# Competitive Intelligence — Monitoring & Analysis

## Purpose

Competitive intelligence is not about copying competitors. It is about understanding the market landscape to make better-informed strategic decisions — identifying gaps, anticipating threats, and finding positioning advantages that competitors have missed.

---

## Competitor Monitoring Framework

### What to Track

| Category | Signals to Monitor | Frequency | Tool / Source |
|----------|-------------------|-----------|---------------|
| **Paid Advertising** | Ad creative, copy, offers, landing pages, spend estimates | Weekly | Meta Ad Library, Google Ads Transparency, SpyFu |
| **SEO / Content** | Keyword rankings, new content published, backlink acquisition | Bi-weekly | Ahrefs, SEMrush, SimilarWeb |
| **Website Changes** | Homepage updates, pricing changes, new features, new pages | Weekly | Visualping, Wayback Machine, manual review |
| **Social Media** | Content themes, posting frequency, engagement rates, audience growth | Weekly | Native platform analytics, Sprout Social |
| **Product / Offer** | New products, pricing changes, bundles, promotions, free trials | Ongoing | Email signup, price tracking tools, manual review |
| **Reviews / Reputation** | Review volume, sentiment, common complaints, NPS proxies | Monthly | G2, Trustpilot, Reddit, App Store, Google Reviews |
| **Hiring / Team** | Job postings (especially marketing, product, engineering roles) | Monthly | LinkedIn, company careers pages |
| **Funding / Financials** | Fundraising, revenue milestones (if public), M&A activity | Quarterly | Crunchbase, SEC filings, press releases |
| **Email / CRM** | Email frequency, subject lines, offers, flows (welcome, abandoned cart) | Ongoing | Sign up for competitor emails with a dedicated inbox |
| **Partnerships** | New integrations, co-marketing, affiliate programs, influencer deals | Monthly | Press releases, social mentions, affiliate networks |

### Competitor Tier Classification

| Tier | Definition | Monitoring Depth | Review Cadence |
|------|-----------|-----------------|----------------|
| **Tier 1 — Direct** | Compete for the same customers with a similar product/service | Deep — track everything above | Weekly |
| **Tier 2 — Adjacent** | Serve the same audience but with a different product or business model | Moderate — track ads, SEO, major moves | Bi-weekly |
| **Tier 3 — Aspirational** | Market leaders you can learn from even if they are in a different segment | Light — track strategy, positioning, big campaigns | Monthly |
| **Tier 4 — Emerging** | New entrants or disruptors that could become Tier 1 | Watch list — track funding, product launches, initial positioning | Quarterly |

---

## Tool Recommendations

### Free Tools

| Tool | Use Case | Key Data |
|------|----------|----------|
| **Meta Ad Library** | View all active Meta/Instagram ads from any advertiser | Creative, copy, CTA, active dates, platforms |
| **Google Ads Transparency Center** | View active Google Ads from any advertiser | Search ads, display ads, YouTube ads |
| **Google Trends** | Compare brand search interest over time | Relative search volume, geographic interest, related queries |
| **BuiltWith** | Identify competitor tech stack | Analytics, CMS, email platform, payment processors |
| **Wayback Machine** | View historical website snapshots | Messaging evolution, pricing changes, design shifts |
| **LinkedIn** | Monitor hiring, company growth, content strategy | Job postings, employee count, company posts |
| **Reddit / Quora** | Find unfiltered customer sentiment about competitors | Complaints, praise, feature requests, comparison questions |
| **App Store / Play Store** | Review ratings, feature updates, user complaints | Review volume, sentiment trends, release notes |

### Paid Tools

| Tool | Use Case | Starting Price | Best For |
|------|----------|---------------|----------|
| **SimilarWeb** | Traffic estimates, traffic source breakdown, audience overlap | ~$149/mo | Understanding competitor traffic strategy |
| **SpyFu** | Competitor keyword lists, ad copy history, estimated spend | ~$39/mo | Paid search competitive analysis |
| **SEMrush** | Full SEO + PPC competitive analysis, content gap analysis | ~$129/mo | Comprehensive SEO competitor tracking |
| **Ahrefs** | Backlink analysis, content explorer, keyword tracking | ~$99/mo | Link building intelligence, content analysis |
| **Crayon** | Automated competitive intelligence platform | Custom pricing | Enterprise-level CI programs |
| **Klue** | Competitive enablement for sales teams | Custom pricing | B2B sales battlecards and win/loss |
| **Pathmatics (Sensor Tower)** | Digital ad spend estimates across channels | Custom pricing | Media spend benchmarking |

---

## Competitive Benchmarking Framework

### Traffic & Engagement Benchmark Template

| Metric | Your Brand | Competitor A | Competitor B | Competitor C | Industry Avg |
|--------|-----------|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
| Est. Monthly Visits | | | | | |
| Traffic Trend (3-mo) | | | | | |
| Avg. Visit Duration | | | | | |
| Pages per Visit | | | | | |
| Bounce Rate | | | | | |
| Traffic Source: Organic % | | | | | |
| Traffic Source: Paid % | | | | | |
| Traffic Source: Direct % | | | | | |
| Traffic Source: Social % | | | | | |
| Traffic Source: Email % | | | | | |
| Traffic Source: Referral % | | | | | |
| Top 3 Traffic Countries | | | | | |

*Source: SimilarWeb or SEMrush. Note: These are estimates with +/- 20% accuracy.*

### SEO Benchmark Template

| Metric | Your Brand | Competitor A | Competitor B | Competitor C |
|--------|-----------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
| Domain Authority / Rating | | | | |
| Total Organic Keywords | | | | |
| Keywords in Top 3 | | | | |
| Keywords in Top 10 | | | | |
| Est. Organic Traffic | | | | |
| Total Backlinks | | | | |
| Referring Domains | | | | |
| Content Pages Published (3-mo) | | | | |
| Top Ranking Content Themes | | | | |

### Paid Media Benchmark Template

| Metric | Your Brand | Competitor A | Competitor B | Competitor C |
|--------|-----------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
| Est. Monthly Ad Spend | | | | |
| Primary Channels | | | | |
| Number of Active Ads (Meta) | | | | |
| Ad Creative Style | | | | |
| Primary CTA | | | | |
| Landing Page Type | | | | |
| Key Offers / Promotions | | | | |
| Estimated Keyword Overlap (%) | | | | |

### Positioning & Messaging Benchmark

| Element | Your Brand | Competitor A | Competitor B | Competitor C |
|---------|-----------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
| Tagline / Headline | | | | |
| Primary Value Proposition | | | | |
| Target Audience (stated) | | | | |
| Pricing Strategy | | | | |
| Key Differentiator Claimed | | | | |
| Social Proof Used | | | | |
| Brand Tone / Voice | | | | |
| Content Pillars | | | | |

---

## Competitive Response Playbooks

### Playbook: Competitor Launches Price Cut

1. **Assess scope** — Is it a temporary promotion or permanent price change?
2. **Measure impact** — Monitor your CVR, traffic, and branded search volume for 2 weeks
3. **Analyze margins** — Can the competitor sustain this price? Check their funding/financial position
4. **Response options:**
   - Do nothing (if your differentiation is strong and CVR is stable)
   - Match selectively (discount for competitive switchers only, not existing customers)
   - Add value (bundle, extended warranty, better support) instead of cutting price
   - Emphasize differentiation in ad copy and landing pages
5. **Avoid:** Reflexive price matching that erodes margins without evidence of customer loss

### Playbook: Competitor Launches New Feature / Product

1. **Assess overlap** — Does this feature compete with your core offering or a peripheral area?
2. **Gauge demand** — Check search trends, social mentions, and customer feedback for the feature
3. **Timeline assessment** — How long to build a comparable feature? Is it even strategic for you?
4. **Response options:**
   - Fast follow (if the feature aligns with your roadmap and is high-demand)
   - Differentiate (double down on your strengths and highlight in messaging)
   - Partner (integrate a third-party solution rather than building)
   - Ignore (if the feature is niche and your data shows low customer demand)
5. **Update sales enablement** — Provide talking points for sales/CS on how to position against the new feature

### Playbook: Competitor Increases Ad Spend Significantly

1. **Verify** — Use SpyFu, Pathmatics, or Meta Ad Library to confirm the increase
2. **Measure impact** — Track your impression share, CPCs, and auction competition metrics
3. **Assess duration** — Is this a campaign burst or a sustained increase?
4. **Response options:**
   - Hold position on high-ROI campaigns; reduce spend on marginal campaigns
   - Shift budget to channels where the competitor is not present
   - Improve ad quality (creative, landing page) to maintain position at lower cost
   - Increase spend only in segments where you have a clear efficiency advantage
5. **Do not** engage in a bidding war on broad terms with poor ROAS

### Playbook: New Competitor Enters Market

1. **Profile immediately** — Funding, team, positioning, pricing, initial channels
2. **Classify tier** — Usually Tier 4 initially; upgrade if traction is evident
3. **Monitor traction signals** — Traffic growth, social following, review volume, hiring
4. **Response options:**
   - Strengthen your incumbent advantages (reviews, content, SEO moat, customer relationships)
   - Consider defensive content targeting their brand name comparisons
   - Accelerate feature/product development that widens your differentiation
5. **Brief the team** — Update sales and CS so they can address the new competitor in conversations

---

## Win/Loss Analysis Methodology

### Data Collection

| Source | What to Capture | Method |
|--------|----------------|--------|
| CRM data | Win/loss outcome, deal size, competitor involved, sales cycle length | Automated from CRM |
| Sales team | Qualitative insights on why the deal was won or lost | Structured debrief form (within 48 hours of outcome) |
| Customer interviews | Direct feedback from buyers (especially losses) | 15-minute interview, 3-5 losses per month minimum |
| Review sites | Comparative mentions, switching reasons | Monitor G2, Capterra, Trustpilot |

### Win/Loss Interview Guide

1. What were you trying to solve? (Job to be done)
2. Who else did you evaluate? (Competitive set)
3. What were your decision criteria? (Prioritized)
4. What did you like about our solution? (Strengths)
5. What concerned you? (Weaknesses)
6. Why did you ultimately choose [winner]? (Decision driver)
7. What could we have done differently? (Actionable feedback)

### Analysis Framework

| Dimension | Questions to Answer |
|-----------|-------------------|
| Win rate by competitor | Against which competitors do we win/lose most? |
| Loss reasons | What are the top 3-5 reasons we lose? |
| Win reasons | What are the top 3-5 reasons we win? |
| Segment patterns | Do we win/lose differently by company size, industry, or use case? |
| Pricing impact | How often is pricing the primary loss driver vs. a contributing factor? |
| Feature gaps | Which missing features are cited most frequently in losses? |
| Sales process | Are there process improvements that could improve win rate? |

---

## Monthly Competitive Review Template

**Cadence:** First week of each month.
**Duration:** 60-minute meeting.

### Agenda

1. **Tier 1 Competitor Updates** (20 min)
   - Major moves from each direct competitor (product, pricing, campaigns, hiring)
   - Impact assessment (actual or anticipated)

2. **Market Signals** (10 min)
   - New entrants, funding rounds, M&A activity
   - Regulatory or platform changes affecting the competitive landscape

3. **Benchmarking Update** (10 min)
   - Traffic, SEO, paid media, and share-of-voice trends
   - Any significant ranking or positioning shifts

4. **Win/Loss Summary** (10 min)
   - Monthly win rate vs. each competitor
   - Notable themes from losses

5. **Action Items** (10 min)
   - Competitive responses needed
   - Intelligence gaps to fill
   - Updates to sales battlecards or marketing positioning

### Competitive Intelligence Maintenance Checklist

- [ ] Tier 1 competitor ad libraries reviewed weekly
- [ ] Competitor email flows reviewed (sign up refreshed if needed)
- [ ] Keyword ranking overlap tracked bi-weekly
- [ ] Website change monitoring active for all Tier 1 competitors
- [ ] Win/loss interviews conducted (minimum 3-5 per month)
- [ ] Competitive benchmarking spreadsheet updated monthly
- [ ] Sales battlecards refreshed after any major competitor move
- [ ] Quarterly competitive landscape presentation prepared for leadership
- [ ] New competitor watch list reviewed and updated quarterly
- [ ] Team trained on competitive positioning (quarterly enablement session)
