From a competitive standpoint, one of the best parts of the web is its transparency. Your competitors' websites and back link profiles are available for you to see. This makes a huge difference when it comes growing your own online presence. But are you taking advantage of this competitive information? Here are a couple quick tips for analyzing your competition.
Identify
First you have to identify your online competition. It's important to understand that who you might consider your competition "offline" (i.e. TV and Radio), may not be your competition online. In order to identify your online competition, the best way to start is to see who is ranking for your most coveted search phrases. This can be done easily by searching on Google, or by using anyone of the web ranking tools available online (seobook has a great rank check tool).
Compare
Next, pull up your competitors' sites in separate browsers and compare each of the to yours. Look for how they are using keywords on their site (especially in title tags, headings, bold, etc). Also, compare their offerings with your own. What calls to action are they using? Do they have informational downloads? What methods of contact do they provide? Be critical of yourself. Don't assume that your site is "good enough".
Back Link Analysis
Finally, performing a thorough back link analysis can make a major difference in your firm's search engine visibility. Analyzing your competitors' back links tells you the places that they are obtaining links. This can be very helpful in terms of picking up low hanging fruit, as well as, finding new opportunities for advertising and sponsorships. If you competitors' back link profiles far-exceed your own, it is very unlikely that you will be able to "out-rank" them.
If this is all too confusing, let us do it for you. Submit your request for a free website evaluation.
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