| name | juma-competitor-intel |
| description | Use when a client needs a deep competitive analysis, when onboarding a new account, preparing a pitch, or when strategic positioning decisions require understanding of competitor marketing activity across all channels. |
Competitive Intelligence Report
Overview
The Competitive Intelligence Report delivers a structured, multi-dimensional analysis of 3-5 competitors across brand positioning, channel presence, content strategy, SEO profile, advertising activity, and social media performance. This is not a surface-level scan -- it produces a competitive matrix, positioning map, content gap analysis, and actionable messaging opportunities that directly inform campaign strategy, content planning, and budget allocation decisions.
Agencies use this skill during onboarding to establish a competitive baseline, before major strategy pivots to validate assumptions, and quarterly to track shifts in the competitive landscape. The output is client-deliverable and designed to justify strategic recommendations with evidence.
When to Use
- New client onboarding to map the competitive landscape in depth
- Preparing a pitch or proposal that requires competitive differentiation
- Before building a content strategy or content calendar
- Quarterly competitive reviews to detect shifts in competitor activity
- When a client asks "what are our competitors doing that we're not?"
- After a competitor launches a new campaign, product, or rebrand
- When SEO rankings are slipping and you need to understand who is gaining ground
- Before entering a new market or launching a new product line
Prerequisites
- juma-client-context (required) -- brand identity, target audiences, current positioning, and the client's own view of their competitive landscape
- Agreement on which 3-5 competitors to analyze (mix of direct and aspirational)
- Access to SEO tools (Ahrefs, SEMrush, Moz, or equivalent) for keyword and backlink data
- Access to social listening or analytics tools (Brandwatch, Sprout Social, or manual review)
- Access to ad transparency tools (Meta Ad Library, Google Ads Transparency Center, LinkedIn Ad Library)
- Client input on where they believe they win and lose against each competitor
Process
Step 1: Identify and Confirm Competitors
Select 3-5 competitors for analysis. Include a mix of:
- Direct competitors: Companies selling the same product/service to the same audience
- Indirect competitors: Companies solving the same problem differently
- Aspirational competitors: Brands the client admires or aspires to match in marketing sophistication
Confirm the list with the client before proceeding. Note any competitors the client may have overlooked based on SEO overlap, paid media competition, or audience research.
Step 2: Analyze Brand Positioning and Messaging
For each competitor:
- Review homepage, about page, and key landing pages for positioning language
- Identify their stated value proposition and how they articulate it
- Document their brand voice and tone (formal/casual, technical/accessible, aspirational/practical)
- Note their visual brand identity (premium, playful, minimalist, corporate)
- Capture their key messaging pillars -- the 3-5 themes they consistently communicate
- Identify their target audience based on messaging cues, case studies, and testimonial profiles
- Document any recent positioning shifts (rebrand, new tagline, pivot in messaging)
Step 3: Map Channel Presence and Activity
For each competitor, audit their presence across:
| Channel | What to Assess |
|---|
| Website/Blog | Content volume, publishing frequency, quality, topics, CTAs |
| Organic Search | Domain authority, organic traffic estimate, top-ranking keywords, content depth |
| Paid Search | Active Google Ads, keyword targeting, ad copy themes, landing page strategy |
| Paid Social | Active campaigns (Meta, LinkedIn, TikTok), ad creative types, estimated spend |
| Organic Social | Platforms active on, posting frequency, engagement rates, content themes |
| Email Marketing | Newsletter presence, opt-in offers, email frequency (sign up to check) |
| YouTube/Video | Channel presence, video types, production quality, view counts |
| Podcast/Audio | Own podcast, guest appearances, sponsorships |
| PR/Earned Media | Press coverage, industry publications, speaking engagements |
| Partnerships | Co-marketing, integrations, affiliate programs |
Rate each channel as: Heavy Investment, Active, Minimal, or Not Present.
Step 4: Deep-Dive SEO Profile
For each competitor:
- Domain metrics: Domain authority/rating, total referring domains, total indexed pages
- Keyword portfolio: Total ranking keywords, top 20 keywords by traffic value, keyword distribution by intent (informational, navigational, commercial, transactional)
- Content strategy signals: Blog post volume and frequency, average content length, use of content clusters/pillar pages
- Top-performing content: Their 10 highest-traffic pages (excluding homepage), topics, and estimated monthly traffic
- Backlink profile: Top referring domains, link acquisition rate, types of links earned (editorial, directory, guest post)
- Technical SEO signals: Site speed (PageSpeed Insights score), mobile experience, structured data usage
- Content gaps vs. client: Keywords where competitors rank but the client does not
Step 5: Assess Advertising Strategy
For each competitor:
- Platforms: Which ad platforms are they actively using?
- Ad creative: Document ad types (image, video, carousel, lead gen), messaging themes, CTAs
- Landing pages: Where do ads send traffic? Dedicated landing pages or website pages?
- Estimated spend: Use competitive intelligence tools or ad library frequency as a proxy
- Targeting signals: What audience segments are they likely targeting based on ad content and placement?
- Promotional strategy: Discounts, free trials, demos, content offers -- what are they leading with?
- Seasonality: Do their ad campaigns spike at certain times? (Check ad library for historical patterns)
Step 6: Evaluate Social Media Presence
For each competitor on each active platform:
- Follower count and growth trend (use Social Blade or equivalent for historical data)
- Posting frequency (posts per week/month)
- Content mix (% educational, promotional, entertainment, user-generated, behind-the-scenes)
- Engagement rate (likes + comments + shares / followers)
- Top-performing posts (by engagement) -- what topics and formats resonate?
- Community management (do they respond to comments? How quickly? What tone?)
- Influencer/creator partnerships (any visible collaborations?)
Step 7: Build Comparison Matrices and Identify Opportunities
- Compile the competitive matrix table comparing all competitors across all dimensions
- Create the positioning map plotting competitors on two key axes relevant to the industry (e.g., price vs. sophistication, technical vs. accessible)
- Identify content gaps -- topics and keywords competitors cover that the client does not
- Identify messaging opportunities -- positioning angles no competitor owns that the client can claim
- Document tactical opportunities -- specific channels, formats, or tactics competitors are underusing
- Formulate actionable recommendations tied to the client's goals and resources
Output Format
# Competitive Intelligence Report: [Client Name]
**Prepared by:** [Agency Name]
**Date:** [Date]
**Competitors Analyzed:** [Competitor 1], [Competitor 2], [Competitor 3], [Competitor 4], [Competitor 5]
---
## Executive Summary
[2-3 paragraphs summarizing the competitive landscape, key findings, and the top 3-5 strategic implications for the client. Lead with the most actionable insight.]
---
## Competitor Profiles
Repeat the full competitor profile for each of the 3-5 competitors analyzed. See [competitor-profile-template.md](competitor-profile-template.md) for the complete per-competitor template covering brand positioning, channel presence, SEO profile, advertising activity, social media snapshot, and strengths/weaknesses.
---
## Competitive Matrix
See [competitive-matrix-template.md](competitive-matrix-template.md) for the full side-by-side comparison matrix structure and activity level definitions.
---
## Positioning Map
See [positioning-map-template.md](positioning-map-template.md) for the positioning map template, axis selection guide, and plotting guidelines.
---
## Content Gap Analysis
### Keywords Competitors Own That [Client] Does Not
| Keyword | Search Volume | Difficulty | Competitor Ranking | Client Status |
|---------|--------------|------------|-------------------|---------------|
| [Keyword 1] | [Volume] | [Score] | [Comp X: Position Y] | Not ranking |
| [Keyword 2] | [Volume] | [Score] | [Comp X: Position Y] | Not ranking |
| [Keyword 3] | [Volume] | [Score] | [Comp X: Position Y] | Not ranking |
| [Keyword 4] | [Volume] | [Score] | [Comp X: Position Y] | Not ranking |
| [Keyword 5] | [Volume] | [Score] | [Comp X: Position Y] | Not ranking |
### Content Topics Competitors Cover That [Client] Does Not
| Topic/Theme | Competitors Covering It | Content Formats Used | Opportunity Level |
|-------------|------------------------|---------------------|-------------------|
| [Topic 1] | [Comp A, Comp B] | [Blog, video, guide] | [High/Medium/Low] |
| [Topic 2] | [Comp A, Comp C] | [Blog, infographic] | [High/Medium/Low] |
| [Topic 3] | [Comp B, Comp D] | [Whitepaper, webinar] | [High/Medium/Low] |
### Content Formats Competitors Use That [Client] Does Not
| Format | Competitors Using It | Performance Signals | Recommendation |
|--------|---------------------|-------------------|----------------|
| [Format 1, e.g., Video tutorials] | [Comp A, Comp B] | [View counts, engagement] | [Adopt/Test/Monitor] |
| [Format 2, e.g., Interactive tools] | [Comp C] | [Backlinks, traffic] | [Adopt/Test/Monitor] |
---
## Messaging Opportunities
### Unclaimed Positioning Angles
| Opportunity | Why It Is Open | How [Client] Can Own It | Priority |
|-------------|---------------|------------------------|----------|
| [Angle 1] | [No competitor emphasizes this] | [Specific messaging approach] | [High/Medium/Low] |
| [Angle 2] | [Competitors are weak here] | [Specific messaging approach] | [High/Medium/Low] |
| [Angle 3] | [Market shift creating an opening] | [Specific messaging approach] | [High/Medium/Low] |
### Messaging Themes to Counter
| Competitor Message | Our Counter-Position | Supporting Proof Points |
|-------------------|---------------------|------------------------|
| [Comp X claims: "..."] | [How client can respond] | [Data, features, or case studies] |
| [Comp Y claims: "..."] | [How client can respond] | [Data, features, or case studies] |
---
## Actionable Recommendations
### Immediate (Next 30 Days)
1. **[Recommendation]** -- [Rationale tied to a specific competitive finding]
2. **[Recommendation]** -- [Rationale]
3. **[Recommendation]** -- [Rationale]
### Short-Term (30-90 Days)
1. **[Recommendation]** -- [Rationale]
2. **[Recommendation]** -- [Rationale]
3. **[Recommendation]** -- [Rationale]
### Strategic (90+ Days)
1. **[Recommendation]** -- [Rationale]
2. **[Recommendation]** -- [Rationale]
---
## Appendix: Data Sources & Methodology
- **SEO Data:** [Tool used, date pulled]
- **Social Data:** [Tool used, date pulled]
- **Ad Intelligence:** [Tool used, date pulled]
- **Manual Review:** [Sites visited, date reviewed]
- **Limitations:** [Any data gaps, tools not available, competitors with limited public data]
Common Mistakes
- Analyzing too many competitors -- Stick to 3-5. More than that dilutes the analysis and makes the competitive matrix unwieldy. Choose competitors that actually matter to the client's strategic decisions.
- Describing without analyzing -- Listing what competitors do is not the same as interpreting what it means. Every observation must connect to an implication for the client. "Competitor X posts 5 times per week on LinkedIn" is a fact. "Competitor X's LinkedIn investment is driving 3x the engagement of any other player, suggesting their audience is highly active there and the client should increase LinkedIn content" is analysis.
- Treating all competitors equally -- Not every competitor is equally relevant. Weight the analysis toward competitors the client most directly competes with for customers and attention.
- Relying only on public data -- Combine tool data with manual observation. Sign up for competitor emails, follow their social accounts, click their ads, and walk through their funnels. Automated tools miss nuance.
- Outdated data -- Competitive landscapes shift fast. Always note the date data was pulled and recommend refresh cadence. A competitor analysis older than 90 days should be flagged for review.
- Missing the "so what" -- Every section must end with implications for the client. The report exists to drive decisions, not to catalog competitor activity.
- Ignoring indirect competitors -- Companies solving the same problem differently can be a bigger strategic threat than direct competitors. Include at least one indirect or aspirational competitor.
- Skipping the content gap analysis -- This is often the most actionable section for content teams and SEO strategists. It directly fuels the content calendar and SEO roadmap.
Related Skills
- juma-client-context -- provides the client's own positioning, audience, and competitive perspective as the baseline for comparison
- juma-channel-audit -- uses competitive channel data to benchmark the client's channel performance
- juma-seo-audit -- feeds competitor keyword and backlink data into the client's SEO audit
- juma-geo-audit -- competitor GEO visibility comparison extends the competitive analysis into AI search
- juma-content-calendar -- content gap findings directly inform content topic selection and prioritization
- juma-campaign-plan -- competitive messaging and channel insights shape campaign strategy
- juma-proposal -- competitive differentiation strengthens the situation analysis in proposals
- juma-upsell-finder -- competitive gaps can surface new service opportunities for the agency to pitch
