In local SEO, one of the most important steps is analyzing your SEO competition. By reviewing the strengths and weaknesses of your competitors, you can refine your strategy and gain a competitive edge. To get started, you need to identify the keywords you want to rank for, which will help you discover your competitors in that niche. The goal is to understand how successful your competitors are in ranking for those keywords and identify areas where you can outperform them.
For example, let’s say you are targeting the keyword “Cupcakes Las Vegas.” A quick Google search will give you an overview of your competition. Immediately, you’ll notice important factors like the number of reviews your competitors have. If they have a significant number of reviews, it tells you that reviews are a critical part of their SEO strategy. If reviews are scarce, then it may not be as important for your SEO competition.
Next, analyze the categories your competitors are using. This will help you determine if they’re using relevant or irrelevant categories. If you notice your competitors are miscategorizing themselves, it presents a competitive advantage for you. Additionally, take note of search results like Yelp, which may dominate certain searches like “Cupcakes Las Vegas.” Yelp could be a key player in your strategy as well.
Another aspect to check is how competitors are using keywords in their titles, descriptions, and URLs. For example, some competitors may include location-specific terms like “Las Vegas” in their titles or URLs, which can help improve local SEO performance.
Lastly, use competitive research tools like Open Site Explorer to analyze your competitors’ backlinks, popular search terms, and other SEO factors. This will help you understand the landscape and inform your local SEO strategy.
By reviewing SEO competition, you’ll be equipped to optimize your website and improve your chances of ranking higher in local searches.
