How to do competitor research without special tools

Look at who shows up for your searches, what they offer and where they are thin, then act on the gaps.

What it is#

Competitor research means finding out who your customers see instead of you, and what those businesses do well or leave out. Your search competitors are not always the businesses you think of as rivals. They are whoever appears when your customer searches.

Why it matters#

It shows you what a customer compares before choosing, and where you can say something the others do not. It stops you guessing.

How to do it#

1. List five searches a customer would use to find what you sell, including one with your town in it.
2. Search each one in a private window and write down the businesses and pages that appear. Count how often the same names return.
3. Open the top few pages and note the offer, prices shown, guarantees, photos, reviews, and how easy it is to contact them.
4. Read their headings and page titles. They show the topics and wording the business is aiming at.
5. Look at their Google Business Profile: number of reviews, rating, categories, photos and how they reply.
6. Write down gaps. Which question do they not answer? Which area do they not serve? What do customers complain about in their reviews?

What to do with it#

• Fill a gap with a page or post, using your own experience.
• Improve a page that is weaker than theirs, for example by adding a price range or a clearer call to action.
• Use their review complaints as promises you can honestly keep.

Common mistakes#

• Copying. Copied text is no help to a reader and can be treated as duplicate content.
• Chasing the biggest names. A national brand and a local firm often win for different searches. Compare yourself to the businesses a customer would really weigh against you.
• Doing it once. Repeat every few months, since rivals change.

For a structured look at one rival site, see how to check a rival's website.

A simple record#

Keep a small table with one row per rival and a column each for their offer, price signals, review count, strongest page and biggest gap. Date it. When you repeat the exercise, the changes tell you more than any single snapshot, and the table stops you re-learning the same things.