Who are your online competitors? Are their operations and focus really the way you think? It will be very interesting to know those people competing with you for the digital space.
The competitors are the main websites you are competing for top placement in search engines. Indeed, the chances are that the competitors are really varied. Every keyword might generate an entirely different type of competitors. In this post, we demonstrate some simple methods of identifying your competitors.
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Start by identifying your keywords
Prior to starting any effort to establish who your competitors are, you have to identify all keyword phrases. For marketers who are unsure of the phrases to target, a good point to start is the Google Keyword Planner that provides a combination of high volume, intent, as well as achievable difficulties. Now that you have all the phrases, move to the next step of identifying competitors. Note that you can opt for the free methods or paid tools to narrow down to the competitors.
Google the keyword phrases to get online competitors
This is one of the simplest but very effective methods of identifying your competitors. By simply keying the phrases on Google search, you can know the companies that rank better on the same terms.
It is important to prepare the list of companies and includes the domain names that ranked very well for the top key phrases. The competitors should include all the companies buying their roads to the top of every rank using online advertising as well as others working naturally. For example, a dentist might include key phrases such as dental firms in New York.
For those in businesses that supply services or products to a local market, your competitors are mainly local. It is advisable to include the words near me next to the search phrase. A cake supplier might include something like milk cakes near me.
If you think that is ample, it is ok to stop there and start looking at each competitor. However, you can dig further to establish the types of services and what the competitors are doing at any particular moment.
Utilize the Related: search operator on Google
Google related: search operator is very helpful in identifying websites that Google thinks are similar to yours. Unlike when you use the Google Search, related search operator gives more specific and relevant information about your competitors. The tool factors the business location, products, keywords, market share, and other factors to give specific results. If you find the results too many, you can narrow down by including additional keywords such as location.
Use the niche directory
Directories are very helpful in identifying who the main competitors are in any area. If your company details were submitted to a local directory, check who else has been pooled together with you in offering similar services. The directories are direct and even provide the physical location of the competitors. To get the best list of competitors, it is important to only look at directories with updated details. It is advisable to use the directories together with the local search to understand the competitors even more.
Get a complete competitor review report using SEM Rush
SEM Rush is a unique research tool that helps to analyze ranking, keywords, and traffic info. Though it is a paid service, you can still use the free version that limits the search to five top competitors. The tool makes your work very easy because you only need to enter the business domain on the Main Organic Competitor section to generate the report about competitors. Ensure to take the search ahead by looking at competitors in the paid advertising.
If you opt for the paid version, a simple search such as Barclays Bank will give you a list of top 20 main competitors. At the bottom of the results, you can generate a more comprehensive report that makes it easier to see more details about every competitor.
Follow the top e-commerce stores
If you are an online retailer, it is important to follow top e-commerce stores such as eBay and Amazon. Follow the products that are similar to what you are selling to know their details and manufacturers. You will also see companies throwing their clearance items to lure client to their real-websites. Make sure to follow them and dig more info about their operations. Because the e-commerce sites only provide specific reviews of items, ensure to dig further information about each competing company by following expert suggestions and visiting their websites.
Monitoring social media
Twitter has become the place where industrial buzz emanates as companies release 1 or 2 line dispatches updating followers about what they are doing, thinking about, talking, new products, and other details. By joining Twitter and staying active on posts about the niche of interest, you are sure of knowing the trending companies and what they offer. As an open space, you can learn a lot about the competitors, how they operate, and who their target clients are. This info will be very helpful in assisting you to redefine the marketing strategies to win a bigger market share.
Ask close friends who the online competitors
One thing that you must appreciate about the search for competitors is that the online search can miss out on some competitors because they have not submitted details to various directories. In other cases, manual searches do not capture all the details about the competitors in a specific niche. For example, a new and more vibrant business might miss in the top manual searches but has a great presence on the ground. Therefore, it will be a great idea to also ask your staff, clients, and friends about your top competitors in the market.
Conclusion
Knowing your competitors is very critical to determining whether they are doing anything better and winning a competitive edge. By understanding the competitors well, you can learn about the marketing methods that are not bearing results and redefine operations to reach a bigger target audience and convert to sales. Remember that no single method is ideal for all businesses, you need to carefully check on all the strategies top identify the most effective for your situation.
