Competitor analysis is a crucial aspect of any ecommerce SEO audit. By understanding your competitors’ strategies, strengths, and weaknesses, you can gain valuable insights to improve your own website’s performance and outrank them in search engine results. In this article, we will discuss the steps you can take to perform effective competitor analysis during your ecommerce SEO audit.
1. Identify your main competitors:
The first step is to identify your main competitors in the online marketplace. These are the websites that appear on the first page of search engine results for keywords relevant to your business. Use tools like Google Search or SEO software to find out who your competitors are and make a list of them.
2. Analyze their website structure and design:
Visit your competitors’ websites and evaluate their overall structure and design. Look for user-friendly features, navigation menus, and well-organized categories. This analysis can help you identify any issues with your own website’s structure and give you ideas for improving user experience.
3. Evaluate their keyword strategy:
Keywords play a vital role in SEO rankings. Analyze your competitors’ websites to identify the keywords they are targeting. Look for keyword placement in their titles, meta tags, URLs, and page content. Evaluate the relevancy and competitiveness of these keywords to determine if you need to adjust your strategy.
4. Assess their content quality:
High-quality, informative, and engaging content is crucial for SEO success. Evaluate your competitors’ content to understand their approach to content creation. Look for the type of content they create, such as blog posts, product descriptions, or video content. Analyze the length, readability, and optimization of their content. This analysis will help you identify gaps in your own content strategy and improve your website’s visibility.
5. Study their backlink profile:
Backlinks are a crucial factor in SEO rankings. Analyze your competitors’ backlink profiles to determine the quality and quantity of their inbound links. Look for the domains that link to their website and evaluate their authority and relevance. This analysis will help you identify potential link-building opportunities for your own website.
6. Monitor their social media presence:
Social media is a powerful channel for driving traffic and engagement. Evaluate your competitors’ social media presence and activity. Look for the platforms they are active on, the frequency of their posts, and their engagement with followers. This analysis will help you identify opportunities to improve your own social media strategy and better engage with your target audience.
7. Analyze their website’s loading speed and mobile-friendliness:
Website loading speed and mobile-friendliness are critical factors for user experience and SEO rankings. Use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights or GTmetrix to analyze your competitors’ websites and check their performance scores. This analysis will help you identify any potential issues with your website’s loading speed and mobile optimization.
8. Keep track of their SEO performance:
Finally, continuously monitor your competitors’ SEO performance. Track their search engine rankings for relevant keywords, their organic traffic growth, and any changes to their website structure or content strategy. This ongoing analysis will help you stay ahead of your competition and make necessary adjustments to your own SEO strategy.
Performing competitor analysis during your ecommerce SEO audit is an essential step for improving your website’s visibility and performance. By understanding your competitors’ strategies, strengths, and weaknesses, you can identify opportunities to outrank them and stand out in the online marketplace. Remember to continuously monitor and adapt your SEO strategy to stay ahead in the ever-evolving ecommerce landscape.
