Outsmarting the Locals: How We Use Competitor Analysis to Win Local SEO Battles
When you’re running a business in Sydney, you’re not the only one trying to get noticed online. Every corner of your suburb probably has someone offering the same or similar service. That’s the game. And if you’re not paying attention to what your competitors are doing online, you’re handing them the advantage.
At Techosoft, we’re not just another SEO agency in Sydney—we treat every local campaign like it’s a game of chess. You don’t win by moving randomly. You win by watching your opponent and making smarter moves.
Let’s talk about how we do that.
Start With the Right Competitors
First off, we don’t assume the business across the street is the one to beat. Offline competitors and online ones aren’t always the same. You might never have heard of the business that’s ranking above you, but they’re stealing your clicks and your customers.
We begin by doing searches for the main keywords your business should be ranking for. We do this in incognito mode and local search settings. What shows up matters. Local directories, industry-specific sites, national brands—they’re all competing for the same eyeballs.
Then, we use tools like Semrush and Ahrefs to dig deeper. These tools show us who’s ranking for the keywords your site is targeting—or should be targeting. And that gives us a real picture of who’s worth watching.
Spot Weaknesses You Can Exploit
You don’t need to beat everyone at everything. You just need to beat the right people in the right places.
We check for gaps where your competitors are missing opportunities:
- Are they not writing content about certain neighbourhoods?
- Are their business listings missing important info?
- Are their websites slow, messy, or not mobile-friendly?
When we find holes, that’s where we go to work. A good SEO services provider in Sydney won’t just copy what others are doing—they’ll do it better or go where others haven’t.
What We Look At
Here’s a breakdown of what we check during local competitor analysis. Some of it’s basic, some of it’s deep, but all of it matters.
1. Their Website (On-Page SEO)
We read through their pages and ask:
- What keywords are they trying to rank for?
- Are they writing about specific suburbs or events?
- Are their pages using headings, titles, and internal links well?
And then we ask, are they doing SEO, or are they just lucky?
Also, we use tools to check things like:
- Mobile-friendliness
- Page speed
- Structured data (schema)
2. Google Business Profile (GBP)
GBP is huge for local SEO. Sometimes, even more than a website.
We check:
- How many reviews do they have?
- What’s their average rating?
- Are they posting regularly?
- What categories are they listed under?
- Are they answering customer questions?
If they’re posting weekly and getting reviews every day, and you’re not, you’re falling behind.
3. Citations
We check where their business name, address, and phone number are listed.
- Are they on Yelp, Yellow Pages, Hotfrog, and other local directories?
- Are their listings consistent across the board?
Inconsistent info can hurt rankings. Clean, accurate, and widespread listings help you show up more.
4. Local Links
We scan their backlinks to see who’s talking about them and linking to their site.
- Local blogs
- Community news sites
- Partnerships with local businesses
These types of links tell Google, “Hey, this business is real and active in the community.” We use that knowledge to build similar or better links for our clients.
5. Reviews & Reputation
We don’t just count how many reviews they’ve got. We read them.
- What are people saying?
- Are they responding fast?
- Do they handle negative reviews well?
That kind of stuff matters. It affects trust. And Google notices it too.
Finding Content Gaps and Missed Chances
A lot of competitors think “just having a blog” is enough. It’s not.
We look at:
- What kind of content do they post?
- How often do they post?
- Whether it’s useful, local, or just filler
If your competitors aren’t talking about local events, customer success stories, or answering common questions, great. That means you can.
Some ideas we’ve helped clients run with:
- “How to prep your home for storms in [suburb name]”
- “Top 5 cafes near our office in [neighbourhood]”
- “Customer Q&A: What to know before buying [product/service] in Sydney”
Local content that feels local can pull in the right kind of traffic.
How We Turn All This Into a Plan
We don’t just collect data to stare at it. We build a strategy that makes use of everything we find.
Here’s how we break it down:
- Opportunities: Which keywords or areas are easy wins?
- Weak spots: Where are your competitors falling short?
- Action items: What changes can we make now to gain traction?
And if your competitors are strong in one area (say, GBP reviews), we find other ways to compete. Better content. Smarter backlink strategies. More accurate citations. Faster website.
You don’t always have to play their game—you can change the rules.
Don’t Sleep on Local Partnerships
One last thing. We’ve seen a lot of our clients gain serious momentum just by teaming up with other local businesses.
Stuff like:
- Running joint promos with nearby stores
- Swapping shoutouts on social media
- Writing blogs that feature local artists, creators, or suppliers
If your competitors are doing this, you need to as well. If they’re not, even better. That’s your chance to stand out.
Keep Watching and Keep Tweaking
SEO doesn’t sit still. New competitors show up. Old ones change tactics. Google updates its algorithm.
As an SEO agency in Sydney, we stay on top of it all for our clients. We track rankings. We monitor competitor moves. We adjust plans when needed.
Because getting ahead once isn’t enough. You’ve got to keep earning it.
You don’t need a giant budget to outsmart your competition—you just need the right insights and a team that knows how to act on them.
At Techosoft, that’s exactly what we do.
If you’re looking for a sharp, local SEO services provider in Sydney who knows how to turn data into action, reach out. We’re ready when you are.
