competitor-analysis

Competitor Analysis

Workspace Context

Read bootstrap context before asking questions: strategy/brand.md for brand, audience, offer, channels, tools, constraints, and metrics; about/me.md for personal voice; content/ideas.md and content/calendar.md for content planning. Use legacy product-marketing context files only as fallback. Save generated drafts to content/<platform>/drafts/YYYY-MM-DD_short-topic-slug.md, and route durable learnings back to strategy/brand.md, about/me.md, or content/ideas.md.

Operating Contract

This skill is self-contained for its frontmatter scope: use its local instructions, references, scripts, and assets as the playbook; ask only for missing task-specific inputs; hand off to adjacent skills instead of expanding scope; and return an actionable artifact, decision, plan, draft, or diagnostic.

Comprehensive competitor analysis, competitive intelligence, and comparison page creation using structured research frameworks and data-grounded methodologies.

Overview

Systematic competitor analysis reveals market positioning, identifies competitive advantages, informs strategic decisions, captures SEO traffic, and enables sales teams with battle cards and comparison content.

When to Use

• Strategic product and market planning
• Creating SEO comparison pages (alternative pages, vs pages)
• Market entry and pricing strategy
• Feature prioritization and positioning
• Threat assessment and investment decisions
• Sales enablement (battle cards, objection handling)
• Competitive intelligence reports

Initial Assessment

Before creating competitor analysis or comparison pages, understand:

1. Your Product - Core value proposition, differentiators, ICP, pricing, strengths/weaknesses
2. Competitive Landscape - Direct/indirect competitors, market positioning, search volume
3. Goals - SEO traffic, sales enablement, conversion, brand positioning

Core Principles

1. Honesty Builds Trust

• Acknowledge competitor strengths
• Be accurate about your limitations
• Don't misrepresent competitor features
• Readers verify claims

2. Depth Over Surface

• Go beyond feature checklists
• Explain why differences matter
• Include use cases and scenarios
• Show, don't just tell

3. Help Them Decide

• Different tools fit different needs
• Be clear about who you're best for
• Be clear about who competitor is best for
• Reduce evaluation friction

4. Data-Grounded Analysis

• Every claim must have a citation
• Use primary sources when possible
• Document when data is unavailable
• Refresh quarterly

Competitor Identification

Competitor Types:

Type	Definition	Example
Direct	Same market, same features	Same product category, same ICP
Indirect	Different approach, same problem	Alternative solutions to the same pain
Adjacent	Related market, potential crossover	Could expand into your space
Emerging	New entrants, potential disruptors	Startups with new approaches

Research Workflow (6 Steps)

Step 1: Extract Business Information

If website URL provided:

• Fetch and extract: company name, value proposition, target market, products, pricing, differentiators

If details provided:

• Parse information and identify gaps requiring web research

Required context to gather:

• Company name and description
• Industry/vertical
• Target customer segment (B2B/B2C, size, geography)
• Core products/services
• Pricing model
• Key value propositions

Step 2: Define Target Customer Profile (Required)

Understanding the target customer enables accurate assessment of direct vs. indirect competitors.

Firmographics:

• Company size (employees, revenue range)
• Industry/vertical focus
• Geographic markets served
• Technology maturity level

Psychographics & Pain Points:

• Top 3-5 pain points the product addresses
• Primary goals and desired outcomes
• Current alternatives or workarounds
• Decision-making criteria
• Budgetary constraints

Behavioral Patterns:

• How customers currently solve this problem
• Where they search for solutions
• Typical buying process and timeline
• Key stakeholders in purchase decision

Market Sizing (if discoverable):

• Total addressable market (TAM) estimates
• Serviceable addressable market (SAM)
• Market growth trends

Step 3: Identify Top 5 Competitors

Run targeted searches:

• "[company name] competitors"
• "[product category] companies"
• "[industry] [target market] solutions"
• "alternatives to [company name]"

Select based on: similar target market, overlapping offerings, comparable business model, market presence.

Step 4: Research Each Competitor

For each competitor, gather data across four dimensions:

4a. Market Positioning & Messaging

• Fetch homepage and about page
• Extract: tagline, value proposition, target audience messaging
• Note: tone, positioning, key claims

4b. Pricing & Business Model

• Search "[competitor] pricing"
• Document: pricing tiers, model (subscription/one-time/freemium), entry price
• If not public, note this and search for indirect indicators

4c. Product/Feature Comparison

• Review product pages and feature lists
• Identify: core features, unique capabilities, integrations, limitations
• Note recent product launches

4d. Funding & Company Size

• Search "[competitor] funding" and "[competitor] company size"
• Check: Crunchbase, LinkedIn company size, press releases
• Document: funding rounds, total raised, employee count, founding year

Step 5: Identify Market Gaps & Opportunities

Underserved customer segments:

• Which customer types or use cases do competitors ignore?
• Geographic, size, or industry segments with limited options?

Feature/capability gaps:

• What functionality is missing across all competitors?
• What do customers request that no one provides well?
• What emerging needs are competitors slow to address?

Positioning gaps:

• What market positions are unclaimed? ("affordable enterprise-grade", "developer-first")
• Price points without strong offerings?
• Business models competitors avoid?

Document 3-5 specific gaps with supporting evidence.

Step 6: Synthesize Report

Generate markdown report with cited sources (see references/competitive-analysis-framework.md for full template).

The 7-Layer Analysis Framework

Layer	What to Analyze	Data Source
1. Product	Features, UX, quality	Screenshots, free trial
2. Pricing	Plans, pricing model, hidden costs	Pricing page, sales call
3. Positioning	Messaging, tagline, ICP	Website, ads
4. Traction	Users, revenue, growth	Web search, press, funding
5. Reviews	Strengths, weaknesses from users	G2, Capterra, App Store
6. Content	Blog, social, SEO strategy	Website, social profiles
7. Team	Size, key hires, background	LinkedIn, About page

Comparison Page Formats (for SEO)

Format 1: [Competitor] Alternative (Singular)

Search intent: User actively looking to switch from specific competitor

URL pattern: /alternatives/[competitor] or /[competitor]-alternative

Target keywords: "[Competitor] alternative", "alternative to [Competitor]"

Page structure:

1. Why people look for alternatives
2. Summary: You as the alternative
3. Detailed comparison (features, pricing, service)
4. Who should switch (and who shouldn't)
5. Migration path
6. Social proof from switchers
7. CTA

Format 2: [Competitor] Alternatives (Plural)

Search intent: User researching options, earlier in journey

URL pattern: /alternatives/[competitor]-alternatives

Page structure:

1. Why people look for alternatives
2. What to look for in an alternative
3. List of alternatives (you first, include 4-7 real options)
4. Comparison table
5. Detailed breakdown of each
6. Recommendation by use case
7. CTA

Format 3: You vs [Competitor]

Search intent: User directly comparing you to competitor

URL pattern: /vs/[competitor]

Page structure:

1. TL;DR summary
2. At-a-glance comparison table
3. Detailed comparison by category
4. Who [You] is best for
5. Who [Competitor] is best for
6. Customer testimonials from switchers
7. Migration support
8. CTA

Format 4: [Competitor A] vs [Competitor B]

Search intent: User comparing two competitors (not you)

URL pattern: /compare/[competitor-a]-vs-[competitor-b]

Page structure:

1. Overview of both products
2. Comparison by category
3. Who each is best for
4. The third option (introduce yourself)
5. Comparison table (all three)
6. CTA

See references/comparison-page-templates.md for detailed templates.

Feature Comparison Matrix

Structure

| Feature | Your Product | Competitor A | Competitor B | Competitor C |
|---------|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|
| Real-time collaboration | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ |
| API access | ✅ | Paid only | ✅ | ❌ |
| SSO/SAML | ✅ | Enterprise | ✅ | Enterprise |
| Mobile app | ✅ | iOS only | ✅ | ✅ |

Rules

• ✅ = Full support
• ⚠️ or "Partial" = Limited or conditional
• ❌ = Not available
• Note conditions: "Paid only", "Enterprise tier", "Beta"
• Lead with features where YOU win
• Be honest about competitor strengths

Pricing Comparison

Structure

| | Your Product | Competitor A | Competitor B |
|---------|:---:|:---:|:---:|
| **Free tier** | Yes, 5 users | Yes, 3 users | No |
| **Starter** | $10/user/mo | $15/user/mo | $12/user/mo |
| **Pro** | $25/user/mo | $30/user/mo | $29/user/mo |
| **Enterprise** | Custom | Custom | $50/user/mo |
| **Billing** | Monthly/Annual | Annual only | Monthly/Annual |
| **Annual discount** | 20% | 15% | 25% |
| **Min seats** | 1 | 5 | 3 |
| **Hidden costs** | None | Setup fee $500 | API calls metered |

What to Look For

• Minimum seat requirements
• Annual-only billing
• Feature gating between tiers
• Overage charges
• Setup/onboarding fees
• Contract lock-in periods

SWOT Analysis

Create SWOT for each competitor (and yourself):

### Competitor A — SWOT

| Strengths | Weaknesses |
|-----------|------------|
| • Strong brand recognition | • Slow feature development |
| • Large integration ecosystem | • Complex onboarding (30+ min) |
| • Enterprise sales team | • No free tier |

| Opportunities | Threats |
|--------------|---------|
| • AI features not yet shipped | • New AI-native competitors |
| • Expanding into mid-market | • Customer complaints about pricing |
| • International markets untapped | • Key engineer departures (LinkedIn) |

Positioning Map

A 2x2 matrix showing where competitors sit on two meaningful dimensions.

Choose Meaningful Axes:

Good Axes	Bad Axes
Simple ↔ Complex	Good ↔ Bad
SMB ↔ Enterprise	Cheap ↔ Expensive (too obvious)
Self-serve ↔ Sales-led	Old ↔ New
Specialized ↔ General	Small ↔ Large

Template:

                    Enterprise
                        │
           Competitor C │  Competitor A
                ●       │       ●
                        │
  Simple ──────────────────────────── Complex
                        │
            You ●       │  Competitor B
                        │       ●
                        │
                      SMB

Review Mining

Where to Find Reviews

Platform	Best For	URL Pattern
G2	B2B SaaS	g2.com/products/[product]/reviews
Capterra	Business software	capterra.com/software/[id]/reviews
App Store	iOS apps	apps.apple.com
Google Play	Android apps	play.google.com
Product Hunt	Launches	producthunt.com/posts/[product]
Reddit	Honest opinions	reddit.com/r/[relevant-sub]

What to Extract

Category	Look For
Most praised	What features do happy users mention most?
Most complained	What do unhappy users say? (= your opportunity)
Switching reasons	Why do users leave? What triggers switching?
Feature requests	What's missing that users want?
Comparison mentions	When users compare, what do they say?

Competitive Matrix

| Dimension | Your Product | Competitor A | Competitor B | Competitor C |
|-----------|--------------|--------------|--------------|--------------|
| **Positioning** | Mid-market | Premium | Budget | Enterprise |
| **Target Customer** | SMBs | Enterprise | Startups | Large orgs |
| **Pricing Model** | Subscription | Annual | Freemium | Custom |
| **Entry Price** | $10/mo | $50/mo | Free | Contact |
| **Key Differentiator** | Ease of use | Integration depth | Price | Scalability |
| **Primary Weakness vs You** | N/A | Complex setup | Limited features | High cost |
| **Funding Stage** | Series A | Series C | Bootstrapped | Public |
| **Est. Company Size** | 25 | 500 | 10 | 5000 |

SEO Considerations

Keyword Targeting

Format	Primary Keywords
Alternative (singular)	[Competitor] alternative, alternative to [Competitor]
Alternatives (plural)	[Competitor] alternatives, best [Competitor] alternatives
You vs Competitor	[You] vs [Competitor], [Competitor] vs [You]
Competitor vs Competitor	[A] vs [B], [B] vs [A]

Internal Linking

• Link between related competitor pages
• Link from feature pages to relevant comparisons
• Create hub page linking to all competitor content

Schema Markup

Consider FAQ schema for questions like "What is the best alternative to [Competitor]?"

Citation Requirements

Inline citations are mandatory. Every factual claim must include [Source N](#Sources) reference.

• Number sources sequentially
• Include exact URL in Sources section
• If information from multiple sources, cite all: [Source 1, 3](#Sources)
• For unverified claims, state: "Unable to verify from public sources"
• Prefer primary sources (company websites, press releases) over secondary (news, blogs)

Deliverable Formats

Executive Summary (1 page)

## Competitive Landscape Summary

**Market:** [Category] — $[X]B market growing [Y]% annually

**Key competitors:** A (leader), B (challenger), C (niche)

**Our positioning:** [Where you sit and why it matters]

**Key insight:** [One sentence about biggest opportunity]

| Metric | You | A | B | C |
|--------|-----|---|---|---|
| Users | X | Y | Z | W |
| Pricing (starter) | $X | $Y | $Z | $W |
| Rating (G2) | X.X | Y.Y | Z.Z | W.W |

Detailed Report (per competitor)

1. Company overview (size, funding, team)
2. Product analysis (features, UX screenshots)
3. Pricing breakdown
4. SWOT analysis
5. Review analysis (top praised, top complained)
6. Positioning vs. you
7. Opportunity summary

See references/competitive-analysis-framework.md for complete report template.

Common Mistakes

Mistake	Problem	Fix
Only looking at features	Misses positioning, pricing, traction	Use 7-layer framework
Biased analysis	Loses credibility	Be honest about competitor strengths
Outdated data	Wrong conclusions	Date all research, refresh quarterly
Too many competitors	Analysis paralysis	Focus on top 3-5 direct competitors
No "so what"	Data without insight	End each section with implications
Feature-only comparison	Doesn't show positioning	Include pricing, reviews, positioning map

Quality Checklist

Before finalizing:

• Target Customer Profile completed with firmographics, pain points, behavioral patterns
• All competitors researched across all dimensions
• Every factual claim has inline citation
• Competitive matrix complete (use "N/A" or "Not disclosed" if needed)
• Market Gaps section identifies at least 3 specific gaps with evidence
• SWOT items are specific and evidence-based, not generic
• Recommendations are actionable and tied to findings
• Sources section includes all referenced URLs

Error Handling

If competitor website inaccessible: Note in report, use available search results and news coverage.

If pricing not public: State "Pricing not publicly disclosed" and note indirect indicators (e.g., "enterprise sales model suggested by 'Contact Us' pricing page").

If funding data unavailable: Search for alternative signals: LinkedIn employee count, office locations, news mentions of growth.

If fewer than 5 clear competitors exist: Include available competitors and note market context (e.g., "Emerging market with limited direct competitors").

Reference Files

• references/competitive-analysis-framework.md - Complete report template with detailed sections
• references/comparison-page-templates.md - SEO page templates for all 4 formats
• references/content-architecture.md - Centralized competitor data structure