competitor-analysis

name	competitor-analysis
description	Extracts marketing elements from competitor websites. Structured observation only. Does not write copy or make recommendations.

Competitor Analysis Skill

Purpose

Extracts observable marketing data from competitor websites. Observation only, no interpretation.

Position in Workflow

[competitor-analysis] → [keyword-research] → [lead-gen-copy]
         ↓
   Raw observations      →    Patterns    →    Copy decisions

This skill produces RAW DATA. Copy decisions happen in other skills.

Input

competitor_urls: ["url1", "url2", "url3"]  # min 3, max 5
analysis_focus: full | messaging | trust | pricing | cta
industry: removals | cleaning | trades | legal | healthcare

Output

competitors:
  - url: "..."
    messaging: { ... }
    trust: { ... }
    pricing: { ... }
    ctas: { ... }
observed_differences: [ ... ]  # What varies between competitors

Hard Rules

Rule	Requirement
Competitor count	Minimum 3, maximum 5
Data source	Visual observation only
No scraping	Manual review, no HTML parsing
No recommendations	Observations only, no "should"
Absence = explicit	Missing element → not_found: true

Analysis Categories

1. Messaging

Field	Extract
headline	Exact H1 text
headline_pattern	benefit / feature / question / statement
value_prop	Main promise (1 sentence)
tone	formal / professional / casual / friendly
unique_claims	List of specific claims

2. Trust Elements

Field	Extract
review_platform	Google / Trustpilot / none
rating	Number or not_found
review_count	Number or not_found
credentials	List: type + name
guarantees	List: type + specifics
team_visible	true / false

3. Pricing

Field	Extract
transparency	hidden / teaser / full
lowest_shown	Price or not_found
pricing_model	fixed / hourly / quote-only
discounts	List or not_found

4. CTAs

Field	Extract
primary_text	Exact button text
primary_placement	hero / header / footer
form_fields_count	Number
phone_prominent	true / false
mobile_sticky	true / false

Handling Missing Data

Never leave fields empty. Never guess.

# If element exists
rating: 4.8

# If element not found
rating: 
  not_found: true
  
# If unclear/ambiguous
pricing_model:
  unclear: true
  observed: "Shows 'from £X' but also 'call for quote'"

Observed Differences Rules

Differences are observations, not opportunities or recommendations.

# CORRECT - observation only
observed_differences:
  - category: pricing
    observation: "Competitors A, B show no prices. Competitor C shows 'from £299'."
    
# WRONG - contains recommendation
observed_differences:
  - category: pricing
    opportunity: "Show transparent pricing to differentiate"  # ❌ NO

"Opportunity" word is FORBIDDEN in output.

Output Stability

Same input → same output structure. Always.

Scenario	Rule
Field has data	Include with value
Field not found	Include with not_found: true
Field unclear	Include with unclear: true + observed
Never	Omit fields

Forbidden

• ❌ HTML scraping or parsing
• ❌ Accessing competitor analytics
• ❌ Recommendations or "should" statements
• ❌ Ranking competitors (better/worse)
• ❌ Omitting fields when data missing
• ❌ Using word "opportunity"
• ❌ Making strategic suggestions

Non-goals

• Does NOT write copy
• Does NOT rank competitors
• Does NOT make recommendations
• Does NOT interpret data
• Does NOT suggest positioning

References

• schema-messaging.md — Full messaging schema
• schema-trust.md — Full trust schema
• schema-pricing-cta.md — Full pricing & CTA schema

Definition of Done

• 3-5 competitors analyzed
• All categories filled (or marked not_found)
• No recommendations in output
• No "opportunity" word used
• Differences are observations only