Just like a chess match, ecommerce SEO ‘competitors’ study each other’s moves and tendencies to rise in SERPs. But, there’s a lot of boring data to deal with and less dramatic tension – although the stakes are still high!

Identifying Competitor Keywords

The first move in this strategic game? Figure out who you’re actually playing against. Your true competitors in search aren’t always who you think they are.

Sure, that big brand selling similar products matters, but in keyword battles, you’re fighting against whoever ranks for the terms your customers use—which might include review sites, marketplaces, or content publishers who don’t even sell products.

To uncover these search competitors:

1. Search your primary products and note which sites consistently appear
2. Use tools like SEMrush or Ahrefs to reveal who ranks for your target keywords
3. Analyze which keywords drive traffic to these competing sites

I recommend creating a simple matrix of competitors across different product categories, which often reveals surprising patterns. One ecommerce client discovered their biggest search competitor wasn’t another retailer but a hobbyist blog with exceptional domain authority!

Example: A mid-sized home goods store was struggling to gain visibility for their high-margin kitchenware. After competitor analysis, they discovered that while they focused on product-specific keywords (“stainless steel colander”), their most successful competitor was ranking for problem-solving terms (“drain pasta without losing noodles”). After expanding their content strategy, their organic traffic increased by approximately 40% within three months.

Don’t just focus on the obvious competitors. That niche blog outranking you for your best product terms? They’re your competitor too—at least in the search results.

Gap Analysis and Opportunity Identification

Now comes the treasure hunt. Where are the gaps your competitors have left open?

Gap analysis involves finding valuable keywords your competitors aren’t targeting effectively. These keyword gaps represent your fastest path to search visibility.

Start by comparing your keyword profile against 3-5 top competitors:

• Which high-volume keywords are they ranking for that you aren’t?
• Which low-competition terms could you potentially dominate?
• What content types are they using to capture different search intents?

There’s gold in those keyword gaps. I’ve seen brands completely transform their traffic by focusing on keyword territories their competitors overlooked.

For example, look at these common gap types:

The trick isn’t just finding the gaps—it’s assessing which ones align with your business goals.

An online boutique selling handcrafted jewelry was competing against established brands with much larger marketing budgets. Through gap analysis, they identified that none of their competitors were effectively targeting keywords related to jewelry materials sourcing and ethical production. By creating detailed content around these topics, they attracted around 3,500+ monthly visitors specifically interested in responsibly-made jewelry, with conversion rates nearly double their site average from this visitor segment.

Had they focused solely on standard product keywords, they’d still be invisible. Instead, they found their unique angle.

Reverse-Engineering Successful Competitor Strategies

Why reinvent the wheel when you can peek at someone else’s blueprint?

Reverse-engineering competitor keyword strategies isn’t about copying—it’s about learning from what works while adding your unique value. Here’s how to do it effectively:

• Analyze their content structure
  What content types rank best for them? How do they organize information? Are they using category pages, guides, or comparison tools to capture different keyword clusters?
• Evaluate their on-page optimization
  How are titles structured? What’s their keyword density? How do they use internal linking to distribute ranking power?
• Study their technical SEO implementation
  How fast do their pages load? What’s their site architecture like? How mobile-friendly are their key landing pages?

This isn’t about plagiarism—it’s competitive intelligence.

Studying the evolution of competitor content is something I see savvy content marketers doing. Using the Wayback Machine to see how their top-ranking pages have changed over time reveals what optimizations actually moved the needle.

Take the example of a specialty food retailer who was getting crushed by a much larger competitor for crucial category keywords. Through reverse-engineering, they discovered their competitor was using an unusual internal linking strategy—creating topic clusters with highly specific ingredient pages all linking back to product category pages.

After implementing a similar but improved structure (adding expert recipe content their competitor lacked), they moved from page 3 to page 1 for their most valuable category term, driving approximately 180 additional daily visitors to their highest-margin product category.

The real insight here? The specialty retailer didn’t just copy the linking structure—they identified what was missing from it and added their own expertise.

The Psychology Behind Competitor Positioning

Something few strategists discuss: the psychological positioning in keyword selection.

Your competitors have made subtle choices in their keyword targeting that reveal how they want customers to perceive them. Are they emphasizing:

• Premium quality? (“luxury,” “professional-grade,” “premium”)
• Value? (“affordable,” “budget,” “inexpensive”)
• Convenience? (“quick,” “easy,” “instant”)
• Expertise? (“expert,” “specialized,” “professional”)

These positioning signals create powerful opportunities for differentiation.

Let’s say most competitors in your space position around value. If your products are higher quality, don’t fight on their turf—target keywords that signal quality-conscious buyers instead.

It surprises me… how few brands actually analyze competitor positioning when selecting keywords. It’s like trying to sell in a crowded market without knowing what the other vendors are pushing.

The Hidden Cost of Competitor-Focused Keyword Strategies

A word of caution.

Focusing too heavily on competitor keywords can lead you into a dangerous trap—fighting battles on terms where established competitors have insurmountable advantages.

The smarter approach? Use competitor analysis to understand the landscape, but don’t let it dictate your entire strategy. Combine it with:

• Your unique product advantages
• Your specific customer pain points
• Your particular content creation strengths

I know of cases where brands exhaust themselves trying to rank for high-competition terms, when they could have dominated several lower-competition niches and achieved better results.

The goal isn’t to beat competitors at their own game—it’s to find the game you’re most likely to win.

Putting It All Together: Your Competitive Keyword Action Plan

Ready to turn these insights into action? Here’s a practical framework:

Map the competitive landscape

• Identify direct and indirect search competitors
• Catalog their keyword territories and content types
• Note their apparent positioning strategy

Find your competitive edge

• Identify keyword gaps aligned with your strengths
• Analyze content types competitors execute poorly
• Look for emerging trends they haven’t yet addressed

Prioritize opportunities

• Balance difficulty against potential return
• Focus first on keywords with clear commercial intent
• Build a content roadmap addressing different search intents

Execute with distinction

• Don’t just match competitor content—exceed it
• Address user needs more comprehensively
• Leverage your unique expertise or perspective

Measure and iterate

• Track rankings relative to competitors
• Analyze which content types perform best
• Refine your approach based on results

The beauty of this approach? It’s both strategic and practical. You’re not just chasing keywords—you’re building a sustainable competitive advantage.

Beyond Keywords: The Future of Competitive Analysis

As we look ahead, competitive keyword analysis is evolving beyond traditional methods. Consider these emerging approaches:

• Intent analysis: Going beyond keywords to understand the problem users are trying to solve
• Content gap analysis: Identifying what information competitors aren’t providing
• User experience differentiation: Analyzing how to deliver information more effectively than competitors

The most successful ecommerce brands aren’t just asking “what keywords do competitors rank for?” but “what customer needs aren’t being fully addressed in search results?”

That’s where the real opportunity lies.

Every search term represents a person with a specific need, and effective keyword research means finding where your solutions uniquely meet those needs.

Your competitors have already done much of the hard work identifying valuable keywords. Your job isn’t to copy their homework—it’s to learn from it, then write a better answer.