--- name: analyzing-competitor-content description: Analyzes competitor content strategy and identifies differentiation opportunities. Use when the user asks about competitor analysis, content gaps, competitive research, or finding unique angles. --- # Competitor Content Analyzer ## When to use this skill - User asks to analyze competitor content - User wants to find content gaps - User needs differentiation strategies - User mentions competitive research - User wants to identify content opportunities ## Workflow - [ ] Identify competitors to analyze - [ ] Audit their content assets - [ ] Analyze content patterns - [ ] Identify gaps and opportunities - [ ] Suggest differentiation angles - [ ] Create action plan ## Instructions ### Step 1: Identify Competitors **Competitor types:** | Type | Description | Where to Find | | ------------ | -------------------------------- | --------------------------- | | Direct | Same product/service | Industry knowledge, search | | Indirect | Different solution, same problem | Search for problem keywords | | Aspirational | Where you want to be | Industry leaders | | Content | Rank for your keywords | SERP analysis | **Competitor identification template:** ```markdown ## Competitor List ### Direct Competitors | Competitor | URL | Why They Compete | | ---------- | ----- | ----------------------- | | [Name] | [URL] | [Same audience/product] | ### Content Competitors | Competitor | URL | Keywords They Own | | ---------- | ----- | ----------------- | | [Name] | [URL] | [Top keywords] | ### Aspirational Competitors | Competitor | URL | What to Learn | | ---------- | ----- | ---------------------------- | | [Name] | [URL] | [Content strategy strengths] | ``` ### Step 2: Content Audit Framework **Audit categories:** | Category | What to Analyze | | --------- | ------------------------------------------ | | Blog | Post frequency, topics, length, format | | Social | Platforms, posting cadence, engagement | | Video | YouTube presence, video types, frequency | | Email | Newsletter frequency, topics, lead magnets | | Podcast | Show format, episode frequency, guests | | Resources | Ebooks, tools, templates, courses | **Blog audit template:** ```markdown ## Blog Audit: [Competitor Name] **URL:** [Blog URL] **Analyzed:** [Date] ### Publishing Cadence - Posts per month: [X] - Publishing days: [Days] ### Content Categories | Category | Post Count | % of Total | | --------- | ---------- | ---------- | | [Topic 1] | [X] | [X%] | | [Topic 2] | [X] | [X%] | | [Topic 3] | [X] | [X%] | ### Content Formats - [ ] How-to guides - [ ] Listicles - [ ] Case studies - [ ] Comparisons - [ ] Thought leadership - [ ] News/updates - [ ] Interviews - [ ] Data/research ### Average Post Length - Short (<1,000 words): [X%] - Medium (1,000-2,000 words): [X%] - Long (2,000+ words): [X%] ### Top Performing Posts (by shares/links/comments) 1. [Title] - [URL] - [Performance metric] 2. [Title] - [URL] - [Performance metric] 3. [Title] - [URL] - [Performance metric] ``` **Social media audit template:** ```markdown ## Social Audit: [Competitor Name] ### Platform Presence | Platform | Handle | Followers | Posts/Week | | --------- | ------ | --------- | ---------- | | LinkedIn | | | | | Twitter/X | | | | | Instagram | | | | | TikTok | | | | | YouTube | | | | | Facebook | | | | ### Content Themes - [Theme 1]: [Description and frequency] - [Theme 2]: [Description and frequency] - [Theme 3]: [Description and frequency] ### Top Performing Posts 1. [Platform]: [Description] - [Engagement] 2. [Platform]: [Description] - [Engagement] 3. [Platform]: [Description] - [Engagement] ### Engagement Patterns - Best performing content type: [Type] - Best performing day/time: [Pattern] - Average engagement rate: [X%] ``` ### Step 3: Content Pattern Analysis **Identify these patterns:** ```markdown ## Content Pattern Analysis ### Topics They Cover | Topic | Depth | Your Coverage | | ------- | ------------ | -------------- | | [Topic] | Deep/Surface | Yes/No/Partial | ### Formats They Use | Format | Frequency | Your Usage | | -------- | ------------ | ---------- | | [Format] | High/Med/Low | Yes/No | ### Angles They Take - [Angle 1: e.g., beginner-focused] - [Angle 2: e.g., data-heavy] - [Angle 3: e.g., case study driven] ### Voice & Tone - Formal vs. Casual: [Rating] - Educational vs. Entertaining: [Rating] - Brand-focused vs. Customer-focused: [Rating] ### CTAs Used - Primary CTA: [What they push] - Secondary CTAs: [Other actions] - Lead magnets: [What they offer] ``` ### Step 4: Gap Analysis **Content gap types:** | Gap Type | Description | Opportunity | | ------------- | ----------------------------- | ----------------------------- | | Topic gap | They don't cover this topic | First-mover advantage | | Depth gap | They cover surface-level only | Go deeper, more comprehensive | | Format gap | No videos/podcasts/etc. | New format differentiation | | Angle gap | Missing perspective | Unique point of view | | Audience gap | Underserved segment | Niche targeting | | Freshness gap | Outdated content | Updated, current version | **Gap analysis template:** ```markdown ## Content Gap Analysis ### Topics They Miss | Topic | Search Volume | Difficulty | Priority | | ------- | ------------- | ---------- | ------------ | | [Topic] | [Volume] | [KD] | High/Med/Low | ### Depth Opportunities | Their Topic | Their Depth | Your Angle | | ----------- | ------------------- | --------------------------------- | | [Topic] | Surface (500 words) | Comprehensive guide (3,000 words) | ### Format Opportunities | Topic | Their Format | Your Format | | ------- | ------------ | -------------------------- | | [Topic] | Blog only | Blog + Video + Infographic | ### Outdated Content Opportunities | Their Post | Last Updated | Your Opportunity | | ---------- | ------------ | ---------------------- | | [Title] | [Date] | Updated [year] version | ### Audience Segments They Ignore | Segment | Their Focus | Your Opportunity | | --------- | ------------- | ----------------------- | | [Segment] | Not addressed | Targeted content series | ``` ### Step 5: Differentiation Strategies **Differentiation angles:** | Strategy | Description | Example | | ---------------- | --------------------------- | ------------------------------------------- | | Deeper | More comprehensive coverage | "The Ultimate Guide" vs. their "Quick Tips" | | Fresher | More current, updated data | "2026 Edition" vs. their 2023 post | | Different format | Video where they do text | YouTube tutorial vs. blog post | | Contrarian | Opposite viewpoint | "Why [common advice] is wrong" | | Niche focus | Specific audience segment | "For startups" vs. their generic guide | | Data-driven | Original research | Your survey vs. their opinions | | Story-driven | Case studies, examples | Real results vs. theoretical | | Tool/Template | Actionable resources | Template vs. just advice | **Differentiation template:** ```markdown ## Differentiation Plan ### For Topic: [Topic] **Competitor approach:** [What they do] **Our differentiation:** | Angle | How We're Different | | ----------- | ------------------- | | Depth | [Our approach] | | Format | [Our approach] | | Perspective | [Our approach] | | Resources | [Our approach] | **Unique value proposition:** [One sentence: why someone should read ours instead] ``` ### Step 6: Competitive SERP Analysis **For target keywords:** ```markdown ## SERP Analysis: [Keyword] **Search volume:** [Volume] **Keyword difficulty:** [KD] ### Top 10 Results | Pos | Domain | Title | Word Count | Format | | --- | ------ | ----- | ---------- | ------ | | 1 | | | | | | 2 | | | | | | 3 | | | | | | ... | | | | | ### Common Elements in Top Results - [ ] Listicle format - [ ] How-to structure - [ ] Images/videos - [ ] Data/statistics - [ ] Expert quotes - [ ] FAQ section - [ ] Table of contents - [ ] Downloadable resource ### What's Missing from Top Results - [Gap 1] - [Gap 2] - [Gap 3] ### Our Winning Angle [How we'll beat the current top results] ``` ### Step 7: Action Plan **Prioritized content opportunities:** ```markdown ## Content Action Plan ### Quick Wins (Low effort, clear gap) | Content Idea | Competitor Gap | Target Keyword | Priority | | ------------ | -------------- | -------------- | -------- | | [Idea] | [Gap] | [Keyword] | High | ### Strategic Plays (Higher effort, big impact) | Content Idea | Competitor Gap | Target Keyword | Priority | | ------------ | -------------- | -------------- | -------- | | [Idea] | [Gap] | [Keyword] | High | ### Long-Term Bets (Authority builders) | Content Idea | Competitor Gap | Target Keyword | Priority | | ------------ | -------------- | -------------- | -------- | | [Idea] | [Gap] | [Keyword] | Medium | ### Recommended First 3 Pieces 1. **[Title]** - Gap exploited: [Gap] - Differentiation: [Angle] - Target keyword: [Keyword] - Format: [Format] 2. **[Title]** - Gap exploited: [Gap] - Differentiation: [Angle] - Target keyword: [Keyword] - Format: [Format] 3. **[Title]** - Gap exploited: [Gap] - Differentiation: [Angle] - Target keyword: [Keyword] - Format: [Format] ``` ## Output Format ```markdown ## Competitor Content Analysis: [Your Company/Product] **Competitors analyzed:** [List] **Date:** [Date] --- ### Competitor Overview | Competitor | Strengths | Weaknesses | | ---------- | --------- | ---------- | | [Name] | | | --- ### Content Gaps Identified | Gap | Type | Opportunity | | --- | ---- | ----------- | | | | | --- ### Differentiation Opportunities | Topic | Their Approach | Your Angle | | ----- | -------------- | ---------- | | | | | --- ### Recommended Content **Priority 1:** [Content idea with differentiation angle] **Priority 2:** [Content idea with differentiation angle] **Priority 3:** [Content idea with differentiation angle] --- ### Next Steps 1. [Action 1] 2. [Action 2] 3. [Action 3] ``` ## Validation Before completing: - [ ] At least 3 competitors analyzed - [ ] Content audit completed for each - [ ] Gaps identified with specifics - [ ] Differentiation angles documented - [ ] SERP analysis for key terms - [ ] Prioritized action plan created - [ ] First 3 content pieces recommended - [ ] Unique angles clearly defined ## Error Handling - **No clear competitors**: Search for top-ranking sites for target keywords. - **Competitor has no blog**: Analyze their social, video, or resource content instead. - **Too many competitors**: Focus on top 3-5 most relevant. - **No obvious gaps**: Look for depth, freshness, or format opportunities. - **Limited public data**: Use available sources; note limitations. ## Resources - [Ahrefs Content Explorer](https://ahrefs.com/) - Find top content - [BuzzSumo](https://buzzsumo.com/) - Content performance analysis - [SimilarWeb](https://www.similarweb.com/) - Traffic analysis - [SparkToro](https://sparktoro.com/) - Audience research - [Wayback Machine](https://web.archive.org/) - Historical content