competitor analysis for thought leaders by Houssam talhouk

Competitor Analysis: A Step-by-Step Guide for Thought Leaders

It’s important to always stay on top of the competition and understand the landscape in which you operate no matter who you are. Conducting a competitor analysis for thought leaders can help you identify opportunities to differentiate your own website and set it up for success. In this article, we will provide a step-by-step guide on how to conduct a comprehensive competitor analysis, including how to analyze your competitors’ websites, evaluate their online presence, and identify their strengths and weaknesses.

By the end of this article, you will have the tools you need to make informed decisions about your own website. With everything you will learn you will be able to stand out in the crowded online marketplace. So if you want to give your website the best chance of success, keep reading!

Identify your competitors

The first step in conducting a competitor analysis for thought leaders is to identify the other websites that are in the same industry or niche as your own. Start by making a list of these sites, and consider the following questions:

• What information or services do these websites offer?
• How acknowledged is this particular thought leader in his field.
• Who is their target audience?
• How are they positioning themselves in the market?

It’s important to identify not just direct competitors, but also any sites that could potentially be seen as substitutes for your own. For example, if you are creating a job interview blog, you may consider recruitment agency websites as competitors.

Analyze their websites

Once you have a list of competitors, it’s time to take a deep dive into their websites. Visit each of their sites and take note of the features and elements they have included:

Layout:

How is the site structured? Is it easy to navigate?

Content:

What types of content are they publishing? Do they have a blog?

Reviews:

Almost any website owner will create a google my business account, and although reviews and star ratings are not always an accurate metric, nevertheless, they provide an indication as to how some of the audience view this particular thought leader.

Calls to action:

How are they encouraging visitors to take action (e.g. sign up for a newsletter, make a purchase)?

Design elements:

What design elements are they using (e.g. color scheme, font choices)?

As you analyze your competitors’ websites, pay attention to what works well and what doesn’t. Take note of any features or elements that you might want to incorporate into your own site.

Look at their traffic and performance

Tools like SimilarWeb and SEM Rush can give you an idea of how much traffic your competitors’ websites are receiving. With the premium version, these tools will highlight how well they are performing in terms of engagement and conversions. By analyzing this data, you can get a sense of how successful they are and where they might be struggling.  Using SEO tools like Moz, SEM Rush, and Ubersuggest will also provide in-depth analysis on your competitor’s domain and page authority  and what content is most successful.

Evaluate their online presence

In addition to their websites, it’s important to consider how your competitors are using other online channels to reach their audience. This might include social media, email marketing, or paid advertising. Look at the platforms they are using and how they are using them. Are they active on multiple platforms, or are they focusing on just one or two? What types of content are they sharing, and how are they interacting with their followers?

Identify their strengths and weaknesses

As you analyze your competitors, make a list of their strengths and weaknesses. What are they doing well, and where are they falling short? For example, do they have a strong social media presence but weak email marketing? Or do they have a lot of traffic but low conversion rates? One of the most effective tactics we use at HubClarity is reading competitor reviews and identifying their audience’s pain points. This helps us exploit them to our advantage, and advertise that as a competitive advantage if we deem it valuable.

For example, we noticed several customers complaining to one of our competitors that their purchase process is complicated with lots of back and forth. Given that we have a similar target audience, we decided to make our purchase and checkout process as quick and seamless as possible and once that is ready we will advertise something like: “Check out in less than X minutes”.

Determine how to differentiate your site

Once you have a good understanding of your competitors, use this information to identify ways to differentiate your own site and make it stand out in the marketplace. This may involve adding unique features or content, focusing on a specific target audience. You may need to highlight your brand’s values or mission in a way that sets you apart from the competition.

For example, if your competitors are all targeting a broad audience, you might consider narrowing your focus to a specific niche within that audience. Or, if they are primarily focused on marketing consultancy, you might consider emphasizing education and information as a differentiator for your site.

It’s also important to optimize your site for search engines (SEO). This includes using relevant keywords in your content, optimizing your site’s title and meta tags, and ensuring that your site is mobile-friendly. By performing keyword research and analyzing the SEO strategies of your competitors, you can identify opportunities to improve your own site’s visibility in search results.

Conclusion

In summary, conducting a competitor analysis is an essential step in the process of creating a successful website. By analyzing the websites and online presence of your competitors, you can identify their strengths and weaknesses and determine how to differentiate your own site. By optimizing your site for SEO and focusing on providing value to your target audience. Doing all these steps can set your site up for success in the crowded online marketplace.