Landscape Analysis Explained
You may have reached what feels like a stagnant point in your SEO growth or maybe you are doing research now to prevent that. Either way, there could be many reasons for a lack of growth and a landscape analysis could help you pinpoint why.
Read this guide for a comprehensive guide on how to conduct a good landscape analysis to further propel your business.
Purpose of a Landscape analysis
As alluded to above, a landscape analysis is an analysis of competitors and the current state of your specific industry.
The purpose is to see what techniques or keyword they use that gives them search priority. You don’t need to copy everything they do but it is good to gauge their advantages and weaknesses compared to yours and use the information to fill this gap.
Another reason is to make sure you’re not out of the loop, because if all your competitors are doing a certain thing to boost them then this shows a market trend and trust me, you DO NOT want to be left out of these.
How to identify competitors
There are a few ways to determine competitors, with the most straightforward one being a google search.
For example, if your company revolves around selling office supplies then google office supplies. Type in a few variations such as ‘where to buy office supplies’, ‘best place to buy office supplies,’ and note the first few results to come up.
Then try to find where your company ranks, and take note of the ones around you as well.
Another way is through social media and question forums. Once again search around and see if people have talked about their experiences buying office supplies or asked where to buy them and take note of the answers and the shops they talk about.
Additionally, you can try it in real life as well. Ask your family and friends if they know where they would go if they needed to buy supplies and you can even check local businesses as well.
How to conduct analysis research
Now that you have a list of people we can start seeing their strengths and weaknesses. As we presumably have a fairly sizable list we won’t be able to go extremely in-depth for each one but we can get an idea.
First and foremost is keyword analysis. Check to see if a majority of the companies are using certain keywords that Google is extra receptive to. For the most part, the simplest options will at least put you on a level playing field with competitors but there is always more you could use.
Therefore, it is recommended you use a keyword analysis tool such as Semrush that will carry out the tedious part for you and allow you to compile keyword results.
Once again social media is a very useful tool especially in today’s day and age. The increasing importance of social media means companies are now divulging more and more information that we can use to determine their strengths and weaknesses.
It also helps us determine public perception which can perhaps highlight their shortcoming or determine how strong their brand loyalty is.
Similarly, you can use reviews to gain a feel for the company.
Another simple but effective method is checking out their website yourself. Go in as if you are a consumer and see how easy it is for you to find that and rate their service.
One more piece of data that will prove useful is their backlinks. There are many tools out there that can help identify what websites link to you and your competitors such as Linkody.
How to use this data for a competitive advantage
First and foremost is the keywords. Implement any beneficial keywords you find as soon as possible whilst keeping in mind a good layout and coherence as this is the first and most basic step in increasing SEO popularity.
After gaining a list of backlinks your competitors use, you can use this as a chance to build your network. Start emailing these companies and sell your business, highlight the benefits they will get by linking your website.
On the opposite end, perform a backlink check on yourself and begin disavowing any shady links you may have or shady sites that link to you.
SEO is a popularity game, and in real life, you wouldn’t want someone with a questionable reputation vouching for you as that blemishes your own reputation. The same goes for websites.
If a lot of pornography sites are linking to your office supply website (for whatever reason), this suggests to Google that your website is less than legit which will encourage them to push you towards the bottom of the search list. To avoid this, disavow any questionable backlinks and replace them with more reputable ones if possible.
Final Words
As I mentioned before, landscape analysis is essential for anyone looking to increase their search engine optimization and now, thanks to me, you know the steps you must take to best streamline your business.
