Finding rival keywords is indispensable to gathering your SEO strategy.

Why?

Because they amusement what’s moving for others, item opportunities, and uncover gaps successful your approach.

At Backlinko, we’ve spied connected Ahrefs, Moz, and Semrush’s keywords for years—and recovered many opportunities.

For instance, Ahrefs gets an estimated 2.5k monthly integrated visits from the keyword “website authorization checker.”

But this is lone portion of the story.

The leafage targets implicit 1.7k keywords and drives an estimated 30k monthly integrated visits.

Clearly, A LOT of radical are interested.

So we published a escaped instrumentality with a supporting blog station connected the aforesaid topic. Now this leafage ranks for 1,000 queries and gets implicit 13k clicks a period from Google.

That’s the powerfulness of uncovering rival keywords.

In this guide, you’ll learn:

• What rival keywords are and however they acceptable into an SEO strategy
• How to find and analyse these keywords, step-by-step
• Where to integrate them into your contented and SEO plans

The Power of Using Competitor’s Keywords for SEO

When you find competitors’ keywords, you uncover what contented they’re ranking for.

But it’s much than conscionable ranking for a circumstantial keyword.

Think bigger: You’re getting a snapshot of your competitors’ SEO strategy.

Competitor keywords uncover opportunities to boost your SEO successful 3 ways.

First, spotting patterns successful your competitor’s keyword strategy and capitalize connected gaps.

Say a rival is going aft presumption similar “best vegan macromolecule powder.” But they mightiness beryllium ignoring budget-conscious customers.

That’s your accidental to swoop successful and people keywords similar “affordable vegan macromolecule powder.”

The goal?

Position yourself to triumph implicit the segments they’re missing. Whether it’s budget-friendly options, niche markets, oregon untapped audiences.

Second, knowing their focus.

Whether they’re targeting broad, high-traffic presumption oregon niche, long-tail keywords.

Say a rival is focused connected targeting top-funnel keywords similar “online people platforms.”

Here, you tin instrumentality a antithetic route.

Why not people bottom-funnel queries similar “how to make an online people for free?”

It volition assistance you scope an assemblage acceptable to buy.

Third, gathering a contented program based connected your strategy.

Finding competitors’ keywords gives you ideas for a contented calendar.

Use them to program your adjacent topics, determine connected contented formats. And, finally, make contented that meets your audience’s needs amended than anyone else.

Now, you’ll larn techniques to find competitors’ keywords.

Step 1: Identify Your SEO Competitors

If you privation to find competitors’ keywords, absorption connected SEO competitors.

These are websites competing with you for akin keywords and rankings.

They whitethorn not adjacent beryllium nonstop concern competitors.

Start with a manual hunt and analysis.

Imagine your concern is successful the crypto space.

Think of applicable keywords that your imaginable customers mightiness use.

Like “best crypto platforms 2024.”

Search the keyword connected Google.

Take enactment of the websites that fertile for this keyword.

In our example: Investopedia, Alchemy, and NerdWallet.

These are your contented competitors.

Next, cheque the “People besides ask” box.

It’s a bully instrumentality for uncovering further keywords and contented ideas.

Now, let’s research different method for uncovering competitors.

First, create a escaped Semrush account and travel these steps:

Head to the Organic Research tool.

Add your URL and deed “Search.”

Then, scroll down to “Main Organic Competitors.”

Click the “View each 35.3K competitors” fastener to amusement your rivals.

Now, find the “Com. Level” column.

You’ll spot a percent showing keyword alignment with your competitor.

For Backlinko, Ahrefs has a 35% competitory overlap, and Moz has 25% overlap.

Both are adjacent contented competitors.

Now that you’ve identified your competitors, it’s clip to analyse their keywords.

Step 2: Find Competitor Keywords Using Tools

By examining the keywords your competitors fertile for, you tin uncover opportunities to amended your SEO strategy.

This measurement volition assistance you find the nonstop presumption your competitors are targeting and however you tin perchance outrank them.

We’ll proceed with our Backlinko example.

Since we identified Moz arsenic a competitor, let’s participate its URL into the Organic Research tool.

Click “Search.”

In the “Overview” section, you’ll instantly spot cardinal information specified arsenic the full keywords Moz ranks for, their postulation volume, and the estimated outgo of that traffic.

Click the “Positions” tab to presumption a elaborate list.

Here, you’ll find important data:

• “Keyword positions” for each term
• “Intent” showing the user’s extremity down searched query
• “Traffic” generated from these keywords
• “Keyword volume” (searches per month)
• “Keyword trouble (KD%)” telling you however competitory each keyword is

You tin usage this accusation to place high-value keywords your rival is targeting and analyse their performance.

How?

Look for keywords with precocious hunt measurement but little keyword difficulty.

Use filters to constrictive your hunt and absorption connected the astir promising keywords:

• Set the presumption filter to “Top 10”: Focus connected keywords wherever your competitors fertile precocious but you don’t
• Adjust the measurement filter to “101-1,000 searches per month”: Target keywords with mean measurement truthful you really thrust integrated postulation to your website
• Set keyword trouble (KD%) to “Possible”: Target keywords wherever you tin fertile without having to spell all-in connected gathering outer backlinks

These filters assistance you pinpoint keywords that connection a bully equilibrium of postulation imaginable and achievable competition.

For example, a keyword similar “seo terms” gets 1K searches per month. And has a KD% of 46.

Not bad.

Create amended contented and optimize it to adjacent gaps and outrank your competition.

Step 3: Expand Your Keyword List Through Research

Nuanced probe helps you amended people and prioritize audience-focused keywords.

In the end, it helps you grow your keyword database successful ways that align with your wide strategy.

Let’s research much precocious techniques to find competitors’ keywords.

Customer Feedback Analysis

Customer feedback is 1 of the astir underrated sources of keyword inspiration.

Customers often usage earthy presumption not recovered successful keyword tools.

By diving into reviews, you tin observe keywords that bespeak existent lawsuit needs.

Let’s accidental you’re competing with a task absorption instrumentality similar Monday.

Analyze lawsuit reviews connected platforms similar G2, Trustpilot, oregon adjacent Google Reviews for section businesses.

They mightiness uncover phrases similar “Monday.com prevents copying and pasting information without exporting.”

These kinds of comments springiness you nonstop penetration into the symptom points users are facing with competitors’ products.

And they’re a cleanable illustration of long-tail keywords that you tin tackle.

For instance, paste “project absorption bundle with information import/export” into Google hunt to spot however saturated the abstraction is.

Here, GetApp’s bundle examination leafage ranks organically successful the apical spot.

Monday’s competitor, Asana, is besides present.

This indicates that contented creators spot worth successful addressing this circumstantial symptom constituent for users.

If you’re selling task absorption bundle with information import and export features, you could make a blog station oregon examination page.

These pieces assistance pull frustrated users seeking amended alternatives.

Private Communities

Your competitor’s backstage communities similar Facebook Groups, Slack channels and Discord servers are golden mines for keyword ideas.

Simply ticker what radical speech about. You’ll discover:

• Questions they inquire (that aren’t being answered)
• Problems they look (that you could solve)
• Terms they usage people (not selling speak)

For example, let’s accidental you’re competing with Nike Training Club.

Join a fewer fittingness Facebook groups wherever their users bent out.

You mightiness spot radical asking about:

• “Best bodyweight exercises for beginners”
• “Home workout equipment”
• “Affordable fittingness gear”

These presumption could beryllium cleanable keywords that a rival isn’t targeting yet.

Here’s what to bash next:

Head to Semrush’s Keyword Magic Tool.

Enter your people keyword into the hunt bar.

Then, deed “Search.”

We’ll usage “home workout equipment” arsenic an example.

This generates america a database of applicable keywords.

Next, we’ll acceptable immoderate filters to refine the list.

Adjust the “Volume” filter to 101–1,000, and for “Keyword Difficulty,” take “Possible.”

This volition assistance you place high-value presumption that person decent postulation imaginable but aren’t overly competitive.

For example, these keywords basal retired arsenic premier contented opportunities:

• “compact location gym equipment” (320 searches/month)
• “essential location gym equipment” (320 searches/month)
• “affordable location gym equipment” (260 searches/month)

Why?

They person a coagulated hunt measurement per month. At the aforesaid time, they’re not excessively competitive.

It means you person chances to fertile comparatively precocious connected the hunt motor results leafage (SERP).

Google Search Operators

Google hunt operators are a almighty instrumentality to find rival contented and gaps successful your strategy.

By utilizing circumstantial hunt queries, you tin reveal the topics your competitors are covering and however good they’re doing it.

Start by typing site:competitor.com followed by a keyword oregon operation related to your niche.

In our example, we’ll usage the niche of integrated quality products.

Let’s accidental 1 of our integrated competitors is Our Oily House.

We searched: site:https://www.ouroilyhouse.com/ “natural look moisturizer“

This gives america a database of pages connected that competitor’s tract that notation oregon people this keyword.

But we don’t halt there.

Now, we’ll look for patterns.

Are they creating taxable clusters astir earthy skincare?

Or integrated ingredients?

Or possibly DIY quality tips?

Examining their contented reveals pillar topics and related subtopics they fertile for.

For example, we’ll leap backmost to the Keyword Overview and cheque “skincare kits.”

It has transactional intent, it gets 1,300 monthly mean searches, and the “Keyword Difficulty” is 27.

Great!

Step 4: Evaluate Your Competitors’ Keywords

You cognize however to find competitors’ keywords.

The adjacent measurement is to measure them.

Analyze rival keywords to spot however intent-based presumption people antithetic funnel stages.

Let’s instrumentality a keyword similar “best online people platforms.”

Now, cheque the hunt intent.

It’s “Commercial.”

Meaning users privation to analyse and comparison brands oregon services.

This implies a contented format that should beryllium a examination post.

Or a landing leafage evaluating assorted platform’s capabilities.

Second, look for keyword relevance.

Focus connected rival keywords that align with your concern goals.

These person precocious keyword relevance.

If your level offers people instauration tools, absorption connected keywords similar “best people software” oregon “create a rank site.”

For example, wide presumption similar “passive income from online courses” won’t beryllium useful.

Third, hunt for measurement and difficulty.

Ideally, you’re looking for keywords with precocious hunt measurement and mean to debased keyword difficulty.

Let’s caput backmost to the Keyword Magic Tool.

We’ll usage Teachable arsenic our example.

Enter “best online people platform.”

And adhd the website URL for personalized results.

Now, deed “Search.”

You’ll spot a database of related keywords.

Take a look astatine the intent, hunt volume, and idiosyncratic keyword trouble (PKD%).

Also, spot the presumption successful the SERP.

For example, “best online people platforms” has 480 monthly searches with a PKD% of 0.

Another beardown keyword is “best level to merchantability online courses,” with 170 searches and a PKD% of 0.

Both are premier targets.

They besides person commercialized intent.

Meaning searchers are person to making a acquisition decision.

Targeting these tin assistance amended your rankings and seizure much integrated postulation from competitors.

Step 5: Prioritize Your Competitors’ Keywords List

Now that you’ve analyzed the rival keywords, the adjacent measurement is to integrate them into your strategy.

First, comparison the rival keywords with the ones you’re already targeting.

But what precisely are you looking for?

• Are determination immoderate high-volume keywords you’re not targeting yet?
• Are determination presumption they’re ranking for wherever you could compete?
• Are determination areas wherever you’re already ranking, but could improve?

This volition guarantee you’re not leaving invaluable opportunities connected the table.

Earlier, we utilized the illustration of vegan supplements.

Here’s a spreadsheet with keyword information for this niche, showing volume, difficulty, and value.

Later, we’ll amusement you however to make this spreadsheet (and supply a template.)

The much keywords you person successful your database, the better.

This gives you plentifulness of options to take what to constitute about.

(After all, the amended keywords you choose, the faster you tin turn your integrated postulation and bring much leads.)

Now, spell to Keyword Overview, and adhd each your keywords.

Then, click “Analyze.”

Scroll down and property “Export.”

Choose betwixt XLXS, CSV oregon CSV semicolon.

To prioritize your keywords well, usage a elemental scoring framework.

We’ll usage Google Sheets—we’ve exported our information successful CSV format.

Go determination and property “Import.”

An “Import file” model volition open.

Switch to the tab “Upload,” and take your exported file.

Then, click “Browse,” and take your exported file.

Then, click “Import data.”

Now, you person your earthy data.

What interests you is Volume (column C) and Keyword Difficulty (column E).

Click implicit to the “Framework” tab and cheque VLOOKUP formulas.

In our lawsuit it’s:

• =VLOOKUP(A2, Data_import!$A$1:$G$16, 3, FALSE) to get Search Volume
• =VLOOKUP(A2, Data_import!$A$1:$G$16, 5, FALSE) to get Ranking Difficulty

At this point, you should person Search Volume and Ranking Difficulty columns and scores for these 2 (they’re automatic.)

First, let’s speech astir Ranking Difficulty.

This tells you however pugnacious it’ll beryllium to fertile for a keyword:

• Under 30: Low contention (easy to fertile for), people = 1
• 30-60: Medium competition, people = 2
• Over 60: High competition, people = 3

Next, we’ve got Business Value.

This is simply a manual appraisal (you person to insert numbers betwixt 1 and 3 yourself) of however good the keyword aligns with your merchandise oregon service.

• 3 (High value): If your merchandise fits good into contented targeting that keyword
• 2 (Medium value): If your merchandise fits, but not perfectly
• 1 (Low value): If the keyword is hardly relevant

Lastly, see Search Volume.

• Over 800 searches/month: High volume, people = 3
• 500-800 searches/month: Medium volume, people = 2
• Under 500 searches/month: Low volume, people = 1

Once you people each your keywords connected these 3 factors, formulas successful the expanse gives you the last score.

This helps you prioritize what to target.

Focus connected keywords with precocious volume, debased difficulty, and beardown concern value.

Here’s how:

• High hunt volume (over 800 searches per month) means much imaginable traffic
• Low ranking difficulty (anything nether 30) means it’s easier to interruption into the rankings
• Strong concern value means it’s a cleanable acceptable for what you offer, truthful it’s worthy your clip to spell aft it

For illustration a keyword “vegan macromolecule powder.”

It has precocious hunt volume, debased ranking difficulty, and concern value.

Which means it’s going to beryllium a apical priority.

Meanwhile, thing similar “affordable vegan macromolecule powder” has little hunt measurement and tougher competition.

So, it mightiness autumn to the bottommost of the list.

This way, you’re focusing connected keywords that’ll really determination the needle.

But remember:

In the end, immoderate model is conscionable a framework.

Consider marketplace trends, lawsuit feedback, and beingness value, too.

Now it’s clip to make a contented plan.

Step 6: Turn Competitor Keywords into Content

Once you’ve integrated rival keywords into your strategy, it’s clip to program your contented astir them.

Say you’re a fast-growing marque that can’t vie with large players that fertile precocious for high-volume and high-difficulty keywords.

But you person authorization successful 1 field.

And you recovered loads of decent-volume but low-competition keywords.

So, your strategy should absorption connected this untapped area.

Suppose your model lists “vegan vitamins” arsenic a high-priority keyword.

It has commercialized intent.

And you cognize your customers often inquire astir it.

First, reappraisal the types of pages that presently fertile for this keyword.

Then, make a landing leafage that lists each the vegan vitamins.

Ensure it provides much worth and extent than competing pages.

Apply this workflow to each of your high-priority keywords for maximum impact.

Get a Strategic Start for Using Your Competitors’ Keywords

Competitor keywords supply invaluable insights for a focused SEO strategy.

The astir important happening is to attack this task done a strategical lens.

To assistance you acceptable the close priorities, download our keyword prioritization framework.

Use it to make an at-a-glance notation of your keywords and related data.

Then, enactment those insights to usage to physique a amended SEO strategy and yet outrank your rivals.

The station How to Find Competitors’ Keywords to Boost Your SEO appeared archetypal connected Backlinko.