Competitive analysis tools are all about taking advantage of current search and internet technologies to gain an edge over competitors. They provide valuable insight into keywords, page ranks and traffic metrics that are used to create and achieve success in new goals and marketing strategies. By tapping into the wealth of information available in behind-the-scenes analytics, these tools locate, sort and break down complex data into a manageable format that is then applied to a new or existing SEO management plan.
Google Alerts
In a free analysis tool, there’s not much one would expect, and that’s exactly what is found with Google’s Alert application. It is a pretty simple alert system that sends notifications when specific keywords are mentioned online. This is a good tool to use for staying up-to-date on competitors’ digital marketing campaigns and ad content, as well as spotting and taking advantages of trends that occur in the online world. One applicable example, would be tracking your competitors promotional products proactively and learning from their mistakes! Using a combination of tools (some mentioned in this post) will help you learn from the money they spend, so you can save yours and spend it on what actually works.
Moat
While not free, Moat certainly offers an amazing spectrum of services that are useful in analyzing web data. Boasting real-time, accurate monitoring of traffic and essential analytics, Moat also ensures it only provides data from human traffic by tracking robots, spambots and other non-human entities online. This data is useful when a marketing manager needs to evaluate the actual reach of a specific campaign, rather than simply the number of times an ad, blog or other ad medium is used. It is convenient and versatile, crossing from mobile devices to computers and tablets with no trouble.
KeywordSpy
Another paid tool, KeywordSpy offers daily updates that contain multiple scans, so it is easy to stay on top of what the most popular keywords are in any industry. Providing data about keywords that are searched organically and via affiliate or pay-per-click marketing programs makes KeywordSpy a helpful addition to the toolbox of SEO content managers and creators. Turning this information into action isn’t all that hard. Sometimes a campaign simply doesn’t reach the desired goal, and quite often keywords are a large part of the problem. It’s easier to target an audience accurately and effectively when using keywords that already generating a buzz in the industry.
SimilarWeb
At SimilarWeb, the unique ability to receive suggestions about competitors that are worth tracking helps to ensure Social media strategies and marketing campaigns contain the most updated keywords for SEO. This feature is most beneficial when a marketer is starting out in an industry in which he or she is not familiar. Keeping track of the top companies and how they are achieving internet and social media success is one way to increase a site’s online visibility.
SpyFu
SpyFu is very helpful in using historical records to find and evaluate past trends. Offering metrics that go back up to nine years, SpyFu provides information about keywords that were purchased via AdWords as well as important variations in ad content over time. This tool is great for increasing the amount of data that is available to create and direct informed, targeted company and product outreach campaigns.
Using competitive analysis tools to “spy” on competitors is necessary in the world of digital and especially SEO marketing. It helps bloggers, business owners, media managers and consultants in many disciplines find and interpret analytics that can make or break the success of a marketing strategy. Taking advantage of available demos and free trials is the best way to evaluate the different types of software to determine which is the most appropriate match to achieve projected results.