Learn from Your Competitors to Build a Stronger Search Marketing Program

A great way to improve your competitive advantage is to learn more about your competitors. The Web makes it easy to discover your competitors' new products, their specs, and how they are positioned. You may even learn about their pricing and clients.

The Web also delivers the opportunity to learn about your competitors' online marketing efforts. Use this knowledge to improve your own program.

Here are a few tips:

1) Competitor Website

- Check meta-keywords to see what keywords they are targeting
- Read the site's content for keywords and message points to incorporate
- Look for ideas to make your site more interactive for your audience

2) Analyze your competitors with the best search positions

- Search your most important phrases.
- Identify the sites with the best search positions
- Compare how you rank against them. Use that as a benchmark for improvement
- Analyze how they use content to achieve top search positions

3) Check backlinks

- Review competitor backlinks to identify relevant Websites where you should have a link on
- On Google and Yahoo search "links: (domain)" or simply the domain name
- Find out whether you can request or buy a link from those sites within your industry

4) Estimate traffic and traffic trends
- Use http://siteanalytics.compete.com for estimated Website traffic
- Compare your traffic trends with the competitors
- Check Top Keywords to have an idea what phrases are driving traffic to their sites

5) Check PPC ads

- Consider their message points for testing on your program