This article is the fourth in our series “HTML Search Engine Optimization“. Over the next few weeks we’ll be explaining more about how to better optimize your web sites HTML code and how it can help your ranking in major search engines. In this series we will cover such topics as content, code, links, competitor research, web site submission, and pay per click.
Competitor Research
Whether you are implementing a new web strategy or revamping an old strategy, it is essential that you understand what your company is doing and how it compares to your competitors. No one should go into battle blindfolded.
While you may have your company’s future already planned for the next few quarters, completing some competitor research will help you move forward and adjust your web strategy as needed. Are you ready for some legwork?
Mile High Overview
With the ever changing landscape of business on the web, some proper competitor research will help you answer very important strategic planning questions. You must first evaluate yourself, before you can properly evaluate the competition. Whether new to the web or not, you will want to consider:
- What advantage do your competitors have over you on the internet? Do these advantages exist in the offline market? If not, what changes can you make online to remove these advantages?
- What is my current/expected Return on Investment (ROI)?
- Who are my perspective readers and customers? What do they like?
- How do I stack up to the competition in search engines?
Don’t worry if you don’t have all of the answers just yet. Before you begin to identify your competition, you should first determine if you will be attacking industry giants or a more specific sector of your industry for web superiority. If you are just starting out, it may be a waste of efforts to attack a global company with a multi-million dollar budget. You know what I mean, those large companies that have been around for years, have thousands of visitors and have huge websites with a lot of content. I am not saying you should bow-down before big business, but rather picks your fights.
Business on the internet works at much faster speeds so it is best to find several paths to success and travel them with your goals in mind. Lets not forget, you aren’t traveling alone. Identify your web competition and keep a close eye on them. Not sure who your competition is just yet? Some research will help solve that problem.
