Competitor analysis

What is competitor analysis?

Competitor analysis is the process of identifying and evaluating businesses operating in the same market or location, to understand their online visibility, SEO tactics, and local marketing strategies. In local SEO, it means comparing your business with others in search rankings, Google Maps, and customer engagement to uncover opportunities for improvement.

The main goal of competitor analysis is to learn what works for your competitors, what keywords they rank for, how they attract customers, and how you can outperform them in local search.

What should you know about competitor analysis?

Effective competitor analysis in local SEO is data-driven and strategic. The key elements include:

• ranking positions in the Local Pack and organic search,

• presence in Google Maps and number of Google Reviews,

• keywords they rank for (on mobile and desktop),

• strength and completeness of their Google Business Profile,

• content types they publish (photos, updates, posts),

• their local link sources (citations, directories, partnerships).

Using local SEO tool like Rating Captain, you can automate much of this process and gain a clear overview of the competitive landscape in your niche and location.

The importance of competitor analysis in local SEO

Competitor analysis is crucial for building a winning local SEO strategy. Without it, you're operating in the dark - unaware of what drives success in your market.

By analyzing competitors, you can:

• discover untapped keywords and location-based opportunities,

• learn which elements help them outrank others (reviews, photos, CTAs),

• optimize your own profile and content to match or surpass top performers,

• react to market changes before losing traffic or customers.

Examples of competitor analysis

• A restaurant compares its profile with a competing venue and notices it receives more reviews - it launches a post-visit review request system.

• An auto service shop in Poznań identifies top competitor keywords and updates its landing pages accordingly.

• An SEO agency builds a visibility benchmark report for 10 local competitors and recommends specific tactics to outperform them.