In this episode of The Small Business Sweet Spot, I share 5 ways to uncover your competitors’ keywords for SEO. 3 typical ways, 1 not so typical way and 1 fun way.
Resources
Unmask Your True SEO Competitors
Competitor Keyword Research
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Watch the Podcast or Read the Post Below
Welcome back to the Small Business Sweet Spot! If you’re running a business in today’s online world, you already know that SEO is key to driving traffic and sales. But at the heart of a strong SEO strategy is one critical element—keywords. These are the terms your ideal customers type into Google to find your products or services.
The challenge? You’re not the only one competing for those keywords. On top of that, search trends aren’t static. What people search for today could shift next month. That’s why finding and analyzing competitor keywords is so valuable. In this post, I’m breaking down how to find competitor keywords, and how this information can give your business the competitive edge.
Competitor research is all about identifying which keywords businesses similar to yours are targeting. By doing this, you can figure out what’s working for them, what isn’t, and what opportunities you might be missing. This research gives you insight into what keywords your competitors are ranking for, and where there’s potential for you to carve out your own space in search results.
The Reality is Competitor Research Takes Time
Let’s be real: effective competitor keyword research isn’t a quick task. But don’t worry! I’ll walk you through a simple approach to get started, and then we’ll dive into a more detailed method. Let’s go.
[1] Google It
The simplest way to start is by Googling your target keywords. Look at the first 20 search results and see who consistently shows up. This gives you an initial list of potential competitors. From there, you can narrow it down to your direct competitors—those offering similar products or services.
Pro Tip: Not Everyone Is Your Competitor. Just because a site ranks well for a keyword doesn’t mean they’re competing for your business. For example, a large industry blog might rank for the same terms, but they aren’t offering the same services as you. For more tips on identifying true SEO competitors, check out my post (linked in the show notes).
[2] Use Keywords Everywhere
Next, visit your competitor’s website and use a tool like Keywords Everywhere. This Chrome extension shows you which keywords their domain is ranking for, how well they’re ranking, and how much traffic those keywords are driving.
[3] Use an SEO Tool
For more in-depth analysis, you’ll want to use an SEO-specific tool. These tools allow you to compare the keywords you and your competitors are ranking for. Even better, they can show you which keywords your competitors rank for that you don’t—this is called a competitor keyword gap analysis. This can highlight areas where you might want to focus your SEO efforts.
[4] Analyze Their On-Page Content with Screaming Frog
Sometimes, your competitors may target keywords they aren’t ranking for yet. To uncover those potential targets, run their site through Screaming Frog. This tool reveals the page titles, descriptions, and meta info of their website, giving you a glimpse into the keywords they are trying to rank for.
[5] Play with Tag Clouds
Here’s a fun, albeit unconventional, method: use tag clouds to visualize what your competitors’ sites are emphasizing. Tools like Wordclouds.com let you enter a URL and see the most frequently used words on the page, displayed in different sizes. While it’s more of a fun exercise than a hard-and-fast method, you never know what keyword ideas might pop up!
What’s Next?
Once you’ve gathered the competitor keywords, it’s time to analyze the search volumes and competition levels for each keyword, just as you would when doing your own keyword research. Pick the ones that align with your audience’s needs and your business goals, and start creating content around them.
The Takeaway
The key to staying competitive in SEO is continuously learning from your competitors. By finding and analyzing their keywords, you can discover new opportunities and refine your own SEO strategy. My hope is that you’ll feel inspired to try out these methods and find some fresh keywords to target.
