Competition Analysis

Learn from What Works, Avoid What Doesn’t, and Stand Out in Your Market.

What is competition analysis?

Competition analysis (or competitive analysis) is the process of researching and evaluating your business’s direct and indirect competitors to understand:

• What they do well: To inspire yourself(strategies, strengths, positioning)
• Where they fall short: What to avoid (weaknesses, missed opportunities)
• How your business compares: To create a unique proposition (what sets you apart)
• Where opportunities exist (gaps in the market you can fill)

It helps you make smarter decisions, avoid repeating others’ mistakes, learn from what’s working, and most importantly, define a unique position for your brand in the market.

Why is competition analysis important?

Competition analysis is important because it gives your business a clear, strategic edge in the market. Here’s why it matters:

• Learn from others’ success: See what’s working for your competitors and use it to inspire your own strategy—saving time and resources.
• Avoid costly mistakes: Spot what’s not working in your industry and steer clear of wasted efforts, money, or reputation damage.
• Discover market gaps: Uncover areas your competitors are overlooking and position your brand to fill that unmet need.
• Refine your unique value: Identify how you’re different (and better) so you can clearly communicate that to your audience.
• Stay ahead of trends: Keep up with new moves, products, or shifts in strategy so you’re never caught off guard.
• Build a stronger marketing strategy: With competitor insights, you can create sharper messaging, better offers, and a more targeted approach.

Divide your competitors

Direct Competitors

• These are businesses that offer the same product or service to the same target audience in the same market.

Why it matters: They are your biggest threat—and your best source of insight.

Example: If you run a vegan bakery in your city, other vegan bakeries nearby are direct competitors.

Indirect Competitors

• These offer different products or services that solve the same problem or satisfy similar needs for your customers.

Why it matters: They compete for your audience’s attention, time, or money—just in a different way.

Example: For the vegan bakery, a regular bakery offering “healthy options” could be an indirect competitor.

Replacement/Alternative Competitors

• These are non-obvious alternatives—products or services that can replace the need for yours altogether.

Why it matters: These are the disruptors. Understanding them helps you future-proof your business.

Example: Meal delivery services or DIY baking kits could be considered alternatives to your bakery.

Aspirational or Benchmark Competitors

• These may not be direct threats now (e.g., bigger brands or businesses in other regions), but they set standards you want to reach or beat.

Why it matters: They inspire you, show best practices, and reveal where your market might be heading.

Example: A nationally known vegan dessert brand could be your aspirational competitor.

Optional: New or Emerging Competitors

• Startups, new players, or trends that are not a threat yet—but could be soon.

Why it matters: Spotting them early lets you adapt or differentiate before they grow.

Example: A new food tech startup offering AI-personalized vegan dessert subscriptions, launching in nearby cities with plans to expand.

Analyze competitors website

You can find your competitors’ websites through several practical methods.

Start by performing a Google search using keywords that describe your business, products, or services—for example, “custom t-shirts in Chicago” or “digital marketing agency for dentists.” Look at both the organic search results and paid ads on the first page.

Use Google Maps to search for local businesses in your niche; most profiles will have a link to the company’s website.

Social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and TikTok are also valuable—search by hashtags, keywords, or location tags and check bios for website links.

Industry directories such as Yelp, Clutch, TripAdvisor, or niche-specific listings often list competitor websites along with customer reviews.

You can also use SEO tools like Ubersuggest, SEMrush, Ahrefs, or SimilarWeb to uncover competitors by analyzing keyword rankings or traffic patterns.

Finally, ask your existing customers or network who else they’ve considered—that can lead you to direct or indirect competitors you might have missed.

• Homepage messaging and headlines
• Taglines or slogans
• Overall tone and brand voice
• Target audience focus
• Product or service list
• Pricing and service packages
• Key selling points or differentiators
• Blog and article topics
• Use of keywords and SEO structure
• Meta titles and meta descriptions
• Customer testimonials and reviews
• Client logos or case studies
• Design quality and visual branding
• Mobile responsiveness
• Navigation and site structure
• Page loading speed
• Photo, video, and multimedia use
• Video types and placements
• Call-to-action buttons and language
• Lead capture forms
• Newsletter signup options
• Chatbots or live chat availability
• Visible analytics and tracking scripts
• Offer funnels (e.g. free trial, consultation)
• UTM links or retargeting tools in use

Analyze competitors SEO

Easiest way is to type your relevant keyword or phrase into Google Search and see what websites will show up in organic results. You can also evaluate a competitor’s SEO by first identifying their website using search methods like Google Search for your target keywords, business directories, or SEO tools such as Ubersuggest, Ahrefs, SEMrush, or SimilarWeb.

Once you’ve found relevant competitor websites, plug their URLs into these tools to uncover how well their SEO performs. This includes which keywords they rank for, their domain authority, backlink profile, and estimated traffic.

You can also manually inspect SEO basics by viewing page source code or using browser plugins like SEOquake, MozBar, or Detailed to see metadata, headers, and keyword use.

Analyze their blog content, structure, and update frequency to assess their content strategy.

Check what kinds of pages rank best—are they blog posts, landing pages, or service pages?

Finally, look at how optimized their site is for mobile, speed, and user experience, since these factors directly affect SEO performance.

• Ranking keywords
• Domain authority
• Backlink profile (number, quality, diversity)
• Internal linking structure
• Meta titles and meta descriptions
• URL structure and keyword usage
• Heading tags (H1, H2, etc.)
• Image optimization (alt tags, file size)
• Blog topics and content frequency
• Content length and quality
• Mobile responsiveness
• Page load speed
• Use of schema markup (structured data)
• Keyword density and placement
• Canonical tags
• Redirects and broken links
• Robots.txt and sitemap configuration
• Indexing issues or crawl errors
• Presence of local SEO signals (Google Business, NAP consistency)
• Use of analytics and SEO tracking tools (e.g., Google Tag Manager, Google Search Console)

Analyze competitors local SEO

You can assess a competitor’s local SEO by starting with a Google search using location-based keywords like “hair salon Brooklyn” or “plumber in Austin.” Look at the Google Maps results and the “local pack” (the top 3 business listings shown under the map)—these are the most relevant local competitors.

Click on their Google Business Profiles to evaluate how well they’re optimized. Check their business descriptions, services, photos, reviews, and post activity.

You can also find local competitors through map apps, review platforms (Yelp, TripAdvisor, etc.), or directories like Yellow Pages and niche-specific listings.

Tools like BrightLocal or Whitespark can help you analyze local SEO performance by comparing citations, local backlinks, and NAP consistency (Name, Address, Phone number).

Pay attention to their visibility across multiple platforms and how they manage customer engagement.

• Google Business Profile completeness
• Business description and category accuracy
• Listed services and service areas
• Quantity and quality of reviews
• Frequency of new reviews
• Review responses and tone
• Star rating average
• NAP consistency across the web
• Use of Google Posts
• Number and quality of uploaded photos
• Local keywords in profile and content
• Citation presence (business listings across directories)
• Local backlinks
• Embedded Google Maps on website
• Structured data for local business
• Use of location pages on the website
• Mobile responsiveness
• Website mentions of local landmarks or neighborhoods
• Local content strategy (blog, news, events)
• Engagement in local social media or community platforms

Analyze your competitors Social Media Marketing

To analyze a competitor’s social media presence, start by searching for their brand name on major platforms like Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, LinkedIn, X (Twitter), Pinterest, and YouTube. You can also find their profiles by visiting their website—most companies link their social channels in the footer or header.

Look at how active they are, what type of content they post, and how their audience engages.

Pay attention to follower count, post frequency, and the tone and style of their messaging.

Tools like SocialBlade, HypeAuditor, or Metricool can help you track follower growth, engagement rates, and performance trends.

Also review how they use Stories, Reels, or Lives, and whether they run ads or influencer campaigns. Monitoring comments and shares will give you insight into how their audience perceives them and what content resonates best.

• Platforms used
• Follower count
• Posting frequency
• Engagement rate (likes, comments, shares)
• Content types (video, photo, carousel, text)
• Content themes and topics
• Brand voice and tone
• Visual branding consistency
• Use of hashtags and tagging
• Post formats (Reels, Stories, Lives, IGTV, etc.)
• Call-to-action usage
• Influencer collaborations or partnerships
• Community interaction (responding to comments/messages)
• Paid ad campaigns
• UGC (user-generated content) sharing
• Contests, giveaways, or interactive campaigns
• Link-in-bio tools and landing pages
• Bio and profile optimization
• Story highlights and pinned posts
• Platform-specific strategies (e.g., LinkedIn articles, TikTok trends)

Analyze competitors email marketing

To analyze a competitor’s email marketing, start by signing up for their newsletter or lead magnets directly through their website.

Pay attention to how they collect your email—are they using pop-ups, embedded forms, or exit-intent strategies?

Use a dedicated inbox to track what they send, how often, and in what format.

Observe the style, tone, and content of each email—whether it’s promotional, educational, or story-driven.

You can also analyze their automation by signing up for different offers and seeing if they send welcome series, cart abandonment emails, or re-engagement campaigns.

Tools like Mailcharts, Milled, or Really Good Emails let you search and benchmark industry-specific campaigns.

Check if they personalize content, segment audiences, or use A/B testing techniques by looking for variations or dynamic content.

• Signup method and placement
• Lead magnet offers (ebooks, discounts, free trials)
• Frequency of emails
• Email types (newsletters, promos, onboarding, abandoned cart, etc.)
• Subject lines and preview text
• Sender name and address
• Personalization and dynamic content
• Tone and voice
• Mobile responsiveness
• Visual design and layout
• CTA clarity and placement
• Use of storytelling or value-driven content
• Segmentation by audience or behavior
• Automation sequences and triggers
• Email timing and delivery patterns
• A/B testing usage
• Unsubscribe process
• Integration with other channels (social, website, ads)
• Use of urgency or scarcity tactics
• Legal compliance (GDPR, CAN-SPAM)

Analyze competitors branding

To analyze a competitor’s branding, start by visiting their website and social media profiles to observe the visual identity and messaging they use.

Look for consistency in colors, fonts, logos, and tone across all platforms.

Pay attention to how they position themselves—what language do they use, what values do they emphasize, and how do they communicate their mission or vision?

Review any brand guidelines they might publicly share, or take note of repeated slogans, taglines, or core messages.

Study their customer interactions in reviews, comments, or testimonials to see how the brand is perceived.

Also, note how they package products, run ads, and present themselves in video or influencer content, as this reveals how cohesive and intentional their branding is across touchpoints.

• Logo design and variations
• Brand colors and typography
• Consistency of visual identity across platforms
• Taglines or slogans
• Brand tone and voice
• Mission, vision, and values
• Brand story and messaging
• Website and social media aesthetics
• Packaging design (if applicable)
• Customer perception and testimonials
• Use of emotional or value-driven appeal
• Cohesiveness between online and offline presence
• Influencer or ambassador alignment
• Positioning within the market
• Language used in marketing materials
• Brand personality (e.g., playful, professional, edgy)
• Distinctiveness from competitors
• Presence of brand guidelines (public or implied)
• Level of brand recognition or memorability
• Alignment between visual and verbal branding

What to do with your findings?

Create a Unique Business and Proposition

The main reason to analyze your competition is to help you figure out what makes your business special and better – your unique value proposition (UVP). Based on your strengths, your competitors’ weaknesses, and the opportunities in the market, clearly explain what makes your business different and better than your competitors for your target customers. Focus on the specific benefits you offer that your competitors don’t. Once you know your UVP, make sure you use it in all your marketing so that your customers understand why they should choose you.

Learn from your Competition

See what works for them and get inspired. Recreate it even better that your competition does. See what doesnt work for them. Save time and avoid strategies that didn’t bring your competitors any results. They probably won’t work for you either.

Finding Strengths and Weaknesses

Where do they have an advantage? Also, think about their weaknesses – what could they do better? What are they not doing well? This can show you where you have a competitive advantage. Also, see where your competitors are strong and think about how you can improve in those areas.   

Finding Opportunities and Threats

See if there are any gaps in the market that your competitors aren’t filling. These could be needs that customers have that no one is meeting. Also, see if there are any new trends in your industry that your competitors might be slow to catch on to. If you can be quick and use these trends, you might get ahead. It’s also important to see if there are any threats from your competitors. This could be new products they are planning to launch, big marketing campaigns they are doing, or changes in their prices that could affect your business. Finally, think about if there are any chances to partner with other businesses that could help you both and make you stronger against your competition.

In Conclusion

Looking at your competition is really important for small business owners. By understanding who your competitors are, what they offer, and how they operate online, you can get valuable information to help you make smart decisions. Doing this regularly will help you find ways to be different, take advantage of opportunities, and make your business successful and help it grow. Keep watching your competition, and you’ll be able to stay ahead, adapt to changes, and build a strong business.