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8.15Intermediate9 min

SEO Competitive Analysis: Understanding the Competition

Lucas Blochberger··Updated 12 June 2026
Definition

SEO competitive analysis systematically evaluates competitor visibility, keyword strategies, content gaps, backlink profiles and AI presence to identify opportunities and inform strategic SEO decisions.

Key Takeaways

  • ✓Distinguish search engine competitors (ranking for your keywords) from business competitors and analyze 3 to 5 relevant domains per topic area.
  • ✓Keyword gap and content gap analysis reveal missing terms, weak rankings, and missing content formats compared to competitors.
  • ✓Backlink gap analysis (link intersect) identifies domains that link to competitors but not to you, delivering the most valuable link targeting opportunities.
  • ✓Sistrix Visibility Index measures visibility, not traffic, and is the standard for market comparisons in the DACH region; Share of Voice complements this for your own keyword set.
  • ✓AI Overviews significantly reduce CTR even for top positions, which is why SERP features and competitors' AI visibility must be included in every modern analysis.
  • ✓Combine external estimated data with your own real data from Google Search Console and GA4 to connect visibility with business impact.
  • ✓In the Austrian B2B market, local SERPs (google.at), industry competitors, and business relevance matter more than pure keyword volumes.

Competitive analysis shows where you stand and where the greatest opportunities lie.

Analysis Framework

Keyword Analysis: Which keywords do competitors rank for that you don't cover (Content Gap)? Content Analysis: Which content types and formats do they use? How in-depth do they treat topics? Backlink Analysis: Where do their links come from? Which ones can be replicated? Technical Analysis: How fast are their pages? Which schema types do they use? AI Visibility Analysis: Are competitors mentioned in AI answers?

Tools

Ahrefs: Content Gap, Backlink Profile, Organic Keywords. Semrush: Competitive Analysis, Keyword Gap, Traffic Analytics. Sistrix: Visibility Comparison. Profound/Ahrefs Brand Radar: AI Visibility Comparison.

From Analysis to Strategy

Every insight is translated into an action: Content Gaps = plan new articles. Link sources of competitors = start own outreach. Stronger competitor content = Skyscraper Strategy (make it even better). Weak AI visibility of competitors = leverage GEO-First-Mover Advantage.

Data & Statistics

96,55 % aller Seiten erhalten keinen Traffic von Google, 1,94 % erhalten ein bis zehn Besuche pro Monat (Analyse von rund 14 Milliarden Seiten)

Ahrefs Blog (2023)

8,69 Mio. Internetnutzer in Oesterreich, 95,3 % Online-Penetration zu Jahresbeginn 2025

DataReportal - Digital 2025: Austria (2025)

Suchmaschinen-Marktanteil Oesterreich: Google 81,87 %, Bing 9,01 %, DuckDuckGo 2,75 % (Mai 2026)

StatCounter Global Stats - Search Engine Market Share Austria (2026)

Sistrix Sichtbarkeitsindex: Datensatz von 1 Mio. Keywords (Desktop und Mobile), Summe aller organischen Top-100-Rankings, gewichtet nach Suchvolumen und Position pro Keyword

SISTRIX - Visibility Index (Handbook) (2024)

Position 1 hat im Schnitt 3,8-mal mehr Backlinks als die Positionen 2 bis 10 (Analyse von 11,8 Mio. Suchergebnissen)

Backlinko - We Analyzed 11.8 Million Google Search Results (2020)

Nach AI-Overview-Rollout fiel die CTR des Top-Ergebnisses von 28 % auf 19 % (-32 %), Position 2 von 20,83 % auf 12,60 % (-39 %); 200.000+ Keywords, 30 Websites

Search Engine Journal (GrowthSRC Media study) (2025)

FAQ

What is an SEO competitive analysis?
SEO competitive analysis is the systematic examination of competing websites' SEO strategies, rankings, backlinks, and content approaches. The goal is to identify your own opportunities and gaps in search engine competition based on data and to prioritize your own strategy.
How many competitors should you analyze?
In practice, 3 to 5 competitors per topic area work well. It's important to distinguish between business competitors and actual search engine competitors: the domains that rank for your target keywords. These are not always identical.
Which tool is best for SEO competitive analysis?
No single tool covers everything. Ahrefs excels at backlink gaps, Semrush at keyword gaps, Sistrix is the DACH standard for the Visibility Index, and Screaming Frog is indispensable for technical on-page comparisons. Most B2B teams combine multiple tools depending on the task.
What is the difference between Share of Voice and Visibility Index?
The Sistrix Visibility Index measures a domain's overall visibility in Google results across a fixed keyword set of one million terms. Share of Voice can be calculated for a self-defined, business-relevant keyword set and shows how much of the SERP space that matters to you is occupied by your site.
How do AI Overviews affect competitive analysis?
AI Overviews and SERP features push traditional links down and significantly reduce click-through rates even for top positions. An international study showed a CTR decline for the top result from 28% to 19%. Competitive analysis must therefore include SERP features and competitors' AI visibility (AI Answer Inclusion Rate).
What should you pay attention to in competitive analysis for the Austrian B2B market?
Keyword volumes are often small and tool estimates inaccurate, so GSC real data and business relevance matter more than pure volume numbers. Check rankings specifically for google.at and note that in niche markets, industry portals and associations are often the relevant search engine competitors.
How often should an SEO competitive analysis be conducted?
A quarterly rhythm for visibility and gap comparison is recommended, combined with continuous ranking tracking. This allows you to detect shifts in competition early and respond before market shares shift permanently.

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