Dominating Local Competition

Full Training for Local Service Businesses

Approximate time to implement (for beginners): 1-4 weeks

Note 1: To get the point across easier, I will use a fictitious business called ''ABC Company'' when showing examples.

Note 2: These tips can apply to any service business, large or small or in any industry (construction, beauty, restaurant, finance,

Being better than the competition usually equals to more revenue

Better than competition = More clients coming to you = More revenue

This training applies to businesses that have competition in their local market. Notable examples such as restaurants, hair salons, landscaping companies etc. Although it might still help, this training is less for businesses that are monopolistic in the area. Notable examples such as specialty stores, government reliant businesses, etc.

Implementing competitive strategies can do the following for your business:

• Generate more revenue for your business by reducing their share of the ''pie''

• Improving your knowledge on their strategies, giving you a better idea on how to improve your own business

• Help you create complimentary services to what your competitors are offering, allowing you to compete in a ''harmonious'' way

This document will share exactly how you can optimize your business online to help you dominate your market

Part 1: Introduction to Dominating Local Competition

What Does Dominating the Competition Consist Of?

Dominating the competition means using strategies to stay ahead of other businesses in your local area. This involves understanding what your competitors do well and where they fall short. We will talk about different ways to improve your position in the market and how each strategy can help you succeed.

Why Should You Focus on Dominating the Competition?

1. More Revenue: Being ahead of your competitors means you can capture a bigger share of the market. This leads to more sales and higher revenue.

2. Better Customer Experience: By knowing what your competitors offer and improving on it, you can provide better services and products, leading to happier customers.

3. Increased Market Authority: Leading in your local market makes your business the first choice for customers, boosting your reputation and brand value.

In short, dominating the competition not only increases your revenue but also strengthens your market presence and builds customer loyalty.

Part 1.2: Types of Optimizations

To dominate the competition, you can focus on several key areas: before engaging in competitive tactics, during the analysis and implementation of strategies, and after implementing your competitive tactics.

Main Optimizations

Brief summary on the main optimizations possible:

Analyzing the Competition

What does it entail:

This refers to analyzing all the online data you can gather from your competitor. Allowing you to get a clear idea on their offers, prices, etc.

Why is it important:

Getting this information on your competitors will allow you to mold your company against it. Allowing to, in some cases, raise your prices, add new services and so on.

Improving Against Competition

What does this entail: 

Implementing different strategies, after the analysis, that will allow you to win against your competition online.

Why is it important:

Implementing these strategies can allow you to rank higher on Google then your competitors, have better offers then them and overall win against them in the marketplace.

Miscellaneous Tactics

What does this entail:

This refers to the ''extra'', less effective but still important tactics to help you dominate your local market.

Why is it important:

These tactics serve as an added bonus to any strategy you might but into place. Done correctly they can generate temporary ''boosts'' in your businesses' online performance.

Part 2: Analyzing the Competition

Here are a few strategies on how to analyze your competition properly

Analyzing the Competition

In this section we will be going through all the variables of the business of your competitor that is available to be analyzed online

Identify Your Main Competitors:

Action: Make a comprehensive list of your top competitors. These are businesses offering similar products or services within your local area.

Tip: Use a combination of Google searches, local business directories, and industry reports to accurately identify your competitors. Consider checking social media platforms and review sites for additional insights.

1. Gather Competitor Data:

Action: Collect detailed information on your competitors’ pricing, customer reviews, product or service offerings, and online presence.

Tools: SEMrush, Ahrefs, Google Alerts, SimilarWeb, SpyFu.

Tip: Regularly update this information to keep track of any changes in your competitors' strategies. Use Google Alerts to stay informed about your competitors' latest activities.

2. Analyze Online Presence:

Action: Thoroughly examine your competitors’ websites, social media profiles, and online advertisements.

Focus Areas: Website design, content quality, user experience, social media engagement, online advertising.

Tip: Use tools like BuzzSumo to see which types of content generate the most engagement for your competitors. Look at the design and usability of their websites, the quality and frequency of their content, and their overall user experience.

3. Evaluate Customer Reviews:

Action: Read and analyze customer reviews on platforms like Google My Business, Yelp, Facebook, and industry-specific review sites.

Focus Areas: Common complaints, praised features, overall customer satisfaction.

Tip: Identify recurring themes in reviews to understand what customers appreciate and what frustrates them about your competitors. Use sentiment analysis tools to get a clearer picture of customer feelings.

4. Monitor Social Media Activity:

Action: Track your competitors’ social media posts, engagement rates, follower growth, and overall social media strategy.

Tools: Hootsuite, Social Blade, Sprout Social.

Tip: Look for posts that generate high engagement and analyze why they are successful. Identify the types of content, posting frequency, and interaction strategies that work best for your competitors.

5. Examine Pricing Strategies:

Action: Compare your competitors’ pricing structures, discounts, promotions, and overall pricing strategy with your own.

Tools: Price2Spy, Prisync.

Tip: Look for patterns in pricing changes and promotional offers to identify trends. Determine if competitors are engaging in price wars, offering bundling options, or using psychological pricing tactics.

6. Study Marketing Tactics:

Action: Analyze your competitors’ marketing campaigns, including email marketing, pay-per-click (PPC) ads, and content marketing strategies.

Tools: Mailchimp, Google Ads, HubSpot.

Tip: Identify which marketing channels are most effective for your competitors. Look at the design and messaging of their email campaigns, the keywords they target in PPC ads, and the types of content they produce.

Improving Against Competition

Here are a few strategies to gain a competitive edge on your competition online

Improving Against Competition

In this section we will be going through all the ways you can improve your business to gain an edge on your competition.

1. Enhance Your SEO

• Action: Optimize your website to improve its search engine rankings and visibility.

• Keyword Optimization: Identify high-performing keywords from your competitor analysis and incorporate them into your website content, meta tags, and descriptions.

• Content Quality: Create high-quality, informative, and engaging content that addresses the needs and interests of your target audience. In a way

• Technical SEO: Improve your website’s loading speed, mobile-friendliness, and overall user experience. Ensure your site is easy to navigate and all links are functional.

• Backlink Building: Develop a strategy to acquire high-quality backlinks from reputable websites in your industry.

Tools: SEMrush, Ahrefs, Google Analytics, Moz.

Tip: Regularly update your content and monitor your SEO performance to make necessary adjustments.

Other Trainings: Refer to our Link Building SEO (link), Front End SEO (link) and Back End SEO (link) trainings for in depth help.

2. Improve Your Offers

• Action: Make your product or service offerings more attractive and competitive.

• Value Addition: Add value to your products or services by offering additional features, superior quality, or exceptional customer support. Look at what is missing in the marketplace and add it to your offer.

• Bundling: Create bundled packages that offer more value for money, encouraging customers to purchase more from you since you offer more than your competitiors.

• Special Promotions: Run limited-time promotions and discounts to attract new customers and retain existing ones.

Tip: Continuously gather customer feedback to refine and enhance your offerings based on their needs and preferences.

3. Refine Your Marketing Tactics

• Action: Develop and implement effective marketing strategies to attract and engage your target audience.

• Targeted Advertising: Use insights from your competitor analysis to target your ads more effectively. Focus on platforms and keywords that yield the best results for your competitors. You can track competitors ads and their performance, giving you ideas on what can work for you

• Content Marketing: Create valuable content that addresses the pain points and interests of your target audience. Use blogs, videos, infographics, and social media posts to engage your audience.

• Social Media Engagement: Actively engage with your audience on social media platforms. In most cases, just showing you are active on social media makes you better then 90% of the local competition, Respond to comments, share valuable content, and post consistently to show clients you are active and ready to take on new business.

Tools: Google Ads, Facebook Ads Manager, Mailchimp, HubSpot.

Tip: Monitor the performance of your marketing campaigns and adjust your strategies based on data and feedback.

4. Innovate Your Products and Services

• Action: Continuously develop new products and services to stay ahead of the competition.

• Market Research: Conduct regular market research to identify emerging trends and customer needs.

• Product Development: Invest in research and development to create innovative products and services that meet the evolving needs of your customers.

• Customer Feedback: Use customer feedback to guide your product development efforts and ensure that your offerings remain relevant and valuable. Look at the customer feedback your competitors are having to avoid making the same mistakes as them.

Tip: Stay informed about industry trends and technological advancements to identify new opportunities for innovation.

Miscellaneous Optimizations

Here a few miscellaneous techniques that can help you stand out from your competition

Miscellaneous Optimizations

In this section we will be going through the secondary was to improve your business relative to competitors.

1. Report Competitors Violating GMB Guidelines

• Action: Monitor your competitors’ Google My Business (GMB) listings for any violations of Google's guidelines.

• Implementation: If you find violations, report them to Google. This can lead to their listings being suspended or removed, improving your own rankings by consequence. This is an easy and temporary way to get you to rank higher on Google maps. You can also do this for any other directory, map or service they are using and not complying with the rules.

Although there is not guarantee that Google, or any other platform, would accept your request, it is still worth to try to have the chance of ranking higher on search results.

2. Engage with Competitors’ Customers on Social Media

• Action: Identify customers who are engaging with your competitors on social media.

• Implementation: Join relevant conversations, offer solutions, and subtly promote your services.

• Tip: Be genuine and helpful, not overly promotional. The goal is to attract attention and build relationships.

3. Utilize Competitor Keywords for PPC Campaigns

• Action: Use tools like SpyFu to identify keywords your competitors are targeting in their PPC campaigns.

• Implementation: Incorporate these keywords into your own PPC campaigns to capture some of their traffic.

• Tip: Create compelling ad copy that highlights your unique selling points.

4. Respond to Competitors’ Reviews

• Action: Monitor review sites for negative reviews about your competitors.

• Implementation: Engage with these reviewers by offering a better alternative or inviting them to try your service.

• Tip: Be tactful and respectful in your responses to avoid appearing opportunistic.

5. Create Comparison Pages on Your Website

• Action: Develop web pages that compare your services/products directly with your competitors.

• Implementation: Highlight your advantages and provide clear, unbiased information. Allowing you to rank your website on Google for their brand name, in a totally legitimate way.

• Tip: Use SEO best practices to ensure these pages rank well in search results.

These tricks can serve as temporary or small boosts in your business' performance in the marketplace.

Conclusion - Dominating Competition

If you’d like to learn more about optimizing your business online, we offer 12 free trainings on subjects ranging from SEO, Website Optimization and even Sales. 

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If you are looking to outsource the work and get us to optimize these parts of your business, visit our site for more information, and book a discovery call with our team. 

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