How to Analyse Your Competitors' SEO and Find Gaps You Can Win

On this page

1. Step 1: Find your real search competitors
2. Step 2: Compare Google Business Profiles
3. Step 3: Map their website structure
4. Step 4: Study the pages that actually rank
5. Step 5: Find the content gaps
6. Step 6: See who links to them and mentions them
7. What not to copy
8. Turn findings into an action plan

Every search you want to win is already being won by someone. Studying those businesses (the pages they have, how their Google Business Profile looks, why Google trusts them) is one of the quickest ways to work out what your own website is missing. You don't need to copy anyone. You need to see the gaps clearly and decide which ones you can realistically close.

Step 1: Find your real search competitors

Your search competitors aren't always the businesses you compete with offline. The shop down the road may have no website at all, while a company from the next city takes the top spots.

1. List 5 to 10 searches your customers actually use, such as "{service} in {city}", "{service} near me" and "{service} cost". If you haven't done this yet, start with keyword research for small businesses.
2. Search each one in a private window on your phone, from your own area. Results change with location, so this is close to what nearby customers see.
3. Note who appears in the map pack (the businesses shown with the map) and who appears in the normal results below it.
4. Set aside directories, marketplaces and news sites, and pick the 3 to 5 businesses that keep appearing.

Keep a simple spreadsheet: one row per competitor, one column for each thing you check below.

Step 2: Compare Google Business Profiles

For local searches, the map pack often matters more than the website. Open each competitor's profile and note:

• Category: the primary category shown under their name, compared with yours
• Reviews: how many, how recent, and whether the owner replies
• Photos: real work, team and premises, or just a logo and stock images
• Completeness: services listed, hours, description and regular posts

If the three businesses above you all have a more specific category and a steady stream of recent reviews, you've found your first job, and it has nothing to do with your website.

Step 3: Map their website structure

Open each competitor's site and look at its pages, not its design. The questions that matter:

• Does each main service have its own page, or is everything on one "Services" page?
• Do they have pages for areas or branches you also serve?
• Do they answer common questions about pricing factors, process, timelines and guarantees?
• Do they show proof: project photos, case studies, testimonials, certifications?
• How easy is it to contact them on a phone: call button, WhatsApp, short form?

To see which of their pages Google has indexed, search site:theirdomain.com. The result count is only a rough estimate, but scrolling through shows which pages they've built and how they've titled them.

Step 4: Study the pages that actually rank

For each target search, open the page that ranks, not just the homepage, and compare it honestly with your equivalent page.

Check	What to compare
Title and description	How each appears in the results, and which gives a clearer reason to click
Page type	Is the ranking page a service page, a price guide, a list or an article? Google is showing you what searchers want
Depth	Do they explain the service, process, what affects cost and common questions, while yours has two paragraphs?
Proof	Real photos, reviews and examples of work near the searcher
Speed and mobile	Does their page load faster and feel easier to use on a phone?

Speed is easy to compare because free tools work on any public page; see website speed test tools explained. If every top result is a detailed service page and yours is thin, the gap is content, not a secret trick. Writing service pages that rank and convert covers how to close it.

Step 5: Find the content gaps

A content gap is a topic customers search for that competitors cover and you don't, or that nobody covers well yet. Look for:

• Services or sub-services they have separate pages for
• Cost, comparison and "how to choose" guides
• Questions in Google's "People also ask" boxes that no ranking page answers properly
• Local knowledge you have and they don't: permits, seasonal problems, common issues in your city

Paid tools such as Semrush and Ahrefs estimate which keywords a competitor ranks for, which speeds this up. Treat their numbers as estimates, check current plans before paying, and remember that a small local business can often manage with Google itself and some patience.

Step 6: See who links to them and mentions them

Links and mentions from other websites are part of how Google judges trust. Search each competitor's business name in quotes and note where they appear:

• Industry associations and trade bodies
• Local news, events and sponsorships
• Supplier and brand "find a dealer" or "authorised installer" pages
• Reputable directories relevant to your industry

Some of these you can match honestly; paid link schemes and spammy directories you should ignore. See ethical link building for small businesses.

What not to copy

• Their text: copying is unethical, can breach copyright, and gives Google nothing new
• Keyword-stuffed names or fake addresses on Google Maps, which break Google's guidelines and can get a profile suspended
• Fake reviews or bought links, however well they seem to work for someone else
• Every habit of the top result: a business may rank despite something, not because of it. Years of reviews and reputation explain a lot.

Turn findings into an action plan

Finish with a short list, not a long report. Group the gaps by effort:

1. This week: Business Profile fixes, clearer page titles, a visible call and WhatsApp button
2. This month: new or improved service pages that match what ranks
3. Ongoing: reviews after every job, one genuinely useful article a month, and earning real local mentions

Repeat the exercise every three to six months. Competitors change their sites, rankings move and new gaps appear.

Want a second pair of eyes? A WordPress SEO review can compare your site with the competitors that matter and turn the gaps into a prioritised plan. If the gap turns out to be the whole website, see website redesign.