Local SEO competitor analysis: step-by-step

Why Competitor Analysis Matters in Local SEO

Local SEO is inherently competitive - the local pack only has three spots, and map rankings are zero-sum. Understanding what your competitors are doing well (and where they are weak) is essential for building a strategy that wins.

A thorough competitor analysis reveals:

• **What it takes to rank** in your market
• **Gaps and opportunities** your competitors have missed
• **Benchmarks** for reviews, citations, and content
• **Strategies** that are working in your specific industry and location

Step 1: Identify Your True Competitors

Your local SEO competitors may not be the businesses you think of as competitors. They are the businesses that **appear in the local pack and map results** for your target keywords.

How to Find Them

1. **Search your target keywords** from your service area using an incognito browser

2. **Check the local pack** - who appears in the top three?

3. **Check organic results** - who ranks organically for local terms?

4. **Use geo-grid tools** - identify who ranks across your entire service area

Typically, you will identify 5 to 10 primary local SEO competitors. Focus your analysis on the top 5.

Step 2: Analyze Their Google Business Profiles

For each competitor, evaluate their GBP:

Profile Completeness

• Are all sections filled out?
• Do they have a detailed business description?
• Are their categories well-chosen?
• Do they list all their services?

Visual Content

• How many photos do they have?
• What is the quality and variety of their images?
• How recently were photos added?

Google Posts

• Are they posting regularly?
• What types of content do they post?
• Are they using calls to action?

Reviews

• Total review count
• Average star rating
• Review velocity (how many new reviews per month)
• Do they respond to reviews?
• What do customers praise or complain about?

Step 3: Compare Citation Profiles

Citations are a key ranking factor, and comparing your citation profile against competitors reveals opportunities.

What to Compare

• **Total citation count**: How many listings does each competitor have?
• **Citation sources**: Which directories are they listed on that you are not?
• **NAP consistency**: How clean is their citation data?
• **Quality of citations**: Are they on high-authority, relevant directories?

Create a spreadsheet comparing your citations against your top competitors. Identify high-value directories where competitors are listed but you are not - these are immediate opportunities.

Step 4: Evaluate Their Websites

Analyze competitor websites for local SEO signals:

On-Page Elements

• **Title tags**: How do they format local keywords in titles?
• **Meta descriptions**: What calls to action do they use?
• **Header tags**: How do they structure content for local relevance?
• **Content depth**: How much content is on their service and location pages?

Technical Elements

• **Schema markup**: Do they use LocalBusiness schema?
• **Page speed**: How fast do their pages load?
• **Mobile experience**: How usable is their mobile site?
• **Internal linking**: How do they connect service and location pages?

Content Strategy

• **Blog content**: Are they publishing locally relevant content?
• **Location pages**: Do they have pages for specific areas they serve?
• **Service pages**: How detailed are their service descriptions?

Step 5: Keyword Gap Analysis

Identify keywords your competitors rank for that you do not:

1. **Use SEO tools** to pull competitor keyword rankings

2. **Filter for local keywords** - those with geographic modifiers or local intent

3. **Identify gaps** - keywords they rank for where you have no presence

4. **Assess opportunity** - which gaps represent real business opportunity?

5. **Prioritize** - focus on high-volume, high-intent keywords where you can realistically compete

Step 6: Backlink Comparison

Local backlinks signal geographic authority. Compare:

• **Total backlink count** from local sources
• **Local link sources**: Sponsorships, partnerships, local media, chambers of commerce
• **Link quality**: Authority of linking domains
• **Anchor text**: How do links reference their business?

Identify local link sources pointing to competitors that you could also earn links from.

Step 7: Build Your Action Plan

Compile your findings into a prioritized action plan:

1. **Quick wins**: Citations you can build immediately, profile sections you can complete

2. **Medium-term projects**: Content gaps to fill, review generation campaigns

3. **Long-term strategy**: Link building, content programs, technical improvements

Benchmarks to Set

Based on your analysis, establish concrete targets:

• Number of reviews to match or exceed top competitors
• Citation count targets for the next quarter
• Content production goals to close keyword gaps
• Technical improvements to match or beat competitor site performance

Revisit your competitor analysis **every quarter** to track changes in the competitive landscape and adjust your strategy accordingly.