A review of some best practices when looking at competitors in search marketing.

1. COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS:
TOOLS, TRENDS AND TECHNOLOGIES
Kris McDermott
@krismcdermott
@krismcdermott

2. EVERYTHING IN MODERATION
“Comparison is the thief of joy”
- Theodore Roosevelt
Remember:
You don’t know your competitors’ goals!
@krismcdermott

3. SPYING ON YOUR COMPETITORS
Rules of Engagement:
#1. Trust no one (source)
#2. Question everything
#3. Look at the whole picture
#4. Have a goal
@krismcdermott

4. THERE ARE NO SHORTAGE OF OPTIONS
@krismcdermott

5. WHAT KIND OF GOAL?
Consistent Questions:
1.How is my site doing compared to my competition/is the traffic I’m
getting substantial?
2.We don’t refer to our product as ‘X’ internally, why should we call it
‘Y’ from a search standpoint?
3.Who comes to my site? What is my demographic?
4.Where does my traffic come from?
5.Where do people go when they leave my site?
6.How should I flight out my budget?
7.Why should I invest more? (i.e. what is the competition spending?)
8.Who else is trying to bid/capitalize on my brand?
9.Who’s new to the market?
10.Who’s changed strategy?
@krismcdermott

6. HOW MUCH TRAFFIC AM I GETTING?
@krismcdermott

7. WE DON’T REFER TO OUR PRODUCT AS ‘X’ INTERNALLY,
WHY SHOULD WE CALL IT ‘Y’?
@krismcdermott

8. WHAT IS MY SITE DEMOGRAPHIC?
@krismcdermott

9. WHERE DOES MY TRAFFIC COME FROM?
@krismcdermott

10. WHERE DO PEOPLE GO WHEN THEY LEAVE MY SITE?
@krismcdermott

11. HOW SHOULD I FLIGHT OUT MY BUDGET?
@krismcdermott

12. WHY SHOULD I INVEST MORE?
(I.E. WHAT IS THE COMPETITION SPENDING?)
@krismcdermott

13. WHO IS TRYING TO CAPITALIZE ON MY BRAND?
@krismcdermott

14. WHO’S NEW TO THE MARKET?
@krismcdermott

15. WHO’S CHANGED STRATEGY?
@krismcdermott

16. THANK YOU!
• Kris McDermott
• kmcdermott@resolutionmedia.com
• @krismcdermott
@krismcdermott