Learning what your competitors are doing can help you stand out. One way to do this is by studying their keywords. By finding out which keywords help them rank, you can change your SEO and marketing plans to get more traffic and turn visitors into customers. This can give you a competitive edge.
This guide will show why competitor keyword research matters, tools that can help, and how to use this info to grow your business.
What Are Competitor Keywords?
Competitor keywords are the search terms that help your competitors show up on Google. They can be from unpaid searches or paid ads. For example, if you run an online aquarium shop, words like “Exotic fish delivery” might also help your competitors get clicks. People searching might visit your site or theirs. Finding these keywords helps you see what you’re up against and improve your SEO plan.
The Importance of Competitor Keyword Research
Conducting competitor keyword research is essential for refining your digital marketing and SEO strategies. It allows you to:
- Understand Audience Intent: Knowing what terms people use helps you better understand their needs and behaviours.
- Identify Gaps and Opportunities: You can uncover untapped keywords or areas where your competitors are outperforming you.
- Set Realistic Benchmarks: By analysing competitors, you can set realistic goals and better understand keyword competition and difficulty.
How to Find Competitor Keywords?
Finding competitor keywords is an important step to improve your SEO plan and stay ahead. By seeing which keywords your competitors use, you can find chances to make your website rank better. You can close keyword gaps, follow new trends, and get more people to find your site. To see what keywords your competitors use, you can try different tools. Below are some methods you can use:
1. Google Keyword Planner
Google Keyword Planner is a free tool provided by Google Ads that allows you to discover keywords related to your business. Although it is mainly designed for paid search campaigns, it can still be used for organic keyword research.
- Features:
- Gives keyword ideas by looking at a competitor’s website or your own business.
- Shows how often people search for each keyword and how hard it is to rank.
- Provides cost estimates for Google Ads to see how competitive a keyword is.
- How to Use:
- Login to Google Ads and go to Google Keyword Planner in the Tools menu.
- Use “Discover New Keywords” to type in a competitor’s URL or your product.
- Check the keyword list for ideas and see how often they are searched.
- Limitations:
- Mostly useful for paid search ads.
- Shows search numbers in broad ranges, not exact counts.
2. Ubersuggest
Ubersuggest, developed by Neil Patel, is a free SEO tool that offers keyword suggestions, search volume, competition analysis, and more.
- Features:
- Gives keyword ideas and shows what keywords your competitors use.
- Shows data like how often people search, cost-per-click (CPC), and competition.
- Has an “SEO Analyser” that gives a full report on competitor websites.
- How to Use:
- Go to the Ubersuggest website and type in a competitor’s website.
- See the top keywords your competitor ranks for.
- Use the “Keyword Ideas” section to find new keyword ideas.
- Limitations:
- The free version only allows a few searches each day.
- Doesn’t have as much keyword data as paid tools.
3. Answer The Public
Answer The Public is a unique tool that helps you generate keyword ideas based on questions, prepositions, and comparisons related to your seed keyword.
- Features:
- Creates a big list of long-tail keyword ideas and searches.
- Shows the questions people ask about your topic.
- Helps you find trending keywords from popular searches.
- How to Use:
- Type a keyword or phrase into the tool’s search bar.
- See keyword ideas like questions, comparisons, and prepositions in a visual format.
- Limitations:
- You can only use it for free a few times each day.
- Doesn’t show how many people search for a keyword or how hard it is to rank.
4. Moz Keyword Explorer (Free Version)
Moz offers a limited free version of its Keyword Explorer tool, which can be useful for discovering keyword ideas and assessing their potential for ranking.
- Features:
- Shows how hard it is to rank for a keyword and its potential.
- Displays how often people search for a keyword and the chance they’ll click.
- Suggests related keywords and questions.
- How to Use:
- Create a free Moz account.
- Type in a keyword or website to see keyword ideas and SEO info.
- Limitations:
- You can only do a small number of free searches each month.
- Some advanced tools are only for paid users.
5. Google Trends
Google Trends is a free tool that lets you explore the popularity of search queries over time.
- Features:
- Shows how keywords are trending in different places and over time.
- Lets you compare how popular up to five search terms are.
- Gives ideas about related searches and topics.
- How to Use:
- Go to the Google Trends website and type a keyword or topic.
- Compare keywords and see past search data and trends.
- Limitations:
- Doesn’t show exact numbers for search volume or competition.
- Best for checking trends, not for deep keyword research.
6. Keyword Surfer
Keyword Surfer is a free Chrome extension that delivers keyword data directly within your browser as you browse Google search results.
- Features:
- Shows how often people search for keywords and their CPC right in Google.
- Gives ideas for new keywords and related words.
- Lets you see the most popular search terms used by your competitors.
- How to Use:
- Add the Keyword Surfer extension to Chrome.
- Search on Google and see keyword info like search volume and related words.
- Limitations:
- Only works on Google.
- Doesn’t give as much detail as advanced keyword tools.
7. Soovle
Soovle is another free tool that generates keyword suggestions from multiple search engines and platforms, including Google, Bing, YouTube, and Amazon.
- Features:
- Gives you keyword ideas from different search engines and sites.
- Helps find popular and related keywords on many platforms.
- How to Use:
- Go to the Soovle website and type in a keyword.
- See keyword ideas from Google, YouTube, Amazon, and more.
- Limitations:
- It doesn’t show how many people search for a keyword or how hard it is to rank.
- Doesn’t have tools for deep keyword research.
Key Metrics to Look For When Analysing Competitor Keywords
When studying competitor keywords, focus on important numbers to learn from their industry specific SEO strategy. These numbers show which keywords bring them traffic, how hard those keywords are to rank for, and where you can improve your content. By checking these details, you can find missing keywords, understand what people are looking for, and make smarter choices to help your website rank higher. Here are the key metrics to look for when analysing competitor keywords:
1. Search Volume
This indicates the frequency with which a keyword is searched each month. Keywords with more searches reach more people but have more competition.
2. Keyword Difficulty
This indicates the level of difficulty in ranking for a keyword, based on the amount of competition. It’s best to choose keywords that get lots of traffic but aren’t too competitive.
3. Cost Per Click (CPC)
CPC shows how much money advertisers pay to use a keyword. Keywords with high CPC often bring more sales, so they are good for paid ad campaigns.
4. Search Intent
Understanding search intent is crucial for website content. Total four main types of search intent:
- Informational: People are looking for information (e.g., “types of flowers”).
- Navigational: Users are looking for a specific website (e.g., “1-800-flowers”).
- Commercial: Searchers are researching products or services (e.g., “best flowers for delivery”).
- Transactional: Users are ready to make a purchase (e.g., “buy flowers near me”).
By looking at why competitors use certain keywords, you can make your own content and ads more focused.
5. Competitive Density
Competitive density shows how busy a keyword is. Keywords with high density cost more per click and are harder to rank for in SEO.
Tips for Choosing the Best Competitor Keywords
Picking the right competitor keywords is key to a good SEO plan. Choosing the best keywords makes your website easier to find, brings in the right visitors, and keeps you ahead of others. However, not all competitor keywords are useful. You should think about things like how often a word is searched, how hard it is to rank for, and why people are searching for it. These are a few tips to help you discover the most effective keywords
- Look for Keyword Gaps: Look at the keywords your competitors are using that you don’t have. These are often chances you haven’t used them yet.
- Target Low Competition Keywords: Big keywords with lots of searches can be tempting, but they are harder to rank for because many people are using them. Smaller, less popular keywords can give you a better chance to rank higher.
- Combine Organic and Paid Strategies: Don’t stick to just one kind of keyword. Use both free and paid keywords together to get the best results for your marketing.
- Consider Long-Tail Keywords: These keywords are more detailed, have less competition, and work well for smaller, focused groups.
Conclusion
Studying your competitors’ keywords is a smart way to improve your SEO and PPC. By knowing which words they focus on, you can find new ideas, avoid tough competition, and grow online. You can use free tools like Google Keyword Planner or advanced ones like SpyFu and Semrush. Look at things like how often a word is searched, how hard it is to rank for, its cost per click (CPC), and why people search for it.
By analysing your competitors’ keywords, you can enhance your own strategy and gain a competitive edge. This will help you get more visitors, beat your competitors, and reach your goals.