competitor-research

SEO Content: Competitor Research

Guides competitor research for SEO, content, backlinks, and positioning. Use when planning content, auditing articles, building links, or evaluating market position.

When invoking: On first use, if helpful, open with 1–2 sentences on what this skill covers and why it matters, then provide the main output. On subsequent use or when the user asks to skip, go directly to the main output.

Research Types

Type	Purpose	Output
Keyword/topic	Topics competitors rank for; gaps	Keyword opportunities; content ideas
Content	Structure, length, gaps vs top rankers	Length target; H2 structure; content gaps
Backlink	Link profile; sites linking to competitors	Link gap; outreach targets
Pricing	Competitor pricing, positioning	Pricing context; differentiation
SEO metrics	Organic traffic, rankings vs competitors	Benchmark; opportunity areas

Competitor Keyword / Topic Analysis

Method	Practice
Reverse engineering	Analyze competitor titles, H1, URL; identify topics they rank for
SERP overlap	Keywords with overlapping top-ranking pages → same cluster; #4–10 = opportunity
site: operator	site:competitor.com to see indexed pages
Tool	Ahrefs, Semrush—competitor keyword overlap, gap analysis

Output: Keyword opportunities; topics competitors cover that you don't.

Competitor Content Analysis

Element	Check
Word count	Top 10 average; length target for your content
H2 structure	Topics covered; structure to adopt
Content gaps	What top rankers cover that you miss
Keyword placement	Primary keyword in title, H1, first 100 words
Format	Lists, tables, FAQ; match or improve

Use when: Auditing or creating articles; see article-page-generator for Research Phase integration.

Competitor Article Fetch Workflow (for Article Analysis)

When analyzing or auditing a single article, use this lightweight workflow to obtain competitor articles:

1. Obtain URLs: From user, project-context Section 11, or web search for "[target keyword]" to find top-ranking pages
2. Fetch content: Use mcp_web_fetch or WebSearch to fetch 2–3 top-ranking pages
3. Analyze: Word count, H2 structure, keyword placement, content gaps, CTA, schema
4. Output: Competitor URLs, brief structure comparison, content gaps, length target, keyword opportunities

Output format: Competitor URLs; word count and H2 structure per URL; content gaps vs your article; recommended length target; keyword opportunities (terms top rankers use that your article misses).

Competitor Backlink Analysis

Action	Purpose
Compare profiles	Your backlinks vs competitors
Link gap	Sites linking to competitors but not you
Opportunity	Outreach to those sites; content they might link to

Tools: Ahrefs, Semrush—Link Intersect, competitor backlink reports. See backlink-analysis.

Competitor Pricing

Use	Practice
Positioning	Where you sit vs competitors
Differentiation	Value prop when price differs
Alternatives pages	Who to include; how to position

See pricing-strategy, alternatives-page-generator.

Data Sources

Source	Use
SimilarWeb	Traffic, engagement, traffic sources by domain
Ahrefs	Competitor domains, backlinks, DR
SEMrush	Organic competitors, traffic share
GA	Referral traffic, acquisition by source
PostHog	Competitor feature usage (if tracked)

Report Workflow

1. Parse — Read Excel/CSV, infer domain, visits, traffic sources, etc. from headers
2. Enrich — Web search, visit competitor sites; read project-context.md if present
3. Build — Structure data for report
4. Generate — Output report in chosen format

Output Format

• Competitors identified
• Research type (keyword, content, backlink, pricing)
• Findings (gaps, opportunities, benchmarks)
• Recommendations (content to create, links to pursue, positioning)

Report Structure Reference

Section	Content
Executive Summary	Key findings (top 3), top 3 recommendations
Competitor Overview	Competitor, category, market position, key strength
Product Comparison	Feature/capability vs Us vs Competitors
SWOT Analysis	Our strengths/weaknesses/opportunities/threats; competitor deep dives
Marketing & Messaging	Value prop, target audience, key channels
Gaps & Opportunities	Gap, opportunity, priority
Prioritized Recommendations	Recommendation, impact, effort, owner

Related Skills

• keyword-research: Competitor reverse; keyword discovery
• article-page-generator: Competitor article analysis in Research Phase
• content-strategy: Competitor analysis for topic mapping
• content-optimization: Competitor length and structure as reference
• backlink-analysis: Competitor backlink comparison; link gap
• seo-monitoring: Competitive comparison; organic vs competitors
• alternatives-page-generator: Competitor selection; comparison framing
• migration-page-generator: Competitor migration paths
• pricing-strategy: Competitor pricing context
• affiliate-marketing: Find affiliates promoting competitors
• directories: Competitor info for directory submissions