Manage Competitors

Competitor Management is a powerful feature that helps you track and analyze your competitors across different search engines. By monitoring which websites compete with yours for the same keywords, you can gain valuable insights into your market positioning and discover new opportunities for growth.

manage competitors

Why Monitor Competitors?

Understanding your competitors helps you:

  • Identify market leaders who are targeting the same audience
  • Discover shared keywords that you might be missing in your strategy
  • Track changes in the competitive landscape over time
  • Find content opportunities by analyzing what works for others
  • Benchmark your performance against industry standards

Getting Started with Competitor Management

Accessing the Competitor Management Tool

  1. Log in to your account
  2. Navigate to the "Manage Competitors" section from the main dashboard
  3. You'll see your existing competitor tracking setups (if any) and a form to create new ones

Understanding the Competitor Management Screen

The screen is divided into two main sections:

  1. Competitor Selection Form - Where you set up new competitor tracking
  2. Existing Competitors Table - Shows all your active competitor tracking setups

Setting Up Competitor Tracking

Step 1: Choose Your Base Search

  1. From the "Search Group" dropdown, select the search term or keyword group you want to analyze

    • This is typically a main keyword relevant to your business

      After selecting a search group, the "Search Engine" dropdown will update with available options

    • Select the search engine you want to monitor (Google, Bing, or Yahoo)

Step 2: Select Competitors to Track

Once you've selected both a search name and engine, the tool will automatically generate a list of potential competitors:

  1. The "Available Competitors" list shows websites competing for your selected search group keywords
    • Each competitor displays the number of shared keywords followed by their domain name

    • For example: "42 competitor.com" means this site shares 42 keywords with your target

      Select the competitors you want to monitor by clicking on them in the list

    • Use Ctrl+click (or Command+click on Mac) to select multiple competitors

    • Click the ">" button to move them to the "Selected Competitors" list

      You can select up to 20 competitors to track

    • The counter below the list shows how many you've selected
  2. If you need to remove any competitors from your selection, select them in the "Selected Competitors" list and click the "<" button

Step 3: Save Your Competitor Setup

  1. Once you've selected all the competitors you want to track, click the "Save" button
  2. You'll see a confirmation message when your competitor tracking is successfully set up
  3. Your new setup will appear in the table below the form

Managing Existing Competitor Tracking

Viewing Your Competitor Tracking Setups

All your active competitor tracking setups are displayed in the table below the form, showing:

  • Search Group: The search term or keyword group you're tracking
  • Search Engine: Which search engine this tracking is for (shown as an icon)
  • Competitors: List of all competitor domains you're monitoring for this search
  • Actions: Options to edit or delete the tracking setup

Editing a Competitor Setup

To modify an existing competitor tracking setup:

  1. Find the setup you want to change in the table
  2. Click the edit icon (pencil) in the Actions column
  3. The form will be populated with your current settings
  4. Make your changes:
    • Add new competitors from the "Available Competitors" list
    • Remove unwanted competitors from the "Selected Competitors" list
  5. Click "Save" to update your setup
  6. The table will refresh to show your updated competitor tracking

Deleting a Competitor Setup

If you no longer want to track certain competitors:

  1. Find the setup in the table
  2. Click the delete icon (trash) in the Actions column
  3. Confirm the deletion when prompted
  4. The setup will be removed from your table

Best Practices for Competitor Management

Selecting the Right Competitors

  • Focus on direct competitors - Businesses that offer similar products or services
  • Include aspirational competitors - Larger companies you aim to compete with
  • Monitor emerging competitors - New players in your market with growing keyword overlap
  • Balance quantity with quality - It's better to track 5-10 relevant competitors closely than 20 superficially

Regularly Reviewing Your Competitor List

  • Monthly reviews - Check your competitor list once a month to ensure it remains relevant
  • After industry changes - Update your list when new competitors emerge or after major market shifts
  • Seasonal adjustments - Some competitors may be more relevant during certain times of the year

Using Competitor Insights Effectively

  • Look for keyword gaps - Identify keywords your competitors rank for that you don't
  • Content analysis - Study what type of content performs well for your competitors
  • Track movements - Note when competitors gain or lose significant keyword positions

Frequently Asked Questions

How many competitors can I track?

You can select up to 20 competitors for each Search Group and Search Engine combination.


How are competitors identified?

Competitors are websites that rank for the same keywords as your selected search group. The system identifies them based on keyword overlap.


What does the number before each competitor represent?

The number represents how many keywords that competitor shares with your selected search group. Higher numbers indicate stronger competitors with more keyword overlap.


Can I track the same competitor across different search engines?

Yes! You can create separate tracking setups for the same competitor across Google, Bing, and Yahoo to compare their performance on different platforms.


Troubleshooting

I can't see any available competitors

Check the following:

  • Ensure you've selected both a Search Group and Search Engine
  • Verify that your selected search group has enough search volume to generate competitors
  • Try selecting a different, more popular search group

Some competitors are missing from my list

Potential reasons:

  • The competitor might not rank for enough shared keywords to be included
  • Recent algorithm updates may have changed competitor rankings
  • The competitor may be new and not yet included in the database

My changes aren't saving

If you experience issues saving your competitor setup:

  • Make sure you've selected at least one competitor
  • Check that you haven't exceeded the 20 competitor limit
  • Try refreshing the page and making the changes again

Glossary of Terms

  • Search Group: A configuration setting that defines a group of keywords you're tracking
  • Shared Keywords: The number of keywords that both you and a competitor rank for
  • Direct Competitor: A business offering similar products or services to yours
  • Keyword Overlap: The extent to which your keywords match those of a competitor
  • Search Engine Results Page (SERP): The page displayed by a search engine in response to a query

Conclusion

Effective competitor management is essential for staying ahead in your market. By regularly monitoring which websites compete for your keywords, you can identify opportunities, anticipate threats, and refine your strategy to outperform the competition.

Remember that competitor analysis isn't about copying others—it's about understanding the landscape so you can differentiate your business and provide unique value to your audience.

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