How to Create an SEO Competitive Analysis Report (Complete Guide)

A week or so ago we partnered with Semrush and Wix to do a webinar on getting started with competitor analysis for SEO…

Here’s the video… in case you’re looking to get started with competitor analysis for SEO:  

Mastering Competitive Analysis for SEO: Actionable Insights

Competitive analysis isn’t just for paid search or brand positioning, it’s the foundation of any winning SEO strategy. By understanding who ranks for your target terms, how they attract and engage users, and where gaps exist, you can craft a data-driven roadmap to outrank and out-convert your rivals. Below, distilled from the recent Wix × SEMrush webinar, are seven actionable steps to turn raw competitor data into real SEO wins.

1. Identify Your Real Competitors

Before you can benchmark, you must know whom to benchmark against. Competitors fall into two camps:

• Direct competitors: Businesses selling essentially the same product or service in your market (e.g., Nike vs. Adidas).
• Indirect competitors: Sites offering related products or targeting adjacent geographies (e.g., a UK–only bracelet retailer vs. a Canadian one).

Don’t stop at the obvious brands—scan the SERP for affiliate blogs, Q&A sites, Wikipedia entries, image pack results, even local directories. Every page that surfaces for your core queries is part of your competitive landscape.

2. Leverage the Right Tools for a High-Level Overview

With competitors in hand, tools like SEMrush can collapse hours—or days—of manual work into minutes. Plug each domain into the Domain Overview to quickly see:

• Organic traffic trends & market share. Who’s growing? Who’s declining?
• Traffic sources breakdown. Organic vs. paid vs. social vs. referrals.
• Backlink profile. Total referring domains, authority score, and geographic distribution.
• Top ranking keywords & landing pages. What terms drive the most visits, and which pages convert.

Action: Run a Domain Overview on your top three rivals—and your own site—to map where you stand on each front.

3. Perform a Keyword Gap Analysis

Once you know what keywords your competitors rank for, find the ones they own but you don’t:

1. In SEMrush, open Keyword Gap.
2. Enter your domain plus up to two competitors.
3. Filter to “Missing Keywords” to reveal high-opportunity terms (e.g., “luxury candle supplies Canada”).

These missing keywords represent money on the table. Prioritize them by search volume, relevancy to your offering, and buyer intent.

Action: Export your top 20 missing keywords. For each, decide whether to:

• Create a new blog post
• Launch a category or product page
• Develop a partnership or influencer campaign

4. Conduct a Backlink Gap Analysis

Backlinks remain a core ranking signal—but not all links are equal. To uncover authoritative link opportunities:

1. Use SEMrush’s Backlink Gap tool with the same domains.
2. Identify high–authority referring domains linking to competitors but not to you.
3. Vet each source’s Authority Score and relevancy—avoid spammy coupon or directory sites.

Once targets are set, pursue them via:

• Content partnerships with niche blogs or industry publications
• PR outreach for guest posts or expert roundups
• Link reclamation by fixing broken competitor links and offering your own resources instead

Action: Build a prioritized outreach list of 10 domains. Craft personalized pitches highlighting mutual benefit.

5. Run Competitor Site Audits

Discover what your competitors aren’t fixing, and you can gain an edge:

• Broken links & 404s: Identify pages competitors aren’t maintaining.
• Thin or stale content: Spot low-value pages ripe for improvement.
• Technical issues: Monitor crawlability, site speed, and mobile responsiveness.

By setting up daily or weekly crawls, you’ll receive instant alerts when rivals slip—and opportunities to swoop in.

Action: Schedule a site audit of your top two competitors. Flag any errors you can capitalize on (e.g., broken pages you can replace).

6. Take Action: Content, Optimization, and UX

Armed with gaps and errors, it’s time to execute:

1. Create 10x content. Rather than echoing competitors, deliver superior depth, visuals, and real-world examples.
2. Optimize on-page elements. Craft compelling title tags, logical headings, and naturally incorporate your target keywords.
3. Enhance user experience. Faster load times, clear CTAs, and a mobile-first design keep visitors engaged.
4. Build a content calendar. Include blog posts, category pages, and strategic partnerships timed around peak interest.

Action: Pick one high-opportunity keyword and develop a complete content brief. Assign due dates and performance KPIs.

7. Monitor, Report, and Iterate Monthly

Competitive landscapes shift rapidly. Commit to:

• Monthly competitor reviews. Re-run Domain Overviews and gap analyses to track progress.
• Dashboard reporting. Visualize organic traffic trends, keyword rankings, and backlink growth.
• Strategy refinement. Double down on successful tactics; pivot away from underperforming experiments.

Action: Block time on the first Monday of each month for a 60-minute competitive audit. Document findings and next steps.

Conclusion

Competitive analysis for SEO isn’t a “one-and-done” exercise—it’s an ongoing cycle of discovery, action, and measurement. By systematically identifying who you’re up against, where they excel, and where they falter, you can uncover hidden opportunities, create content that truly resonates, and build the links that matter. And with tools like SEMrush, you can transform days of manual drudgery into actionable insights in minutes, so you can spend more time crafting the 10× strategies that propel your site to the top of the SERPs.

See also how to run a deep research for competitive analysis using AI >>

If you want assistance with your SEO strategy, we are here for you! You can read more about our AI SEO services here, or contact us directly to learn how we can best support you in reaching your business goals.