competitor-tracking

# Competitor Tracking You set up and run ongoing competitor surveillance — catching metadata changes, keyword shifts, rating drops, and new feature launches before they impact your rankings. ## One-Time Analysis vs Ongoing Tracking | | `competitor-analysis` skill | This skill (`competitor-tracking`) | |---|---|---| | **Frequency** | One-time deep dive | Weekly/monthly recurring | | **Output** | Strategy document | Change log + alerts | | **Focus** | Gap analysis, positioning | What changed and why it matters | | **Data** | Snapshot | Delta (before vs after) | ## Setup: Define Your Watchlist 1. Check for `app-marketing-context.md` 2. Ask: **Who are your top 3–5 competitors?** (get App IDs if possible) 3. Ask: **How often do you want to review?** (weekly recommended) 4. Ask: **What are you most concerned about?** (keywords, ratings, creative, pricing) Use Appeeky to identify competitors if unknown: ```bash GET /v1/keywords/ranks?keyword=meditation&country=us&limit=10 GET /v1/apps/:id/intelligence # check competitors array ``` ## What to Track ### Metadata Changes Check weekly using Appeeky: ```bash GET /v1/apps/:id # title, subtitle, description ``` Watch for: - **Title changes** — new keyword being targeted, repositioning - **Subtitle changes** — testing new hooks or keywords - **Description changes** — messaging strategy shift (Google Play especially) - **Screenshot updates** — new creative direction or A/B test winner shipped ### Keyword Ranking Changes ```bash GET /v1/apps/:id/keywords # their ranking keywords GET /v1/keywords/ranks?keyword=[shared keyword] # who's ranking where ``` Watch for: - Keywords they're newly ranking for (they optimized for this — should you?) - Keywords they dropped (opportunity to capture) - A competitor jumping above you for a shared keyword ### Ratings and Reviews ```bash GET /v1/apps/:id/reviews?sort=recent&limit=20 GET /v1/apps/:id # current rating ``` Watch for: - Rating drop (they shipped a bad update — opportunity to highlight your stability) - Surge of 1-stars around a specific complaint (user pain point you could solve) - New positive reviews praising a feature you don't have ### Chart Positions ```bash GET /v1/market/movers?genre=[genre_id]&country=us GET /v1/categories/:id/top?country=us&limit=25 ``` Watch for: - A competitor entering or exiting top 10 in your category - New competitor entering your space from a chart rise ### Pricing and Paywall Manually check every 4–6 weeks: - Trial length changes - Price changes (lower = aggressive growth; higher = LTV optimization) - New paywall format or plans ## Weekly Competitive Report Template Run this analysis every Monday: ``` Competitive Update — Week of [Date] Apps tracked: [list names] CHANGES DETECTED: ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ [Competitor Name] Metadata: [changed / no change] → [specific change if any] Top keywords: [gained X / lost Y / stable] Rating: [X.X → X.X] ([+/-N] ratings this week) Chart position: [#N → #N in category] New reviews theme: [if notable] [Repeat per competitor] OPPORTUNITIES IDENTIFIED: 1. [Competitor X dropped keyword Y — consider targeting it] 2. [Competitor X has surge of complaints about Z — your strength] 3. [Competitor X raised price — positioning opportunity] THREATS: 1. [Competitor X now ranks #3 for [keyword] — we're at #8] 2. [New entrant spotted: [name] — check their metadata] ACTION ITEMS: 1. [Specific response to a change] 2. [Keyword to target based on competitor gap] ``` ## Monthly Deep-Dive Triggers Run a full `competitor-analysis` when: - A competitor jumps 10+ positions in the category chart - A competitor changes their title (signals major repositioning) - A new competitor enters the top 10 in your category - Your ranking drops on a keyword a competitor recently targeted ## Automation Options ### Manual (recommended for small teams) Set a calendar reminder. Run the Appeeky API calls above. Fill the template. ### Semi-automated Build a script that calls Appeeky weekly and diffs results: ```bash #!/bin/bash APPS=("6759740679" "987654321" "111222333") KEY="apk_your_key" for APP_ID in "${APPS[@]}"; do echo "=== $APP_ID ===" curl -s "https://api.appeeky.com/v1/apps/$APP_ID" \ -H "X-API-Key: $KEY" | jq '.data | {title, subtitle, rating, reviewCount}' done ``` Store results weekly and diff with the previous week's output. ### Appeeky MCP (in Claude/Cursor) Ask your agent each Monday: ``` "Run a competitor check on apps [ID1], [ID2], [ID3] and compare their metadata and top keywords to last week." ``` The agent will use `get_app`, `get_app_keywords`, `get_app_reviews` to produce the report. ## Competitive Response Playbook | What changed | Response | |-------------|---------| | Competitor targets your #1 keyword in title | Defend: check your metadata is fully optimized; consider increasing ASA bids | | Competitor drops a keyword you share | Opportunity: double down, increase bid in ASA | | Competitor upgrades screenshots | Audit yours — are they still best in category? | | Competitor rating drops below 4.0 | Mention your rating in promotional text while gap is visible | | Competitor launches a feature you don't have | Note for roadmap; meanwhile highlight your differentiating strengths | | New competitor enters top 10 | Run full `competitor-analysis` on them | ## Related Skills - `competitor-analysis` — Deep one-time competitive strategy - `keyword-research` — Act on the keyword gaps you find - `market-movers` — Catch chart-level competitor movements automatically - `apple-search-ads` — Respond to competitor keyword moves with ASA bids - `aso-audit` — Run on yourself after finding competitive gaps