If your competitors consistently appear above your business in Google search results, it is worth looking at what they are doing differently. One of the most useful places to start is keyword research. By identifying the search terms your competitors already rank for, you can uncover opportunities for your own website, content, and SEO strategy.
At SC Digital, competitor research is one piece of the larger SEO process. The goal isn’t to copy what another business is doing. It is to understand the search landscape, identify opportunities, and build a strategy around the terms that matter to your business.
Start With Your Top Competitors
Before researching keywords, identify a few businesses you consider direct competitors. These don’t necessarily need to be the companies you compete with most often offline. For SEO purposes, your competitors are also the businesses appearing in search results for the services you want to rank for. For example, if you own an HVAC company, search for terms such as:
- HVAC company near me
- AC repair
- furnace installation
- heating repair
- HVAC maintenance
Look at the businesses consistently appearing in the results. These are the websites worth analyzing.
Use SEO Tools to Find Their Keywords
SEO platforms such as Semrush, Ahrefs, and Mangools can provide insight into the keywords a competing website ranks for. You can enter a competitor’s domain and review information such as:
- Keywords they rank for
- Estimated organic traffic
- Search positions
- Pages receiving organic traffic
- Keyword difficulty
- Search volume
- Competitor keyword gaps
This data can help reveal opportunities you might not have considered. For example, you may discover that a competitor is ranking for a specific service-related search term that isn’t mentioned anywhere on your website. That doesn’t automatically mean you should create a page targeting it. You first need to determine whether the keyword is relevant to your business and your customers.
Look at the Pages Ranking for Those Keywords
Finding a keyword is only the beginning. Next, look at which page on your competitor’s website ranks for that search term.
Is it their homepage?
A location page?
A detailed guide?
This can tell you what type of content Google considers relevant for that particular search. For example, if competitors are ranking service pages for a particular term, creating a dedicated service page may make more sense than trying to target the term with a blog post. At SC Digital, we look at search intent alongside keyword data. The goal is to create the right type of content for what people are actually looking for.
Find Keyword Gaps
One of the most useful parts of competitor research is identifying keyword gaps. A keyword gap occurs when a competitor ranks for a search term but your website does not. Imagine a roofing company discovers that its competitors rank for:
- roof replacement
- commercial roofing
- emergency roof repair
- flat roof repair
The business may already have strong pages for some of these services but no dedicated content for others. Those gaps can provide a starting point for future SEO work. However, not every gap is worth pursuing. A keyword should align with your services, target audience, location, and business goals.
Don’t Only Look at High-Volume Keywords
It’s tempting to focus on the keywords with the highest search volume. But for service businesses, highly specific searches can often be more valuable.
Someone searching for “roofing” could be looking for almost anything.
Someone searching for “commercial flat roof replacement in Portsmouth” has a much clearer intent.
Lower-volume keywords can still generate valuable leads when they attract people who are actively looking for a specific service. This is why SC Digital looks beyond search volume when developing SEO strategies. The best keyword isn’t always the one with the most searches. It is the one that connects your business with the right customer.
Analyze Your Competitors’ Content
Keyword research can also reveal how competitors are building their websites.
Look for patterns.
Do they have separate pages for each major service?
Do they create location-specific pages?
Are they publishing blogs that answer common customer questions?
Do their pages provide detailed information about their services?
This can help you identify areas where your own website could provide more useful information. The objective isn’t to replicate a competitor’s website. Your content should be original and provide genuine value to your customers.
Turn Competitor Research Into a Strategy
Once you’ve identified potential keywords, organize them into groups based on your services and goals.
For example:
Primary services
- Emergency plumbing
- Water heater repair
- Drain cleaning
Locations
- Plumber in Portsmouth
- Plumber in Dover
- Plumber in Exeter
Informational searches
- How often should a water heater be replaced?
- What causes a clogged drain?
- How much does water heater repair cost?
This gives you a roadmap for determining which existing pages should be optimized and which new pages or content pieces could be created.
Competitor Research Is Only the Starting Point
Knowing what your competitors rank for can give you valuable information, but rankings don’t happen because a website uses the right keywords once. Strong SEO requires a combination of useful content, technical optimization, website structure, authority, local relevance, and ongoing improvements. At SC Digital, we use competitor research to understand where opportunities exist and then build those findings into a broader SEO strategy. The goal isn’t to chase your competitors. It’s to find opportunities they may have overlooked and build a stronger online presence for your business.