TL;DR: Competitive keyword research = find keywords competitors rank for, identify opportunities where they rank but you don't, or where both rank but room to improve.
Step 1: Identify Competitors
2 types:
- Direct. same market.
- SEO. rank on your keywords.
Use Ahrefs Competing Domains or Semrush Competitors.
Step 2: Competitor Analysis
For each competitor:
- Total organic keywords (count).
- Organic traffic estimate.
- Top ranking keywords.
- Content gaps.
Step 3: Content Gap Analysis
Ahrefs "Content Gap". enter your domain + competitors. Shows keywords they have, you don't.
Step 4: Evaluate Opportunities
For each competitor keyword:
- Search volume.
- Difficulty.
- Relevance to your business.
- Current ranking position.
Step 5: Act
Create content for top opportunities.
- Better content than current rankers.
- Target specific intent.
- Build backlinks.
Common Mistakes
- Copying competitor strategy.
- Ignoring intent match.
- Targeting high volume without chance to rank.