What is Competitor Keyword Analysis? 10 Best Ways to find Competitors Keywords

Competitor keyword analysis

It is the process of researching and analyzing the keywords that your competitors are targeting in their SEO and content marketing strategies. It involves identifying the keywords that are driving organic traffic and rankings for your competitors’ websites. By understanding the keywords they are focusing on, you can gain valuable insights into their SEO tactics, content strategy, and target audience.

Competitor keyword analysis typically involves using various tools and techniques to discover the keywords your competitors are using and ranking for in search engine results pages (SERPs). This analysis helps you identify opportunities to optimize your own content, improve your search engine rankings, and gain a competitive edge in your industry.

The key steps involved in competitor keyword analysis include:

Identifying Competitors: Determine who your main competitors are within your industry or niche.

Researching Competitors’ Websites: Analyze your competitors’ websites to identify their target keywords. Look for keywords used in page titles, meta tags, headings, and content.

Using Keyword Research Tools: Utilize keyword research tools, both free and paid, to explore the keywords that your competitors are targeting. These tools provide insights into search volume, keyword difficulty, and competition for specific keywords.

Analyzing Competitors’ Content: Examine your competitors’ content to identify the keywords they are naturally incorporating. Look for recurring themes, topics, and keyword patterns within their blog posts, articles, and landing pages.

Assessing Competitors’ Rankings: Monitor your competitors’ rankings on search engine result pages for specific keywords. Identify keywords where your competitors have a strong presence and high rankings.

Examining Backlink Profiles: Explore the backlink profiles of your competitors to identify potential link-building opportunities. Look for anchor texts and keywords used in their inbound links.

By conducting competitor keyword analysis, you can gain insights into the search terms that are driving traffic to your competitors’ websites. This knowledge allows you to optimize your own content, improve your keyword targeting, create more relevant and valuable content, and ultimately improve your organic search rankings.

Competitor keyword analysis is an ongoing process as keywords and competition can evolve over time. By continuously monitoring and analyzing your competitors’ keyword strategies, you can stay ahead of the game, adapt your SEO efforts, and maintain a competitive advantage in the digital landscape.

Most Effective ways to find competitors keywords for free:

Finding competitors’ keywords can be a valuable strategy to gain insights into their SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and content marketing efforts. Understanding the keywords they are targeting can help you identify new opportunities, optimize your own content, and stay ahead of the competition. While there are paid tools that offer comprehensive competitor analysis, there are also free methods and tools available that can provide valuable information.

Here are some effective ways to find competitors’ keywords for free

1. Manual Search Engine Research: One of the simplest methods is to conduct manual searches on search engines using relevant industry keywords. Take note of the websites that consistently appear on the first page of search results for those keywords. By analyzing their content, page titles, and meta tags, you can gain insights into the keywords they are targeting.
2. Keyword Planner Tools: While Google Keyword Planner is primarily used for finding keyword ideas, it can also provide insights into competitors’ keywords. Enter your competitor’s website URL into the tool to see a list of relevant keywords they may be targeting in their campaigns.
3. Google Autocomplete and Related Searches: When using Google’s search bar, the Autocomplete feature can suggest keywords based on popularity and user behavior. Start typing a competitor’s brand name or a relevant keyword, and observe the autocomplete suggestions to get an idea of popular search terms. Additionally, scroll to the bottom of the search results page to find the “Related Searches” section for additional keyword ideas.
4. Google Search Console: If you have access to Google Search Console for your website, it can provide valuable information about the keywords that drive organic traffic to your site. While it won’t directly show your competitors’ keywords, you can compare the keywords that drive traffic to your website with those of your competitors to identify overlaps and potential opportunities.
5. Analyze Meta Tags and Page Titles: When visiting your competitor’s website, right-click on the page and select “View Page Source” (or similar) to access the HTML code. Look for the meta tags and page titles, as they often contain important keywords that the website is targeting.
6. SEMrush Free Trial: SEMrush offers a free trial with limited access to their competitor analysis features. By entering your competitor’s website URL, you can view some of the keywords they rank for, their top organic competitors, and other valuable insights.
7. SpyFu: SpyFu is another tool that offers limited free access to competitor keyword analysis. You can enter your competitor’s website URL to see their organic and paid keywords, top competitors, and more.
8. Online Tools and Extensions: Some browser extensions, such as Keywords Everywhere, provide keyword data on search engine results pages. Although the free version has limitations, it can still give you insights into the search volume and competitiveness of certain keywords.

Here are some of the best keyword research tools

1. Google Keyword Planner: Google Keyword Planner is free tool from Google is designed for Google Ads campaigns but is also useful for keyword research. It provides keyword ideas, search volume data, competition levels, and bid estimates.
2. SEMrush: SEMrush is a comprehensive SEO suite that offers powerful keyword research capabilities. It provides keyword suggestions, search volume data, keyword difficulty scores, competitor analysis, and much more.
3. Ahrefs: Ahrefs is another popular and robust SEO tool that offers a wide range of features, including keyword research. It provides detailed keyword data, search volume, keyword difficulty, competitor analysis, and backlink analysis.
4. Moz Keyword Explorer: Moz’s Keyword Explorer is known for its user-friendly interface and comprehensive keyword metrics. It offers keyword suggestions, search volume, keyword difficulty, and organic click-through rate (CTR) data.
5. Ubersuggest: Ubersuggest is a free keyword research tool that provides keyword ideas, search volume, SEO difficulty scores, and domain overview data. It also offers competitor analysis and content ideas.
6. KeywordTool.io: KeywordTool.io is a versatile keyword research tool that generates keyword ideas from various sources, including Google Autocomplete. It offers keyword suggestions for Google, YouTube, Bing, Amazon, and more.
7. SpyFu: SpyFu specializes in competitor analysis and provides insights into the keywords your competitors are targeting. It offers competitor keyword research, domain overview, ad history, and ranking history.

Remember, while free methods and tools can provide some insights into your competitors’ keywords, they may not provide a comprehensive analysis or all the data you need. For more in-depth competitor research and keyword analysis, consider investing in paid tools or professional services that offer comprehensive competitor keyword analysis.

Here is the list of top 10 free keyword research tools.