How to research competitors' websites

Why Research Competitor Websites?

Researching competitor websites can provide you with insights into:

• What keywords they rank for
• Estimating their website traffic
• Top-performing pages
• Backlink profiles (what other websites link to your competitors)
• Opportunities to improve your own site’s SEO

Getting Started with Ubersuggest

Step 1: Create an Account

1. Visit Ubersuggest: Go to Neil Patel’s Ubersuggest.
2. Create an Account: Sign up for a free account to access basic features.

Step 2: Identify Your Competitors

1. Determine Your Focus Keywords: Identify the main keywords you want to rank for. For example, if your business is focused on "boiler installations" in Birmingham, use that as your target keyword.
2. Google Search: Perform a Google search for your main keyword. Skip the ads and Google Maps results. Look at the top organic results.

Step 3: Analyse Competitor Website

1. Select a Competitor: Choose a top-ranking competitor from the search results. For instance, if "Birmingham Heating Limited" is a top result, click on their website.
2. Copy the URL: Copy the competitor’s homepage URL.

Step 4: Use Ubersuggest for Traffic Estimation

1. Navigate to Traffic Overview: In Ubersuggest, go to the left-hand menu, select "Traffic Estimation," then click on "Traffic Overview."
2. Paste Competitor’s URL: Paste the copied URL into the search bar and remove any specific page paths, ensuring it’s just the homepage URL (e.g., birminghamheatinglimited.co.uk).
3. Start Search: Click the search button to retrieve data.

Step 5: Review Traffic Metrics

1. Understand Metrics: Ubersuggest will show various metrics, such as estimated visitors and keyword rankings. Note that these are estimates based on Ubersuggest’s data.
2. Keyword Rankings: Look at the number of keywords the competitor ranks for, focusing on those in the top 10 positions, as these drive the most traffic.

Step 6: Analyse Top Performing Pages

1. Scroll Down to Top Pages: In the Traffic Overview, scroll down to see the competitor's top-performing pages.
2. Inspect Content: Click on these pages to see what content performs well. Look for elements like topics covered and the layout of the content.

Step 7: Gain Insights and Improve Your Site

1. Compare and Learn: Compare the content of top-performing pages with your own. Identify gaps and opportunities where you can provide better or additional information.
2. Implement Changes: Use the insights to enhance your website content. Add missing information, improve layout, and ensure your content is more engaging and informative.

Step 8: Check Backlinks

1. Backlink Overview: In Ubersuggest, go to the "Backlinks" section and click on "Backlinks Overview."
2. Analyse Backlinks: Review the list of websites linking to your competitor. Focus on high authority sites with low spam scores.
3. Identify Opportunities: Look for directories or websites where you can also get listed. Avoid spammy links with high spam scores.

Conclusion

Using Ubersuggest to research your competitors provides a wealth of information that can be leveraged to enhance your SEO strategy. By understanding what works for your competitors, you can make data-driven improvements to your own website.

If you have any questions or need further assistance with competitor analysis, feel free to get in touch with our team. We’re here to help!