This piece suggests numerous tactics that marketers can use to determine whether they are choosing the right competitor for competitive content research.
Before conducting competitive content research, marketers should narrow down their list of competitors. Use insights from both SERP analysis and direct competitors to find out the right competitors to target effectively. Focusing only on direct competitors while ignoring SERP can cause brands to miss out on opportunities.
Companies should make sure the competitor they are researching follows content strategy and SEO best practices or is innovating effective alternatives. They should also ensure their competitor’s products/services and content are relevant and target their ideal user group. The competitor brand should also rank well on SERPs for the leading brand’s target keywords.
Considering prospects’ pain points can further help companies choose the proper competitor for their competitive content research. Use user interviews, surveys, A/B tests and heatmap tracking to identify pain points and determine where the brand is failing.
Brands should also avoid or dive deep into the website if a competitor uses content automation, link cloaking, social media manipulation and content spam. Doing a background check of competitors can help marketers identify the proper competitor and avoid the pitfalls of competitive content research.
[10 minute read]
