In 60 Seconds
- •Your competitors have already spent money testing what works. You can learn from their success (and failures) for free.
- •Do not copy their design (branding). Copy their structure (Buying Moments).
- •The 'Gap Analysis': Identify keywords where they rank on Page 1 and you do not rank at all.
- •Look for 'Hidden' Pages: Service pages they don't link in the main menu but use for ads/SEO.
- •The goal is not to match them. It is to find the underserved niches they are ignoring or the high-value terms they are dominating.
In war, you would never march onto a battlefield without a map of the enemy's positions.
In business, companies do this every day. They write content based on what they think is important, ignoring the fact that their top competitor is getting 500 leads a month from a keyword they haven't even thought of.
A Competitor Coverage Audit is not about jealousy. It is about intelligence. It is the fastest way to build your roadmap because it shows you exactly where the proven demand lies.
How to X-Ray Your Competitor
1. The "Service Menu" Scan
Go to their website. Don't just look at the design. Look at the structure.
- Hover over their "Services" menu.
- Do they have a generic "Plumbing" page? Or do they have specific pages for "Slab Leak," "Hydro jetting," and "Gas Line Repair"?
- Insight: Every specific page represents a Buying Moment they are actively targeting. If you don't have that page, they are winning that traffic by default.
2. The Keyword Gap (Tools Required)
Using a tool like Semrush, Ahrefs, or Ubersuggest (even the free versions):
- Enter your domain.
- Enter their domain.
- Select "Keyword Gap".
- Filter for "Missing" (Keywords they have, you don't).
Look for High Intent: Ignore keywords like "how does a toilet work." Look for "cost," "near me," "repair," "company."
3. The "Review Mining" Trick
Read their 1-star and 5-star reviews.
- 5-Star: "They came out for [Problem X] and were so fast!" -> Buying Moment Identified.
- 1-Star: "Nobody called me back." -> Weakness Identified. Target this weakness in your copy ("We Answer Every Call").
Analyzing Their "Hidden" Infrastructure
Smart competitors often have "Orphan Pages"—landing pages used for ads that aren't in the main menu.
- How to find them: Search Google for
site:competitor.com. - Scroll through. Do you see "Emergency Discount for [City]" pages? Do you see distinct pages for neighborhoods?
- Action: If they are running paid traffic to a specific page style, it is likely converting. Note the Headline, the CTA, and the Offer.
The Strategy: Flank or Frontal Assault?
Once you know where they are, you have two choices.
1. Frontal Assault (The "Better" Strategy)
They rank #1 for "Water Heater Repair." You want that traffic.
- Action: Build a better page. More detail, better diagrams, faster load speed, more reviews embedded.
- Difficulty: High.
2. Flank Maneuver (The "Niche" Strategy)
They rank #1 for "Plumber," but they don't have a page for "Tankless Water Heater Descaling."
- Action: Build the specific page they forgot.
- Difficulty: Low. You will likely rank #1 immediately because you are the only authority.
Verification Checklist
- Top 3 Competitors List: Have you identified who is actually ranking (not just who you know personally)?
- Gap Sheet: Do you have a spreadsheet listing the "Buying Moments" they cover that you miss?
- Offer Audit: Do you know their pricing/guarantees? (e.g., If they offer "$50 off," you should know that).
Common Mistakes
[!CAUTION] Copying Mistakes Just because a competitor is doing it doesn't mean it works. They might be lighting money on fire. Only copy structure that is supported by rankings (free traffic) or long-running ads (paid traffic). if an ad disappears after a week, it failed.
- Obsessing over Likes: Their Facebook likes don't pay bills. Focus on their Search Intent coverage.
- Ignoring the "Little Guy": Sometimes a small competitor dominates a specific niche (like "historic home renovation"). Learn from specialists.
FAQ
Q: Is this considered stealing? A: No. Public webpages are public. You cannot copy their text or images (that is copyright infringement), but you can absolutely cover the same topics and Buying Moments.
Q: How do I beat a competitor with 1,000 reviews? A: You can't win on volume yet. Win on specificity. They are the "General Store." You be the "Specialist." Google often ranks a hyper-relevant specialist page above a generic giant page.
Sources and References
- Semrush: The Guide to Competitive Intelligence - Standard industry practices.
- SpyFu: Competitor Ad History - Assessing paid strategy longevity.
Changelog
- 2024-03-22: Initial publication.
Read Next in This Hub:
- Buying Moment Coverage Score - Benchmark against them.
- Buying Moment Map - Build your map.
Related System:
- Local Visibility Systems - Outrank them.