How do I Find Local Competitors Keywords?

Looking at your competitors’ keywords is a smart way to improve your SEO strategy. By knowing what keywords they rank for, you can find opportunities to optimize your own content and even outrank them in search results.

In this post, we’ll break down how to find your competitors’ keywords, see what they rank for, check search volume, and—most importantly—use that information to your advantage.

What is Competitor Keyword Research?

When we talk about a competitor’s keywords, we mean two things: the keywords they rank well for and the ones they’re trying to rank for but aren’t doing so great at. Both can give you valuable insights to shape your SEO strategy and help you find opportunities to improve your rankings.

Four Ways to Use Competitor Keyword Research

1. Use your competitor’s keywords to compete for the same search rankings.
2. Find untapped keywords that your competitors haven’t targeted yet.
3. Discover long-tail keywords your audience is searching for that you might have missed.
4. Understand why your competitor outranks you for certain broad search terms—and how to close the gap.

How to Find Competitors’ Keywords 

Before you start looking for a tool that magically gives you a list of your competitor’s keywords with just a few clicks… hold on. Competitor keyword research isn’t that easy. Sure, tools can help, but you’ll still need to do some digging to get a complete list of the keywords your competitors are targeting.

But don’t let that discourage you! While there isn’t a one-click solution for organic keyword analysis, there are some strategies that can make the process smoother and faster.

Also Read: How do I Find Local SEO Keywords for My Business?

Top 5 Tools for Figuring Out Your Competitors’ Keywords

Here are five ways you can dig into your competitors’ keywords:

1. Check the HTML Page Source of Your Competitor’s Website
   Go to your competitor’s website, pick a page to analyze, and right-click on it to open the “page source.” This will bring up the HTML source code for the page. Search for keywords in the title tag, meta description, keyword tag (if used), and image alt tags. Not all sites use the keywords tag, but it’s still worth checking!
2. Use Screaming Frog Spider
   Screaming Frog is a handy tool for running a quick SEO audit on your competitor’s site. Download the software, use it to crawl their site, and you’ll get tons of useful info like metadata, image alt text, anchor text, heading tags, and more. It’s great for uncovering the keywords they’re targeting.
3. Google Keyword Planner Tool
   If you have a free Google account, you can use the Google Keyword Planner in Google Ads. Just log in, navigate to the Keyword Planner, and click “Find new keywords.” Enter your competitor’s URL in the “Your landing page” field and hit “Get ideas.” Google will crawl the page and give you a list of keywords related to that page and the whole site. It’s a great way to discover competitor keywords!
4. SEMRush
   SEMRush has a powerful tool for organic keyword research. Just input your competitor’s website, and you’ll see a list of keywords they rank for. It even shows you which specific pages are ranking for each term. This helps you understand which pieces of content are working best for your competitors.
5. BuzzSumo
   BuzzSumo takes a unique approach by focusing on social sharing. Instead of starting with your competitor’s keywords, you can input keywords that matter to you and see which content ranks and gets shared the most. This can help you find variations of keywords and discover new competitors you hadn’t noticed before. It’s a great way to explore what’s working in your niche!

These tools and strategies can help you get a closer look at what your competitors are doing and improve your own SEO game.

Also Read: What is the Difference Between Local and Global Keywords?

More Tools for Competitor Keyword Research

There are several online tools that can quickly give you a list of your competitor’s PPC keywords (for platforms like AdWords, Bing Ads, etc.). Our top picks are SpyFu (available in both free and premium versions) and SEMRush (also has free and premium options). But there are other great tools you can check out too—some are free, and others require a premium subscription.

Here’s a list of other tools to consider:

• FeedtheBot SEO Overview Tool (free)
• Ahrefs Keyword Explorer
• BuzzSumo (free or premium)
• Moz Open Site Explorer (free or premium)
• Moz Keyword Difficulty and SERP Analysis Tool (premium with a free 30-day trial)

These tools will give you valuable insights to help refine your keyword strategy and stay ahead of the competition.

Also Read: How do I Target Keywords with Low Competition?

How to Take Advantage of Competitor Keyword Research

Alright, so you’ve checked out your competitor’s site, used some great keyword research tools, and explored what’s working socially. Now you’ve got a solid list of keywords they’re using. What’s next?

There are a few smart ways to use all the competitive insights and Google search data you’ve gathered. Here are some good next steps to get started:

• Use the keywords for benchmarking: Compare your site with the competition. This is especially helpful over time to track your growth. Don’t forget to look at backlink data for your organic competitors as well.
• Look for content gaps: Check where your content or keyword list might be lacking. This can also give you fresh ideas for your social media strategy.
• Get inspired by your competitors’ keywords: Use their list to find new terms to target and create content around them. This is one of the best things you can do to improve your site.
• Understand what your audience cares about: Review the keywords to get a better idea of the topics your audience is interested in for your marketing campaigns.
• Discover new competitors: You might uncover some competitors you haven’t thought of. It’s important to know who else is ranking against you in search results.

By using these strategies, you can make the most of your competitive research and stay ahead of the game!