11 Ways To Do SEO Content Research Beyond Competitor Analysis

Early web optimization milestones is perhaps straightforward, however scaling the outcomes wants an upgraded method.

What may that seem like?

Like startups that give you a strong area of interest concept and compete considerably with bigger firms, we web optimization professionals and content material strategists have to work tougher to develop distinctive, recent, area of interest methods.

Nonetheless, at any time when we consider creating methods, we begin taking a look at what rivals are doing. We begin feeling that we will win this sport by outperforming our rivals.

Keep in mind: we win when our focus is on successful the sport and never on learn how to make our rivals lose.

So, right here comes an upgraded method to our web optimization technique – going past competitor evaluation.

Nonetheless, since our web optimization methods closely depend on content material, we’ll talk about content material analysis past competitor evaluation on this weblog.

Now, What Is Content material Analysis Past Competitor Evaluation?

Most of us analyze our rivals to develop content material concepts. It’s straightforward and fast.

However…

What in case your rivals are rating within the prime positions however aren’t serving customers’ intent?

What in case your rivals won’t be yielding sufficient site visitors regardless of higher rankings?

What in case your rivals are driving huge natural site visitors however not sufficient conversions?

Additionally, there could also be some rivals which can be doing extraordinarily effectively concerning content material KPIs serving web optimization progress.

Chances are you’ll really feel that if the rivals can obtain such leads to one 12 months, you’ll be able to obtain them in six months by copying their methods.

However that’s the place you restrict your self in progress. Your rivals’ web optimization and content material groups may also be struggling; who is aware of?

For this reason your content material analysis should transcend competitor evaluation.

On this method, we don’t take a look at what content material rivals have written.

We don’t wish to copy them or repeat their errors. We wish to work in ways in which actually resonate with our goal audiences, geographies, enterprise fashions, and industries.

So, the “content material analysis past competitor evaluation” method helps us carry distinctive and recent views to our content material analysis, creating unbelievable worth for our viewers and shoppers and scaling our web optimization outcomes extensively.

11 Methods Of Content material Analysis Past Competitor Evaluation To Scale web optimization ROI

We have now 11 methods to make use of this method. Let’s uncover them one after the other with step-by-step processes and examples.

1. Use Semrush

That is our primary step of content material analysis since most of our preliminary purpose is driving natural site visitors.

And since Semrush is helpful for many of our staff members at Missive Digital, we log in instantly to start out our content material analysis as an alternative of taking a look at rivals.

We put seed, precise, long-tail, and extra key phrases to do our content material analysis, relying on the search quantity, key phrase problem, and search intent.

For instance, we’ve got put “diamond jewellery” into Semrush and can add the filters in accordance with our web optimization technique.

One other content material analysis function of Semrush that we use extensively is Subject Analysis. We select the content material matters primarily based on which of them relate straight or not directly to our web site.

Screenshot from Semrush, August 2024

2. Use Ahrefs

To do the content material analysis on Ahrefs, we comply with the identical steps as Semrush, however right here, we additionally use Content material Explorer.

We filter primarily based on the Web page Visitors and reference domains to determine queries that may carry us site visitors and conversions.

Screenshot from Ahrefs, August 2024

Then, we additionally study the frequency of republishing, which provides our staff an concept of when to schedule it subsequent for content material optimization, contemplating the efficiency.

Screenshot from Ahrefs, August 2024

3. Use Google Information

Whereas auditing the content material, if we notice that the consumer is already writing plenty of content material, we attempt researching content material concepts via Google Information.

Additionally, for some D2C industries like jewellery, the development additionally comes from celebrities sporting them – so we maintain a detailed eye on Google Information.

Screenshot from seek for [diamond necklace], Google, August 2024

Generally, we desire protecting the information relying on the matters, whereas different occasions, we’ll examine if these matters have any search quantity and could be evergreen to proceed driving us some worth all through.

For instance, the screenshot under exhibits a ‘B’ necklace worn by Selena Gomez in reference to her boyfriend.

Screenshot from seek for [diamond necklace], Google, August 2024

We instantly examine if there’s any search quantity for “b necklace” on an web optimization instrument and see the screenshot under:

Screenshot by creator, August 2024

Bingo! Now, we’ve got to debate with the consumer’s staff for our subsequent content material piece.

4. Use Individuals Additionally Ask, AlsoAsked

Since most B2B IT and SaaS shoppers are extremely technical, we generally wrestle to know the subject and create a content material technique.

Individuals Additionally Ask on Google Search and AlsoAsked.com by Mark Williams-Prepare dinner works like a savior throughout our content material analysis.

Screenshot from seek for [kubernetes architecture], Google, August 2024

The one limitation we’ve got with Individuals Additionally Ask is that it gives a couple of Q&As for a subject till you click on on one, whereas AlsoAsked gives a complete record in a single go, which saves you time.

Screenshot from seek for [kubernetes architecture], Google, August 2024

We now have an excessive amount of to find out about a subject and create content material on, proper?

5. Test Google Developments

It doesn’t matter what {industry} you might be in, you’ve received one thing or the opposite trending.

In our web optimization {industry}, SearchGPT is trending.

Screenshot from Google Developments, August 2024

So it’s price writing about it to take the early benefit and seize the site visitors share.

See, lots of people are writing about it:

Screenshot from seek for [searchgpt], Google, August 2024

It’s not nearly writing; persons are sharing it on social media, too.

So, it’s price continuously watching what’s trending through Google Developments.

6. Hop On ChatGPT Or Gemini

Keep in mind, we’re right here to do content material analysis on ChatGPT or Gemini, not to decide on the titles they recommend.

Here’s a pattern content material analysis immediate that we’ve got put for a contact heart software program firm on ChatGPT:

Screenshot from ChatGPT, August 2024

And listed below are the responses under:

Screenshot from ChatGPT, August 2024

Because the matters aren’t on top of things contemplating the viewers (“BPO” on this case), primarily based on the above content material concepts, we’ll decide up the seed key phrases or matters similar to:

• Classes from a Legacy Contact Middle Software program Firm.
• The Contact Middle Software program Market In The BPO Phase.
• Optimizing Your Contact Middle Operations.
• The right way to Drive Innovation in Your Buyer Assist Division?
• And extra.

7. Monitor Social Media

Sure, we’re all lively on social media, so we will use it for our content material analysis. Nonetheless, we aren’t contemplating rivals on social media in the intervening time.

This viral X thread impressed us to write down a weblog:

Screenshot from X, August 2024

Equally, this text on content material analysis was impressed by my current put up on LinkedIn:

Screenshot from LinkedIn, August 2024

These are examples of self-created social media content material that may be changed into blogs.

Nonetheless, you’ll be able to maintain monitoring the sorts of content material that get essentially the most visibility and engagement on social media – be it LinkedIn, Instagram, X, or another platform.

Flip them into your blogs or webinars, however don’t overlook to say them because it’s their authentic content material concept.

8. Dive Into Business-specific Analysis Research

Probably the most distinctive strategy to analysis content material concepts is to learn your industry-specific analysis research extensively. And there’s no one strategy to do it.

For instance, for one of many ecommerce consulting firms, we will get varied content material concepts from HBR’s eCommerce pricing check:

• Why Ought to Ecommerce Manufacturers Cease Providing Free Transport?
• X Advantages of No Free Transport or Conditional Transport.
• Free Transport vs. Conditional Transport.

Picture from HBR, August 2024

Within the under examine by Broadridge on Digital Transformation, the under can grow to be the subject clusters, and every can have its personal spoke-like content material matters.

Picture from examine by Broadridge on Digital Transformation, August 2024

For instance, if we take Unleashing Synthetic Intelligence, we will decide up so many matters out of only one graphic:

Picture from examine by Broadridge on Digital Transformation, August 2024

9. Test Business-Particular Boards/Communities

Most of our clientele contains IT firms, and we’ve got used IT boards and communities like StackOverflow for content material analysis.

For instance, we will give you the under matter clusters when protecting Flutter for the non-technical and technical goal audiences:

• Flutter animation widgets.
• Flutter dependency administration.
• Why add Firebase to your Flutter app?
• And extra.

Screenshot from Stack Overflow, August 2024

Equally, there shall be many such boards or communities of your consumer or employers accessible to peek into for such content material concepts, apart from aggressive evaluation.

10. Google web site:reddit.com “my matter”

One such distinctive concept by Kunjal Chawhan is to Google web site:reddit.com “my matter,” and let’s see what content material concepts seem like for a few matters:

Wanting on the above screenshot, under are the matters that we will positively create:

• X Most Common Social Media Platforms for Ecommerce.
• The right way to Use Video Podcasts to Drive Ecommerce Gross sales?
• The right way to Enhance Ecommerce Gross sales When Digital Advertising and marketing Appears Costly?
• And extra.

So sure, Kunjal’s manner of content material analysis is wonderful, and from that, you’ll be able to equally Google:

web site:“your {industry}’s main web site” “matter”

For instance:

• web site:searchenginejournal.com “ai content material”
• web site:quora.com “ai content material”
• web site:practicalecommerce.com “gross sales”

Let’s transfer on to the final however not the least methodology of content material analysis, apart from taking a look at rivals.

11. See What Competing Websites Have NOT Coated

Now you may surprise, “Weren’t the above content material analysis methods apart from rivals evaluation?”

Sure, they’re the methods to analysis content material concepts apart from what rivals have written.

However right here, I’m making an attempt to make a degree the place it’s important to see precisely what oblique competing websites are NOT writing about regardless of concentrating on the identical {industry}, key phrase clusters, and viewers.

What’s an oblique competing web site?

An oblique competing web site is an internet site that ranks for the {industry} and search queries of your target market however will not be precisely your product/service competitor. This could be a market, publishing web site, or product evaluation web site.

Let’s take an internet site, “leadsquared.com,” for oblique aggressive evaluation and decide the queries that rank after fiftieth positions and have a key phrase problem of lower than 29.

Screenshot by creator, August 2024

Decide these queries and search on Google: web site:leadsquared.com “gross sales funnel vs gross sales pipeline”.

Screenshot from seek for [web site:leadsquared.com “gross sales funnel vs”, August 2024

Now, you’ll see that the web site has no content material on that matter; you’ll be able to create that if that falls underneath your product/service providing and may goal your viewers and {industry}.

Briefly, you’ll be able to cowl the under matters:

• Gross sales funnel vs. gross sales pipeline.
• Gross sales funnel vs. advertising and marketing funnel.
• Gross sales funnel vs. flywheel.
• And extra.

Simply guarantee these content material matters align together with your choices to carry most ROI.

How Will Content material Analysis Past Competitor Evaluation Contribute To web optimization Efforts?

Once you transcend competitor evaluation for content material analysis, you uncover a couple of advantages:

• You innovate – With revolutionary content material concepts, you’ll be able to experiment and construct higher methods that may carry unbelievable outcomes. Additionally, with AI taking the area predominantly, companies are in search of innovation of their enterprise and advertising and marketing. So while you innovate, you might get higher consideration and even assets.
• You get area of interest alternatives – As an alternative of simply specializing in what rivals are doing, you go deeper into understanding your target market and discover new content material concepts that your rivals may need missed. In such situations, you get higher outcomes since competitors is lowered.
• You create distinctive, audience-specific content material – My LinkedIn put up noticed nice engagement as a result of it resonated with its viewers. This opened us to one thing distinctive and particular to the ache level of SEOs and content material strategists: content material ideation to scale web optimization outcomes with a not-so-usual method. Such content material helps us construct authority out there, which is important at present to changing into market leaders.
• You capitalize on rising tendencies – Being an early adopter of one thing has enormous potential for fulfillment. Once you create your content material technique centered on what’s new or trending in your {industry} earlier than it turns into mainstream, you get essentially the most eyes proper from the start and even repeat eyes going ahead.
• You construct higher engagement and loyalty – You possibly can lengthen past blogs, a conventional manner of driving web optimization outcomes. Movies, whitepapers, case research, user-generated content material, and plenty of extra content material codecs can take the lead in constructing person engagement and model loyalty via web optimization.
• You earn backlinks – Sure, such distinctive content material could require much less effort to construct backlinks since it could earn them.

Cease taking a look at rivals for content material analysis; attempt utilizing these recent and distinctive methods to drive higher content material ROI.

Simply bear in mind two issues: Rivals aren’t all the time proper, and you aren’t essentially required to look upon them when creating your web optimization content material methods.

You possibly can copy and paste your rivals’ methods to attain sure web optimization milestones, however creating historical past requires an upgraded method. What say?

Extra assets: 

Featured Picture: Natalya Kosarevich/Shutterstock