Competitor Content Audit: 5 Steps
December 2024
A competitor content audit helps you analyze what your competitors are doing with their content, so you can find gaps, improve your strategy, and stay ahead. It’s especially useful for SaaS marketers who need to adapt quickly to industry trends.
Here’s a 5-step process to get started:
- Find and list your competitors: Identify both direct and indirect competitors using tools like SEMrush or Ahrefs.
- Review their content: Analyze the types of content they create, their quality, and where they distribute it.
- Spot content gaps: Look for topics or formats they’ve missed or covered poorly.
- Analyze their SEO tactics: Study their keyword strategies and backlink profiles.
- Apply insights to your content: Use the findings to improve your own strategy and fill gaps.
This method gives you actionable insights to refine your content and SEO strategy, helping you create content that resonates with your audience and outperforms competitors.
SaaS Competitive Analysis in G2: Step by Step Process
Step 1: Find and List Your Competitors
To conduct a solid content audit, start by identifying competitors that cater to similar audiences or offer comparable solutions in the SaaS industry. Look for both direct competitors (those with similar products) and indirect competitors (those addressing the same problems in different ways).
Tools to Identify Competitors
- Use SEMrush or Ahrefs to spot competitors ranking for your target keywords.
- Check Google search results and relevant industry reports for key product-related terms.
- Monitor social media hashtags and discussions within your niche.
Pro Tip: Keep your research organized in a spreadsheet. Here’s a simple layout to help you track your findings:
| Competitor Type | Company Name | Website | Content Types | Target Audience | Key Content Themes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Direct | [Company] | URL | Blog, Videos | Enterprise | Product Updates |
| Indirect | [Company] | URL | Podcasts | SMBs | Industry Trends |
| Emerging | [Company] | URL | Guides | Startups | How-to Content |
Tips for Building Your Competitor List
When creating your list, focus on companies with a strong online presence and content that resonates with your target audience. Don’t overlook smaller competitors – they often bring fresh ideas or niche strategies to the table.
Things to Keep in Mind:
- Focus on companies offering related products or addressing similar customer needs in unique ways.
- Update your list every 3–6 months to stay aligned with market shifts.
- Avoid limiting yourself to direct competitors – cast a wider net for better insights.
With your competitor list ready, you’ll be set to dig deeper into their content strategies and uncover actionable insights.
Step 2: Review Competitors’ Content
Once you’ve created your list of competitors, it’s time to analyze their content strategy. This means looking closely at what types of content they produce, where they distribute it, and how well it performs.
Identify Content Types and Channels
Start by organizing your findings in a simple table to keep track of the content formats and channels your competitors use:
| Content Type | Distribution Channel | Publication Frequency | Target Keywords | Performance Metrics |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blog Posts | Website/Organic Search | Twice a week | Product features, industry trends | Organic traffic, backlinks |
| Video Tutorials | YouTube/Website | Monthly | How-to guides, tutorials | Views, engagement rate |
| Whitepapers | Gated Landing Pages | Quarterly | Industry research, solutions | Downloads, conversion rate |
| Social Posts | LinkedIn/Twitter | Daily | Company updates, tips | Likes, shares, comments |
Tools like SEMrush or Ahrefs can help you dig into content performance. Look for patterns in the formats they use, how often they publish, and the platforms they prioritize. This will give you a clearer picture of their strategy.
Evaluate Content Quality
To go beyond surface-level metrics, take a closer look at the quality of your competitors’ content. Here’s how you can break it down:
Readability and Structure
- Use tools like Hemingway Editor to check for clarity and simplicity.
- Look for consistent formatting and a logical flow in their content.
- See if their topics are covered in enough depth to provide real value.
Engagement Metrics
- Pay attention to social shares and comments as indicators of audience interest.
- Check the average time users spend on a page.
- Review bounce rates and conversions to see how well the content holds attention.
Relevance to the Audience
- Determine if the content addresses common user challenges or questions.
- Check if it aligns with the goals and interests of their target audience.
- Look at the mix of promotional and educational content to see how they strike a balance.
For SaaS marketers, understanding these patterns is key to creating content that connects with specific audiences and drives results. Tools like SaaS Playbooks can also provide templates to simplify your content audits.
Once you’ve analyzed your competitors’ content, you’ll be ready to pinpoint gaps in their strategies and uncover opportunities to stand out.
Step 3: Find Gaps in Competitors’ Content
Spot Missing or Weak Areas
Leverage tools like SEMrush or Ahrefs to uncover gaps in your competitors’ content. Look for topics they haven’t covered, outdated information, or overlooked formats like case studies or video guides. Organize your findings in a spreadsheet to focus on the most impactful opportunities:
| Analysis Category | What to Look For | Priority Level |
|---|---|---|
| Topic Coverage | Overlooked topics, shallow coverage | High/Medium/Low |
| Content Depth | Basic vs detailed analysis | Priority score (1-5) |
| Content Formats | Missing formats or underused channels | Effort required |
| Audience Needs | Unanswered questions, pain points | Search volume |
For SaaS marketers, addressing gaps like detailed implementation guides or feature comparisons can directly solve customer challenges and improve conversions. Pay attention to areas where competitors stick to surface-level content or ignore emerging trends in your industry.
Prioritize Opportunities
Evaluate and rank opportunities using factors like search volume, relevance to your business, and competition level. Here are some key elements to consider:
Factors to Weigh:
- Search volume potential
- How well the topic aligns with your product or service
- Value for acquiring new customers
- Resources needed to create the content
- Competitor strength in this area
Tools like SpyFu can help assess keyword difficulty and traffic potential, making it easier to decide which topics are worth pursuing. Aim for a mix of quick wins and topics that support your long-term goals.
Once you’ve pinpointed and ranked these gaps, you’re ready to dive into how competitors optimize their content for better search performance.
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Step 4: Analyze Competitors’ SEO Tactics
Once you’ve pinpointed content gaps, it’s time to dig into how your competitors are using SEO to boost their visibility. Tools like SEMrush or Ahrefs can help you uncover their keyword strategies and backlink profiles.
Review Keyword Strategies
Understanding the keywords that fuel your competitors’ traffic is essential. Here are the key areas to focus on:
| Keyword Focus | What to Look For | Action Steps |
|---|---|---|
| High-Value Keywords | Keywords likely to lead to conversions | Craft content targeting purchase-ready users |
| Long-Tail Keywords | Specific, low-competition phrases | Write in-depth guides and how-to content |
| Featured Snippet Targets | Keywords with potential for "position zero" | Structure content to win featured snippets |
| Content Gaps | Keywords competitors miss or overlook | Create resources to fill these gaps |
The goal is to zero in on terms that not only fit your product or service but also have manageable competition. This way, you can create content that stands out.
Examine Backlink Profiles
Backlinks play a major role in building your site’s authority. To understand your competitors’ success, focus on metrics like domain authority, anchor text distribution, and the types of content that attract strong links.
A report from Search Engine Journal highlights that 70% of marketers rely on SEO, showing just how competitive this space is. When analyzing backlinks, prioritize quality over quantity – strong, relevant links are far more impactful than a large number of weak ones.
For SaaS businesses, some effective backlink sources include:
- Industry directories
- Tech blogs
- Partner websites
- Professional associations
Regularly monitor your competitors’ new backlinks – monthly tracking can reveal emerging opportunities. By identifying the types of content that earn them links, you can focus on creating similar high-value resources to boost your own domain authority.
These insights will help you fine-tune your SEO strategy and integrate it into a well-rounded, data-driven content plan.
Step 5: Use Audit Insights to Improve Your Content
Now that you have insights into your competitors’ SEO strategies, it’s time to turn that knowledge into a content plan that delivers measurable results.
Build a Data-Driven Content Plan
Leverage your competitor analysis to craft a content plan based on data. Tools like HubSpot can help you organize your content into topic clusters, targeting various stages of the customer journey.
| Content Priority | Planning Focus | Implementation Strategy |
|---|---|---|
| High-Impact Gaps | Topics competitors haven’t addressed | Develop in-depth resources to establish authority |
| Conversion Points | Weak areas in competitors’ content | Focus on detailed, bottom-funnel content |
| SEO Opportunities | Underserved keywords | Create optimized content for specific search intents |
| Content Updates | Outdated existing material | Revise and improve with fresh insights |
Align these opportunities with your business goals, prioritizing areas that can make the biggest impact. For example, focus on creating detailed content targeting conversion points where competitors fall short.
Monitor and Adjust Regularly
Track how your content performs against competitors using metrics like engagement, search visibility, and conversions. Keep an eye on emerging content gaps and adjust your strategy as needed to stay ahead.
For SaaS marketers, this approach ensures your content not only grabs attention but also meets the evolving needs of your audience. Regular audits help you stay competitive and adapt to market trends.
Platforms like SaaS Playbooks provide templates and frameworks to quickly turn competitor insights into actionable results. By continuously refining your strategy, your content will stay relevant and impactful in a shifting landscape.
Conclusion: Recap and Next Steps for SaaS Marketers
Now that your audit is complete, it’s time to put those insights to work and refine your content strategy. A competitor content audit helps SaaS marketers make smarter decisions and create content that truly speaks to their audience.
The five-step process offers a clear path to understanding and outperforming competitors. Here’s a quick breakdown of how to act on your findings:
| Focus Area | Action Items | Expected Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Content Gaps | Develop materials for overlooked topics | Build authority in your niche |
| SEO Strategy | Use competitor keyword data | Boost search rankings |
With 71% of B2B marketers relying on content marketing to generate leads [1], SaaS companies need a well-planned, data-driven strategy to stand out. Tools like Google Search Console and SEMrush are invaluable for tracking progress and identifying new opportunities [2][3]. For extra support, SaaS Playbooks provides templates and resources to simplify the content audit process.
Keep in mind, content audits aren’t a one-time task. To stay ahead, focus on:
- Developing content that solves specific SaaS challenges
- Refining your approach based on competitor data
- Adjusting strategies to align with shifting market demands
The key is consistency. Regularly applying these insights and staying adaptable will help SaaS marketers maintain an edge in this fast-moving industry. By sticking to this structured approach, you’ll be better positioned to meet both current and future challenges.
FAQs
How to do a competitive content audit?
A competitive content audit involves analyzing your competitors’ content to identify strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities. Here’s a quick guide to get started:
| Step | Action | Tool |
|---|---|---|
| Competitor Discovery | Identify your direct competitors | SpyFU |
| Content Analysis | Examine the types of content they create | Ahrefs |
| Gap Assessment | Spot areas where you can improve or stand out | SEMrush |
| SEO Evaluation | Review keywords and backlink profiles | Ahrefs |
| Performance Tracking | Monitor their performance metrics over time | Google Analytics |
Tools like Ahrefs and SEMrush are great for digging into competitors’ keyword rankings, backlink strategies, and content performance. Focus on these key areas during your audit:
- Content Types: Look at formats like blog posts, videos, infographics, and social media content.
- Topic Coverage: Identify what topics they excel in and where they fall short.
- SEO Performance: Analyze their keyword rankings and backlink profiles.
- Content Quality: Evaluate the depth of their content and how well it engages users.
Platforms such as SaaS Playbooks provide templates that streamline the audit process, making it easier to cover all the bases. By using these steps and tools, you can refine your content strategy and gain a competitive edge.