| 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
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:
## 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:
## 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:
## 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:
## 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:
## 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:
## 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:
## 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:
## 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
## 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:
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
