How do I find competitors’ keywords?

Find competitors’ keywords by analysing the search terms for which competing domains already rank, then compare those terms with your own visibility. An SEO platform can show the keyword, ranking position, search volume, estimated traffic, search intent and the page ranking for each term. This data helps you identify relevant topics you do not currently target, as well as terms where your existing content could compete more effectively.

Start by choosing genuinely comparable competitors. These may be businesses that sell similar products or services, or websites that consistently appear in the search results for the topics you want to own. The largest business in your market is not always the most useful comparison: a specialist website with a similar audience and content model may reveal more realistic opportunities.

Enter each competitor’s domain into the competitor or organic keyword report in your SEO platform. Review the keywords associated with the domain and examine the page that ranks for each term. Looking at the ranking URL is important because it shows how the competitor has addressed the topic. A keyword may be supported by a product page, service page, buying guide, comparison page, glossary entry or detailed article, and each format suggests a different content requirement.

Use filters to make the initial results easier to assess. Useful filters include:

• Keyword relevance: remove terms that do not relate to your products, services, customers or geographical market.
• Ranking position: identify terms where the competitor has strong visibility, as well as terms where it ranks lower and may have weaker or less comprehensive content.
• Search intent: separate informational searches from commercial investigation, transactional and navigational searches.
• Landing page type: compare keywords ranking with service pages, product pages, category pages and editorial content.
• Location and language: make sure the data matches the market you serve, particularly if your business operates in more than one region.
• Keyword characteristics: group branded, non-branded, local, question-based and long-tail terms separately.

Next, compare the competitor keyword set with your own domain. This is usually called a keyword gap or content gap analysis. The comparison can reveal several different situations:

• Missing keywords: a competitor ranks for a relevant term but your domain has no meaningful visibility.
• Weakly ranking keywords: your domain appears in the results, but the relevant page is not prominent enough to attract consistent organic traffic.
• Shared keywords: both domains rank, allowing you to compare position, content quality and page relevance.
• Competitor-specific keywords: terms associated with a competitor’s brand or offering that may not be suitable for your website.
• New or expanding topics: groups of related terms that indicate a competitor is building authority around a particular subject.

Do not treat every missing keyword as an opportunity. A competitor may rank because of its reputation, location, specialist expertise or a product you do not offer. Check whether the term matches your audience and whether you can provide a credible, useful answer. Exclude searches with no commercial or strategic relevance, terms that require capabilities you do not have, and queries where the competitor’s brand is the main subject.

Assess search intent before deciding what to create. Informational keywords usually require an explanation, guide or educational resource. Commercial investigation terms may be better served by a comparison, evaluation or service page. Transactional terms generally need a clear product, category or service page with useful supporting information. If the current results consistently use a particular format, that is evidence of what searchers are likely to find useful, although it should not stop you from producing a clearer or more complete resource.

Review the competitor’s ranking page manually for your priority terms. Check whether it:

• answers the main question quickly;
• covers the related questions a reader is likely to have;
• matches the searcher’s level of knowledge;
• provides clear evidence, examples or practical instructions;
• offers a better or more direct next step;
• is easy to navigate and use on mobile devices; and
• appears current, accurate and relevant to the target market.

This review helps distinguish a genuine content opportunity from a simple data difference. A competitor may rank for a term with a page that is only loosely relevant, outdated or difficult to use. In that case, improving or creating a more focused resource may be worthwhile. If the competitor’s page is highly authoritative and the term is only marginally relevant to your business, it may be more efficient to prioritise another opportunity.

Group related keywords rather than creating a separate page for every variation. Several closely related searches may share the same intent and can often be addressed by one well-structured page. For example, variations of a service description, a question and a closely related long-tail phrase may belong together. Create separate pages when the intent, audience or required content differs significantly; combining unrelated terms can make a page unfocused and less useful.

Prioritise opportunities using a balanced assessment of relevance, business value, current visibility, intent, content effort and competitive difficulty. A term with substantial demand is not automatically the best choice. A closely aligned keyword where your existing page ranks just outside the most visible results may be more practical than a broad term requiring extensive authority and content development. Record the reason for selecting each opportunity so that your content plan remains connected to business objectives.

Before publishing new content, check whether you already have a suitable page that can be improved. Consolidating overlapping pages, refining the page title and headings, strengthening internal links, addressing unanswered questions and improving topical coverage may be more effective than starting from scratch. If no suitable page exists, create a resource that matches the intent and gives the reader a complete answer rather than simply repeating the competitor’s wording.

After making changes, monitor the target keyword group and the associated landing page. Look for changes in rankings, impressions, clicks and engagement, but interpret the data over an appropriate period because search visibility can fluctuate. Also check whether the page is attracting the right visitors and supporting meaningful actions. Competitor keyword research is most useful as an ongoing process: revisit the analysis when competitors publish new content, your offer changes, or search behaviour shifts.

In practice, the most reliable process is to analyse competing domains, export relevant ranking terms, compare them with your own visibility, validate intent and landing-page format, remove irrelevant or branded terms, and prioritise the gaps you can serve better. This turns competitor keyword data into a focused content and optimisation plan rather than an unfiltered list of search queries.