How do I Perform a Competitive Keyword Analysis?

Want to attract better traffic to your website? A smart way to do that is by keeping an eye on what your competitors are doing—especially when it comes to keywords.

Competitor keyword analysis helps you learn what search terms your rivals are using to rank well on Google. Once you understand this, you can improve your own content strategy and bring in more quality traffic.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through how to analyze competitor keywords, why it matters, and how to use that data to your advantage. We’ll also introduce some helpful tools to make the job easier.

Table of Contents

What Is Competitor Keyword Analysis?

In simple terms, competitor keyword analysis means checking out which keywords are helping your competitors get found on search engines.

**Perform a Competitive Keyword Analysis**

Here’s what you’ll do during the process:

Find out which keywords your competitors are ranking for.
See how well those keywords are performing.
Decide if it’s worth going after the same keywords—or finding ones they’ve missed.

The goal is twofold:

Use similar keywords to boost your own rankings.
Find untapped opportunities your competitors aren’t using yet.

Along the way, you’ll learn more about your niche, how your competitors think, and how to shape your own SEO strategy to stand out.

Why Is Competitor Keyword Analysis Important?

Great question. Here’s why this process is such a big deal in SEO:

It reveals what’s working for your competitors. You’ll see what kinds of content and keywords are driving their traffic—and where they might be falling short.
You can spot new opportunities. Comparing your keywords with theirs helps you find gaps and high-potential keywords they’ve missed.
It guides your content strategy. Knowing what your audience is searching for helps you create content they actually want to read.
It boosts your visibility and traffic. When you target the right keywords, you attract the right people—those who are more likely to engage and convert.

Bottom line? This isn’t just about “beating” competitors—it’s about better understanding your audience and creating smarter, more effective content.

The 3-Step Process for Competitor Keyword Analysis

Let’s break down how to do this in three simple steps:

1. Collect Keywords

Start by gathering the keywords your competitors are using in both organic search and paid ads. Tools like SE Ranking’s Competitive Research feature make this easy.

Here’s how to do it:

Head to the Competitor Comparison tab.
Add up to three websites (yours plus two competitors).
Focus on the Missing tab to see keywords they’re ranking for but you’re not.
Use filters to save time and avoid sifting through irrelevant terms.

Want to see new or seasonal keywords your competitors are ranking for? Use the Insights feature. Check the Competitors’ New Keywords and New Pages sections to spot trending topics, rising pages, and content gaps you can fill.

Also Read: What are the Trends in Voice Search Keywords?

2. Clean and Cluster Keywords

Once you’ve built a nice list, it’s time to organize.

Remove anything irrelevant, and group similar keywords by intent or topic. This step is called keyword clustering and it helps you stay focused.

You can use tools like SE Ranking’s Keyword Grouper to help with this.

Clustering makes it easier to:

Build content around themes
See which keywords support specific business goals
Create a better overall SEO plan

3. Evaluate Keyword Difficulty

Not all keywords are easy to rank for. Before you go after them, you need to check:

A) Website Authority
This measures how strong a website is in Google’s eyes. SE Ranking calls this Domain Trust. You can check this using:

The Keyword Research tool → Organic Results
The SERP Analyzer → Add Metrics → Domain Trust
Competitive Comparison → On-Page Metrics tab

If competitors have a much higher Domain Trust score than you, start with less competitive keywords and work your way up. Don’t give up—just be strategic.

B) Backlink Profile
Backlinks from other websites also impact rankings. Check the backlink profiles of top-ranking pages for your target keywords to understand what kind of links they’re getting.

How to Use Competitor Keywords to Your Advantage

Once you’ve done the research, it’s time to put it to work. Focus on the keywords that matter most for your business and your audience.

Here’s how to prioritize them:

A) By Business Value

Ask yourself: Will this keyword attract potential buyers?

Example:

“Buy 2TB hard drive” = High business value
“What is a laptop” = Lower business value (more informational)

The closer the keyword is to a purchase decision, the better.

Also Read: What is the Ideal Keyword Density for SEO?

B) By Search Volume

This tells you how many people search for a keyword each month. High volume means more traffic—but usually also more competition. Balance is key.

SE Ranking’s Keyword Research tool can help you find this data.

C) By Search Intent

Are people looking to buy something, learn something, or compare options?

Understanding search intent helps you create content that matches what people actually want.

Use SE Ranking’s SERP Checker to see what types of pages are ranking. This tells you what kind of content Google thinks best matches each query.

You can also find a breakdown of keywords by intent in SE Ranking’s Competitive Research tool under “Keywords by Intent.”

Turn Your Keyword Insights Into a Content Plan

Now that you’ve got your top keywords, it’s time to plan your content.

Here’s what you should think about:

What topics should we cover?
How often should we publish?
Where will we promote the content?
Are we targeting the same keyword in multiple posts (keyword cannibalization)?
Are we preparing for future trends using SEO forecasting?

The goal is to create content that answers your audience’s questions, fills gaps in the market, and gently leads people toward your product or service.

Also Read: How can I Cluster Keywords Effectively?

Final Thoughts

Competitor keyword analysis isn’t just a “nice to have.” It’s one of the most powerful ways to strengthen your SEO strategy, spot new opportunities, and stay ahead of the game.

By understanding what’s working for others—and what they’re missing—you can create content that truly connects with your audience and drives long-term growth.