{"id":169758,"date":"2023-12-05T06:17:06","date_gmt":"2023-12-05T11:17:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/?p=169758"},"modified":"2025-12-18T09:12:39","modified_gmt":"2025-12-18T14:12:39","slug":"competitive-analysis-guide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/competitive-analysis-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"Competitive Analysis: The Lean Guide (With Template)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"intro-txt\">A competitive analysis (or market competitive analysis) is a process where you collect information about competitors to gain an edge over them and get more customers.<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>However, the problem is that \u201ctraditional\u201d competitive analysis is overkill for most businesses \u2014 it requires impractical data and takes too long to complete (and it\u2019s very expensive if you choose to outsource).&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A solution to that is a lean approach to the process \u2014 and that\u2019s what this guide is&nbsp;about.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In other words, we\u2019ll focus on the most important data you need to answer the question: \u201cWhy would people choose them over you?\u201d. No boring theory, outtakes from marketing history, or spending hours digging up nice-to-have information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In this guide, you will&nbsp;find:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>A real-life competitive analysis example.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Templates: one for input data and one for a slide deck to present your analysis to others.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Step-by-step instructions.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"intro-tok\" id=\"intro_tok\" style=\"display:none;\"><div class=\"intro-title\">Contents<\/div><a href=\"#\" class=\"expand-dots\"><span><\/span><span><\/span><span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"How to use the template\" data-section=\"how-to-use\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to use the template<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Our template consists of two documents: a slide deck and a spreadsheet.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Slide deck is the <em>output<\/em> document. It will help you present the analysis to your boss or your teammates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"recommendation\"><div class=\"recommendation-title\">Free download<\/div><div class=\"recommendation-content\">\n\n\n\n<p>Click here to get an <a href=\"https:\/\/docs.google.com\/presentation\/d\/1eMi7nVhPsQtIWmYtMvww_17eo1SGKtzTCOpW40ucc0w\/copy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">editable copy in Google Slides<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1668\" height=\"910\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/image5.gif\" alt=\"Competitive analysis template \u2014 slide deck sneak peek.\" class=\"wp-image-169759\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The spreadsheet is the <em>input<\/em> document. You will find tables that act as the data source for the charts from the slide deck, as well as a prompt to use in ChatGPT to help you with user review research.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"recommendation\"><div class=\"recommendation-title\">Free download<\/div><div class=\"recommendation-content\">Click here to get an <a href=\"https:\/\/docs.google.com\/spreadsheets\/d\/1uHomE0omr5MGGPD2F-1bmy0Bw-7jkYMdZLbASgkX0BQ\/copy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">editable copy for Google Sheets<\/a>.<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1840\" height=\"1228\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/image10.png\" alt=\"Competitive analysis template \u2014 spreadsheet sneak peek.\" class=\"wp-image-169760\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/image10.png 1840w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/image10-637x425.png 637w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/image10-768x513.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/image10-1536x1025.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1840px) 100vw, 1840px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>We didn\u2019t focus on aesthetics here; every marketer likes to do slide decks their own way, so feel free to edit everything you\u2019ll find&nbsp;there.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With that out of the way, let\u2019s talk about the process. The template consists of these six&nbsp;tasks:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Identify your direct competitors.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Compare share of&nbsp;voice.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Compare pricing and features.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Find strong and weak points based on reviews.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Compare purchasing convenience.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Present conclusions.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>Going forward, we\u2019ll explain why these steps matter and show how to complete them.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"1. Identify direct competitors\" data-section=\"step-one\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. Identify your direct competitors<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Direct competitors are businesses that offer a similar solution to the same audience.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They matter a lot more than indirect competitors (i.e. businesses with different products but targeting the same audience as you) because you\u2019ll be compared with them often (e.g. in product reviews and rankings). Plus, your audience is more likely to gravitate towards them when considering different options.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You probably have a few direct competitors in mind already, but here are a few ways to find others based on <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/organic-search\/\">organic search<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/ppc-marketing\/#google-ads-basics\">paid search ads<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Our basis for the analysis was Landingi, a SaaS for building landing pages (we chose that company randomly). So in our case, we found these 3 direct competitors.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"975\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/image22.png\" alt=\"Slide 1 \u2014 direct competitors.\" class=\"wp-image-169761\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/image22.png 1999w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/image22-680x332.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/image22-768x375.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/image22-1536x749.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Look at keyword overlap<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Keyword overlap uncovers sites that target the same organic keywords as you. Some sites will compete with you for traffic but not for customers (e.g. G2 may share some keywords with Landingi but they\u2019re a different business). However, in many cases, you will find direct competitors just by looking at this marketing channel.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Go to <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/site-explorer\"><strong>Ahrefs\u2019 Site Explorer<\/strong><\/a> and enter your site\u2019s address.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Scroll down to <strong>Organic<\/strong> <strong>competitors<\/strong>.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Visit the URLs to pick 3 \u2013 5 direct competitors.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1520\" height=\"1256\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/image23.png\" alt=\"Top organic competitors data from Ahrefs.\" class=\"wp-image-169762\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/image23.png 1520w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/image23-514x425.png 514w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/image23-768x635.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1520px) 100vw, 1520px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>To double-check the choice of competitors, we also looked at who was bidding for search ads on Google.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">See who\u2019s advertising&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>If someone is spending money to show ads for keywords related to what you do, that\u2019s a strong indication they are a direct competitor.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Go to <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/keywords-explorer\"><strong>Ahrefs\u2019 Keywords Explorer<\/strong><\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Type in a few broad keywords related to your niche, like \u201clanding page builder\u201d or \u201clanding page&nbsp;tool\u201d.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Go to the <strong>Ads history<\/strong> report.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Visit the sites that have a high presence of ads in the SERPs (Search Engine Result Pages).&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"881\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/image6.png\" alt=\"Ads history report in Ahrefs' Keywords Explorer.\" class=\"wp-image-169763\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/image6.png 1999w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/image6-680x300.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/image6-768x338.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/image6-1536x677.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Once you\u2019re done checking both reports, write down competitors in the&nbsp;deck.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can also take screenshots of the reports and add them to your deck to show the supporting data for your argument.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"984\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/image3.png\" alt=\" Slide 2 \u2014 direct competitors by organic traffic.\" class=\"wp-image-169764\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/image3.png 1999w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/image3-680x335.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/image3-768x378.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/image3-1536x756.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"2. Compare share of voice\" data-section=\"step-two\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. Compare share of&nbsp;voice<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/share-of-voice\/\">Share of voice<\/a> is a measure of your reach in any given channel compared to competitors.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A bigger share of voice (SOV) means that your competitors are more likely to reach your audience. In other words, they may be promoting more effectively than&nbsp;you.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In our example, we found that Landingi\u2019s SOV was the lowest in both of these channels.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Organic:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1626\" height=\"898\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/image13.png\" alt=\"Slide 3 \u2014 share of voice on Google Search.\" class=\"wp-image-169765\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/image13.png 1626w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/image13-680x376.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/image13-768x424.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/image13-1536x848.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1626px) 100vw, 1626px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>And social media:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1848\" height=\"1042\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/image21.png\" alt=\" Slide 4 \u2014 share of voice on social media.\" class=\"wp-image-169766\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/image21.png 1848w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/image21-680x383.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/image21-768x433.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/image21-1536x866.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1848px) 100vw, 1848px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Here\u2019s how we got that data using Ahrefs and <a href=\"https:\/\/brand24.com\/\">Brand24<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Organic share of&nbsp;voice&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Before we start, make sure you have a project set up in <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/rank-tracker\">Ahrefs\u2019 Rank Tracker<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1178\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/image11.png\" alt=\"Create a new project in Ahrefs' Rank Tracker.\" class=\"wp-image-169767\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/image11.png 1178w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/image11-680x173.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/image11-768x196.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1178px) 100vw, 1178px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Now:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Go to <strong>Ahrefs\u2019 Competitive Analysis <\/strong>and enter your and your competitors\u2019s sites as shown&nbsp;below.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1634\" height=\"1070\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/image15.png\" alt=\"Create a new project in Ahrefs' Rank Tracker.\n\" class=\"wp-image-169768\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/image15.png 1634w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/image15-649x425.png 649w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/image15-768x503.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/image15-1536x1006.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1634px) 100vw, 1634px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\" start=\"2\">\n<li>On the next screen, set the country with the most important market for your business and set the filters like&nbsp;this:<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1666\" height=\"742\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/image2.png\" alt=\"Content gap analysis filter setup.\" class=\"wp-image-169769\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/image2.png 1666w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/image2-680x303.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/image2-768x342.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/image2-1536x684.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1666px) 100vw, 1666px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\" start=\"3\">\n<li>Select keywords that sound most relevant to your business (even if you don\u2019t rank for them yet) and <strong>Add<\/strong> them to <strong>Rank Tracker<\/strong>.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"852\" height=\"580\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/image14.png\" alt=\"Common keywords found via Ahrefs' Competitive Analysis.\" class=\"wp-image-169770\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/image14.png 852w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/image14-624x425.png 624w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/image14-768x523.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 852px) 100vw, 852px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\" start=\"4\">\n<li>Go to <strong>Rank Tracker<\/strong>, open your project, and look for <strong>Competitors\/Overview<\/strong>. This report will uncover automatically calculated <strong>Share of Voice<\/strong>.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1426\" height=\"906\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/image9.png\" alt=\"Organic share of voice data in Ahrefs.\" class=\"wp-image-169771\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/image9.png 1426w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/image9-669x425.png 669w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/image9-260x166.png 260w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/image9-768x488.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1426px) 100vw, 1426px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\" start=\"5\">\n<li>Add the numbers in corresponding cells inside the sheet and paste the graph inside the slide&nbsp;deck.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1012\" height=\"128\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/image19.png\" alt=\"Filling the share of voice template with data.\" class=\"wp-image-169772\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/image19.png 1012w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/image19-680x86.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/image19-768x97.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1012px) 100vw, 1012px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s normal that the numbers don\u2019t add up to 100%. SOV is calculated by including sites that compete with you in traffic but are not your direct competitors, e.g.&nbsp;blogs.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Social share of&nbsp;voice&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>We can also measure our share of voice across social media channels using Brand24.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Go to <strong>Brand24<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Start a <strong>New project<\/strong> for your brand and each competitor. Use the competitors\u2019 brand name as the keyword to monitor.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Go to the <strong>Comparison<\/strong> report and compare your project with competitors.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1722\" height=\"418\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/image8.png\" alt=\"Using Brand24's Comparison tool for competitive analysis.\" class=\"wp-image-169773\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/image8.png 1722w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/image8-680x165.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/image8-768x186.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/image8-1536x373.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1722px) 100vw, 1722px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\" start=\"4\">\n<li>Take a screenshot of the SOV charts and paste them into the slide deck. Make sure the charts are set to \u201csocial media\u201d.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"956\" height=\"782\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/image20.png\" alt=\"Social media tab in share of voice report.\" class=\"wp-image-169774\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/image20.png 956w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/image20-520x425.png 520w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/image20-768x628.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 956px) 100vw, 956px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"3. Compare pricing and features\" data-section=\"step-three\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. Compare pricing and features<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Consumers often choose solutions that offer the best value for money \u2014 simple as that. And that typically comes down to two things:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Whether you have the features they care about<\/strong>. We\u2019ll use all features available across all plans to see how likely the product is to satisfy user&nbsp;needs.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>How much they will need to pay<\/strong>. Thing is, the topic of pricing is tricky: a) when assessing affordability, people often focus on the least expensive option available and use it as a benchmark, b) businesses in the SaaS niche offer custom plans. So to make things more practical, we\u2019ll compare the cheapest plans, but feel free to run this analysis across all pricing tiers.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>After comparing our example company to competitors, we found that it goes head-to-head with Unbounce as the most feature-rich solution on the market.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1784\" height=\"972\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/image16.png\" alt=\"Slide 5 \u2014 features vs. pricing.\" class=\"wp-image-169775\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/image16.png 1784w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/image16-680x370.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/image16-768x418.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/image16-1536x837.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1784px) 100vw, 1784px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Here\u2019s how we got that&nbsp;data.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Note down your and your competitors\u2019 product features. One of the best places to get this information is pricing pages. Some brands even publish their own competitor comparisons \u2014 you may find them helpful too.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>While making the list, place a \u201c1\u201d in the cell corresponding to the brand that offers the solution.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1606\" height=\"432\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/image7.png\" alt=\"Filling data in the spreadsheet.\" class=\"wp-image-169776\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/image7.png 1606w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/image7-680x183.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/image7-768x207.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/image7-1536x413.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1606px) 100vw, 1606px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\" start=\"3\">\n<li>Enter the price of the cheapest plan (excluding free&nbsp;plans).&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1170\" height=\"368\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/image12.png\" alt=\"Adding pricing data inside the spreadsheet.\" class=\"wp-image-169777\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/image12.png 1170w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/image12-680x214.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/image12-768x242.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\" start=\"4\">\n<li>Once finished, copy the chart and paste it inside the&nbsp;deck.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"4. Find strengths and weaknesses\" data-section=\"step-four\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">4. Find strong and weak points based on user reviews<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>User reviews can show incredibly valuable insight into your competitors\u2019 strong and weak points. Here\u2019s why this matters:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Improving on what your competitors\u2019 customers appreciate could help you attract similar customers and possibly win some&nbsp;over.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Dissatisfaction with competitors is a huge opportunity. Some businesses are built solely to fix what other companies can\u2019t&nbsp;fix.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Here\u2019s a sample from our analysis:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/image17.png\" alt=\" Slide 6 \u2014 likes and dislikes about Competitors.\" class=\"wp-image-169778\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/image17.png 1999w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/image17-680x348.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/image17-768x393.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/image17-1536x787.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>And here\u2019s how we collated the data using ChatGPT. Important: repeat the process for each competitor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Open <strong>ChatGPT<\/strong> and enter the prompt from the template.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1350\" height=\"396\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/image18.png\" alt=\"ChatGPT prompt for competitive analysis.\" class=\"wp-image-169780\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/image18.png 1350w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/image18-680x199.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/image18-768x225.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1350px) 100vw, 1350px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\" start=\"2\">\n<li>Go to <strong>G2<\/strong>, <strong>Capterra,<\/strong> or <strong>Trustpilot<\/strong> and find a competitor\u2019s reviews with ratings from 2 \u2013 4 (i.e. one rating above the lowest and one below the highest possible). Reason:<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>businesses sometimes solicit five-star reviews, whereas dissatisfied customers tend to leave one-star reviews in a moment of frustration. The most actionable feedback usually comes in between.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\" start=\"3\">\n<li>Copy and paste the content of the reviews into ChatGPT (don\u2019t hit enter&nbsp;yet).&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Once you\u2019re done pasting all reviews, hit enter in ChatGPT to run the analysis.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1104\" height=\"1018\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/image-1.jpg\" alt=\"Sample of ChatGPT output with charts.\" class=\"wp-image-169781\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/image-1.jpg 1104w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/image-1-461x425.jpg 461w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/image-1-768x708.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1104px) 100vw, 1104px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\" start=\"5\">\n<li>Paste the graphs into the deck. If you want the graphs to look different, don\u2019t hesitate to ask the&nbsp;AI.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>There\u2019s a faster alternative, but it\u2019s a bit more advanced.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Instead of copy-pasting, you can use a scraping tool <a href=\"https:\/\/apify.com\/jupri\/g2-explorer\">like this one<\/a> to get all reviews at once. The downside here is that not all review sources will have a scraping tool available.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"5. Compare purchasing convenience\" data-section=\"step-five\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">5. Compare purchasing convenience<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Lastly, we\u2019ll see how easy it is to actually buy your products, and compare the experience to your competitors.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is a chance to simplify your checkout process, and even learn from any good habits your competitors have adopted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, we found that our sample company had probably nothing to worry about in this area \u2014 they ticked almost all of the&nbsp;boxes.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"957\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/image-1.png\" alt=\"Slide 7 \u2014 purchasing convenience.\" class=\"wp-image-169782\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/image-1.png 1600w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/image-1-680x407.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/image-1-768x459.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/image-1-1536x919.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Here\u2019s how to complete this&nbsp;step:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Place a \u201c1\u201d if you or any of your competitors offer convenience features listed in the template.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Once done, copy the chart and paste it into the&nbsp;deck.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"6. Present conclusions\" data-section=\"step-six\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step 6. Present conclusions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>This is the part of the presentation where you sum up all of your findings and suggest a course of action.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here are two examples:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Landingi had the lowest SOV in the niche, and that is never good. So the conclusion might be to go a level deeper and do an <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/seo-competitor-analysis\/\">SEO competitive analysis<\/a>, and to increase social media presence by creating more share-worthy content like industry surveys, design\/CRO tips, or in-house data studies.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Although the brand had a very high purchasing convenience score, during the analysis we found that there was a $850 gap between the monthly full plan and the previous tier. The conclusion here might be to offer a custom plan (like competitors do) to fill that&nbsp;gap.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>We encourage you to take your time here and think about what would make the most sense for <em>your <\/em>business.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"recommendation\"><div class=\"recommendation-title\">Tip<\/div><div class=\"recommendation-content\">It\u2019s good to be specific in your conclusions, but don\u2019t go too deep. Competitive analysis concerns many aspects of the business, so it\u2019s best to give other departments a chance to chime in. Just because your competitors have a few unique features doesn\u2019t necessarily mean you need to build them&nbsp;too.<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Final thoughts&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>A competitive analysis is one of the most fruitful exercises in marketing. It can show you areas for improvement, give ideas for new features, and help you discover gaps in your strategy. It wouldn\u2019t be an exaggeration to say that it\u2019s fundamental to running a successful business.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Just don\u2019t forget to balance \u201cspying\u201d on your competitors with innovation. After all, you probably don\u2019t want to become an exact copy of someone else\u2019s brand.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In other words, use competitive analysis to keep up with your competitors, but don\u2019t let that erase what\u2019s unique about your brand or make you forget your big vision.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Got comments or questions? Ping me on <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/m_makosiewicz\">X<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>However, the problem is that \u201ctraditional\u201d competitive analysis is overkill for most businesses \u2014 it requires impractical data and takes too long to complete (and it\u2019s very expensive if you choose to outsource).&nbsp; A solution to that is a lean<span class=\"ellipsis\">\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"read-more\">Read more \u203a<\/div>\n<p><!-- end of .read-more --><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":159,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wp_typography_post_enhancements_disabled":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[390],"tags":[],"coauthors":[412],"class_list":["post-169758","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-marketing","odd"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Competitive Analysis: The Lean Guide (With Template)<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Gain an edge over your competitors with this straightforward analysis process. Spreadsheet and slide templates included.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/competitive-analysis-guide\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Competitive Analysis: The Lean Guide (With Template)\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Gain an edge over your competitors with this straightforward analysis process.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/competitive-analysis-guide\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"SEO Blog by Ahrefs\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Ahrefs\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2023-12-05T11:17:06+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-12-18T14:12:39+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/image5.gif\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1668\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"910\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/gif\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Mateusz Makosiewicz\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@m_makosiewicz\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@ahrefs\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/competitive-analysis-guide\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/competitive-analysis-guide\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Mateusz Makosiewicz\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/c7e64c851ecc4eabb77eaefae90a440c\"},\"headline\":\"Competitive Analysis: The Lean Guide (With Template)\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-12-05T11:17:06+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-12-18T14:12:39+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/competitive-analysis-guide\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":2040,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/competitive-analysis-guide\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/12\\\/competitive-analysis-the-lean-guide-with-by-mateusz-makosiewicz-marketing.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"General Marketing\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/competitive-analysis-guide\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/competitive-analysis-guide\\\/\",\"name\":\"Competitive Analysis: The Lean Guide (With Template)\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/competitive-analysis-guide\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/competitive-analysis-guide\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/12\\\/image5.gif\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-12-05T11:17:06+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-12-18T14:12:39+00:00\",\"description\":\"Gain an edge over your competitors with this straightforward analysis process. Spreadsheet and slide templates included.\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/competitive-analysis-guide\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/competitive-analysis-guide\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/12\\\/image5.gif\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/12\\\/image5.gif\",\"width\":1668,\"height\":910},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/\",\"name\":\"SEO Blog by Ahrefs\",\"description\":\"Link Building Strategies &amp; SEO Tips\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Ahrefs\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/06\\\/ahrefs-logo.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/06\\\/ahrefs-logo.png\",\"width\":2048,\"height\":768,\"caption\":\"Ahrefs\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/Ahrefs\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/ahrefs\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.linkedin.com\\\/company\\\/ahrefs\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.youtube.com\\\/c\\\/ahrefscom\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/c7e64c851ecc4eabb77eaefae90a440c\",\"name\":\"Mateusz Makosiewicz\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2021\\\/06\\\/mateusz-makosiewicz.png8bf90d5a58159ff233b11073a8215049\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2021\\\/06\\\/mateusz-makosiewicz.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2021\\\/06\\\/mateusz-makosiewicz.png\",\"caption\":\"Mateusz Makosiewicz\"},\"description\":\"Marketing researcher and educator at Ahrefs. Mateusz has over 15 years of experience in marketing gained in agencies, SaaS and hardware businesses. When not writing, he's composing music or enjoying long walks.\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.linkedin.com\\\/in\\\/mateusz-makosiewicz-38154b67\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/m_makosiewicz\"],\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/author\\\/mateusz-makosiewicz\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Competitive Analysis: The Lean Guide (With Template)","description":"Gain an edge over your competitors with this straightforward analysis process. Spreadsheet and slide templates included.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/competitive-analysis-guide\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Competitive Analysis: The Lean Guide (With Template)","og_description":"Gain an edge over your competitors with this straightforward analysis process.","og_url":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/competitive-analysis-guide\/","og_site_name":"SEO Blog by Ahrefs","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Ahrefs\/","article_published_time":"2023-12-05T11:17:06+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-12-18T14:12:39+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1668,"height":910,"url":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/image5.gif","type":"image\/gif"}],"author":"Mateusz Makosiewicz","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@m_makosiewicz","twitter_site":"@ahrefs","schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/competitive-analysis-guide\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/competitive-analysis-guide\/"},"author":{"name":"Mateusz Makosiewicz","@id":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/c7e64c851ecc4eabb77eaefae90a440c"},"headline":"Competitive Analysis: The Lean Guide (With Template)","datePublished":"2023-12-05T11:17:06+00:00","dateModified":"2025-12-18T14:12:39+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/competitive-analysis-guide\/"},"wordCount":2040,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/competitive-analysis-guide\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/competitive-analysis-the-lean-guide-with-by-mateusz-makosiewicz-marketing.jpg","articleSection":["General Marketing"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/competitive-analysis-guide\/","url":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/competitive-analysis-guide\/","name":"Competitive Analysis: The Lean Guide (With Template)","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/competitive-analysis-guide\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/competitive-analysis-guide\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/image5.gif","datePublished":"2023-12-05T11:17:06+00:00","dateModified":"2025-12-18T14:12:39+00:00","description":"Gain an edge over your competitors with this straightforward analysis process. Spreadsheet and slide templates included.","inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/competitive-analysis-guide\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/competitive-analysis-guide\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/image5.gif","contentUrl":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/image5.gif","width":1668,"height":910},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/","name":"SEO Blog by Ahrefs","description":"Link Building Strategies &amp; SEO Tips","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/#organization","name":"Ahrefs","url":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/ahrefs-logo.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/ahrefs-logo.png","width":2048,"height":768,"caption":"Ahrefs"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Ahrefs\/","https:\/\/x.com\/ahrefs","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/ahrefs\/","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/c\/ahrefscom"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/c7e64c851ecc4eabb77eaefae90a440c","name":"Mateusz Makosiewicz","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/mateusz-makosiewicz.png8bf90d5a58159ff233b11073a8215049","url":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/mateusz-makosiewicz.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/mateusz-makosiewicz.png","caption":"Mateusz Makosiewicz"},"description":"Marketing researcher and educator at Ahrefs. Mateusz has over 15 years of experience in marketing gained in agencies, SaaS and hardware businesses. When not writing, he's composing music or enjoying long walks.","sameAs":["https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/mateusz-makosiewicz-38154b67\/","https:\/\/x.com\/m_makosiewicz"],"url":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/author\/mateusz-makosiewicz\/"}]}},"as_json":null,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/169758","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/159"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=169758"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/169758\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=169758"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=169758"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=169758"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=169758"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}