We have been providing SEO services for the last 14 years, and when I analyze a competitor's website, I look at the complete website rather than just keywords or backlinks.
You can do a pretty good competitor website analysis using free tools. Here’s how I would approach it:
1. Website structure and content: I start by reviewing the homepage, service pages, category pages, and blog section. I check how the website is organized, what services it offers, how its content is written, and whether important pages are easy to find.
2. Technical SEO: I use Google PageSpeed Insights to check page performance and Lighthouse to review technical issues. I also check mobile usability, broken links, indexing, redirects, and XML sitemaps. Screaming Frog's free version can help crawl up to 500 URLs.
3. Keyword and ranking analysis: I search the main industry keywords on Google to identify competitors and review their ranking pages. Google Keyword Planner and Google Trends can help me understand keyword demand and search trends.
4. Backlink profile: I check available backlink data using free backlink checker tools. This helps me understand which websites link to competitors and identify relevant link-building opportunities.
5. On-page SEO: I review title tags, meta descriptions, heading structure, image alt text, URLs, and internal linking.
6. User experience and conversion: I check the navigation, page layout, contact forms, calls to action, mobile experience, and how easily visitors can find information or contact the business.
7. Trust and content quality: I review the About page, contact details, testimonials, case studies, author information, and other trust signals. I also compare the quality and usefulness of the content with competing websites.
For a more complete analysis, I would use Google Search Console and Google Analytics for my own website, where access is available. For competitors, I rely on publicly available information and free tools, since their private analytics data isn't accessible.
Finally, I put the findings into a spreadsheet and compare the websites side by side. This helps identify technical problems, content gaps, keyword opportunities, and areas where the website can improve.
The important thing is to analyze the website as a whole, not just one SEO factor. You can get a useful overview with free tools, although some competitor data will be limited.
