in Google Data Studio to see everything in one place
Understanding the Numbers
Turn raw numbers into clear next steps to guide your work.
Steps to Review Competition Data:
Search Term Gaps:
Find terms others rank for that you don't. Pick terms many people search for but few sites target
Example: Use SEMrush's gap tool to find missed chances
Link Quality and Numbers:
Check the strength and fit of other sites' links
Next Step: Contact sites linking to others with better content or team-up ideas
Content Success:
Check shares, comments, and traffic for other blogs
Next Step: Write better content on topics that work well
Technical Checks:
Compare load speed, phone use, and search access
Example: If others load faster, speed up your site
Search Result Features:
See who shows up in special search spots like snippets or local lists
Next Step: Add proper code to show up in these spots
Tip: Show your findings in charts to make trends clear
Making Plans
After studying the data, create clear next steps.
Steps for Your Search Plan:
Pick Main Tasks:
Work on what matters most for your goals
Example: If you need more links, focus on getting them
Make Clear Plans:
Content: Write about topics you found in research
Links: Talk to sites linking to others
Technical: Make pages load faster and work better
Set Times:
Break work into monthly goals, like finishing search term research in month one
Watch Progress:
Check rankings, traffic, and new links often
Change Plans:
Check competition monthly to find new chances
Tip: Show your plan with clear goals and times to keep everyone on track
Real Example: Using Competition Research
Example: A medium-sized furniture store wanted better rankings for "affordable home furniture"
Steps:
Found 20+ search terms others ranked for, like "modern affordable sofas"
Found good blogs linking to other furniture guides
Wrote "Top 10 Affordable Sofa Designs for 2025" based on research
Results: 25% more visitors and top 5 spots for five new terms in three months
Tip: This shows how studying competition helps rankings grow
Final Points
Good competition research needs clear steps to collect and use data. Follow these steps—research methods, tools, data review, and planning—to grow your rankings.
Start checking your competition today and use these tips to improve your work. Regular checks and updates help you stay strong as search trends change.
