8 Step Guide: Identifying Your Online SEO and Ads Competitors
Identify, Create, Optimize and Monitor Your SEO and Ad campaigns
Competitors
When it comes to mastering search engine optimization (SEO) and paid search strategies like Google Ads, one of the most crucial steps is identifying your true competition. It’s not just about knowing your business rivals in general but understanding who is competing for the same online visibility through both organic SEO and paid advertising. If you want to gain an edge, knowing which companies dominate the search results for your target keywords—and who’s paying for premium ad space—is key. In this post, we’ll guide you through an 8-step process to identify your top 5 competitors by analyzing both organic and paid Google Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs). This will give you a comprehensive view of who’s vying for the attention of your potential customers.
Step 1: Conduct a Basic Google Search for Each Term
- Start by performing a Google search for each of your top 3 to 5 search terms one at a time.
- For each search term, examine the entire SERP, focusing on both organic results (non-paid listings) and paid results (ads).
Tip: Make sure you’re using an incognito or private browsing window to avoid personalized results that might skew the competitive landscape.
Step 2: Identify Paid Competitors (Ads Section)
- At the top of the SERP, you’ll often see ads marked as “Ad” or “Sponsored.” These businesses are paying for Google Ads to appear for this keyword.
- Write down the businesses listed in the ads section, as they are investing in competing for visibility with this keyword. Repeat this process for all 3 of your search terms.
Key Action: Take note of recurring businesses that appear in multiple search terms’ ads. These companies are likely serious competitors for your target customers.
Step 3: Identify Organic Competitors (Top Organic Results)
- Look just below the ads to find the top organic search results (the ones Google ranks based on SEO). Typically, the top 5-10 results are the most important competitors.
- Write down the domain names (URLs) of the top 5 organic results for each search term.
Key Action: Repeat this process for all 3 to 5 of your search terms. Identify any businesses that appear consistently in the top organic results for multiple keywords. These are likely your most relevant organic competitors.
Step 4: Pay Attention to Featured Snippets and Answer Boxes
- Look for featured snippets (information boxes at the top of search results that answer a question) and People Also Ask boxes (FAQs).
- If a competitor appears in these, they are likely doing well in capturing high visibility for your search terms.
Note: For more on featured snippets you can read 38 Google SERP Results You Need to Know About
Key Action: Make a note of any business that frequently appears in these special search features across your 3 keywords. Their presence here shows they have strong content strategies and are likely a top competitor.
Identify, Create, Optimize and Monitor Your SEO and Ad campaigns
Competitors
When it comes to mastering search engine optimization (SEO) and paid search strategies like Google Ads, one of the most crucial steps is identifying your true competition. It’s not just about knowing your business rivals in general but understanding who is competing for the same online visibility through both organic SEO and paid advertising. If you want to gain an edge, knowing which companies dominate the search results for your target keywords—and who’s paying for premium ad space—is key. In this post, we’ll guide you through an 8-step process to identify your top 5 competitors by analyzing both organic and paid Google Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs). This will give you a comprehensive view of who’s vying for the attention of your potential customers.
Step 1: Conduct a Basic Google Search for Each Term
- Start by performing a Google search for each of your top 3 to 5 search terms one at a time.
- For each search term, examine the entire SERP, focusing on both organic results (non-paid listings) and paid results (ads).
Tip: Make sure you’re using an incognito or private browsing window to avoid personalized results that might skew the competitive landscape.
Step 2: Identify Paid Competitors (Ads Section)
- At the top of the SERP, you’ll often see ads marked as “Ad” or “Sponsored.” These businesses are paying for Google Ads to appear for this keyword.
- Write down the businesses listed in the ads section, as they are investing in competing for visibility with this keyword. Repeat this process for all 3 of your search terms.
Key Action: Take note of recurring businesses that appear in multiple search terms’ ads. These companies are likely serious competitors for your target customers.
Step 3: Identify Organic Competitors (Top Organic Results)
- Look just below the ads to find the top organic search results (the ones Google ranks based on SEO). Typically, the top 5-10 results are the most important competitors.
- Write down the domain names (URLs) of the top 5 organic results for each search term.
Key Action: Repeat this process for all 3 to 5 of your search terms. Identify any businesses that appear consistently in the top organic results for multiple keywords. These are likely your most relevant organic competitors.
Step 4: Pay Attention to Featured Snippets and Answer Boxes
- Look for featured snippets (information boxes at the top of search results that answer a question) and People Also Ask boxes (FAQs).
- If a competitor appears in these, they are likely doing well in capturing high visibility for your search terms.
Note: For more on featured snippets you can read 38 Google SERP Results You Need to Know About
Key Action: Make a note of any business that frequently appears in these special search features across your 3 keywords. Their presence here shows they have strong content strategies and are likely a top competitor.