Competitor Analysis
Competitor Analysis — Feature guide for claimed shop owners
A clear, non-technical guide to the Competitor Analysis feature in your merchant dashboard. Use this page to monitor how your shop performs against nearby competitors on search keyword rankings, spot opportunities, and take action to win visibility and customers.
What this feature does
Collects keyword ranking data for your shop and competitors (the best rank per shop for tracked keywords).
Displays an interactive Rank Comparison chart so you can quickly see who ranks better (lower rank = better).
Lists competitors in a paged table with quick stats (rating, best ranks, distance).
Lets you open a side-by-side Compare view to deep-dive into a single competitor.
This helps you understand competitor strengths, identify keywords to target, and prioritize local SEO / marketing efforts.
Why it matters
Local customers usually choose businesses that appear higher in search results. Knowing who ranks above you — and for which keywords — helps you take focused action (improve listing information, content, reviews, or run campaigns).
Competitor insight reduces guesswork: you can copy what works (category keywords, wording, service offerings) and out-bid or out-serve competitors where it matters.
How to use the page (quick walkthrough)
Header area
At the top you’ll see your shop name, address and logo — confirming which business you’re analyzing. Buttons let you go back to your dashboard or open the multi-compare selection tool (useful to compare multiple shops).
Rank Comparison chart
What it shows: Each bar represents a shop (your shop + competitors). The number on the bar is the best rank that shop has among the tracked keywords (the lower the number, the better — e.g., Rank 1 is top).
Tooltips: Hover a bar to see the exact rank and the keyword that produced it (if available).
Click behaviour: Clicking a bar opens the shop’s public page (or detailed view) so you can inspect the competitor’s listing.
Missing bars: If a shop has no tracked rank data for the tracked keywords, it will appear as “No rank” or be empty.
Competitors table
The table below the chart lists competitors with these columns:
Name / Address: Click the competitor name to open a detailed competitor page.
Rating: Star rating aggregated from the data source.
Rank(s): Shows best rank(s) found for the competitor (badges). If no ranks were found, it shows N/A.
Distance: Distance from your city or focal point (useful to prioritize nearby competitors).
Action → Compare: Click Compare to open a focused compare view between your shop and that competitor (side-by-side ranks, shared keywords).
Pagination controls let you move through results and change how many entries are shown per page.
Interpreting the chart & table — practical guidance
Focus on low numbers: A rank of
1,2, or3indicates strong visibility. If competitors show many low ranks while you have higher numbers (or N/A), prioritize those keywords.Keyword hint: The chart often lists the specific keyword that gave each shop its best rank — use those keywords to:
Update your business title/description (if relevant and allowed).
Add keyword-rich content to your website and Google Business Profile.
Encourage reviews mentioning relevant services/products.
Distance matters: A competitor with slightly better ranks but much farther away may be less of a threat than a local competitor.
No-rank entries: If your shop shows N/A for many keywords while competitors rank, it means you’re either not being found for those local queries or they haven’t been tracked for your listing — add those keywords to tracking.
Typical owner actions (next steps from insights)
Add the missing keywords to your tracking — so you can watch progress.
Update Google Business Profile and website for low-performing keywords (titles, services, categories).
Collect relevant reviews — ask customers to mention products/services/locations in their review text.
Answer questions and improve product descriptions (questions → better FAQ → fewer buyer hesitations).
Run targeted promotions / UTM campaigns on keywords where competitors have an advantage.
Use Compare view: review competitor pages to see what they list (hours, photos, services) and match or improve upon them.
How the data is typically sourced (non-technical)
The tool aggregates keyword-ranking snapshots for your tracked keywords and competitor listings.
It picks the best rank per shop among the tracked keywords and presents it for quick comparison.
Ranking data is refreshed at intervals (frequency depends on your plan / settings).
Limitations & what to watch for
Rankings can fluctuate frequently. Treat this as trend intelligence, not minute-by-minute truth.
Local rank depends on searcher location and personalization; a competitor may rank higher for some neighborhoods and not others.
The tool shows ranks only for the keywords being tracked — add more keywords if you want deeper coverage.
Distances and ratings are approximate and depend on the data source.
Practical tips & checklist
Start with the top 10 keywords where you want to win locally. Track them and monitor weekly.
If a competitor ranks top for a keyword, inspect their listing for:
targeted category
number/quality of photos
review count & recency
complete business attributes (hours, services, specialities)
Prioritize changes that are fastest to implement and highest impact:
Add missing business categories and attributes
Add quality photos (interior, products, staff)
Respond to reviews and solicit new ones
Improve on-page SEO for pages that match target keywords
Use the Compare action to capture screenshots or notes on competitor listings to inform your updates.
Frequently asked questions
Q: How often is competitor ranking updated? A: Rankings are captured on the schedule set by your account (daily/weekly). Check the settings or audit timestamps for exact timings.
Q: Can I add competitors manually? A: Yes — the multi-compare or competitor pick tool in your dashboard lets you add shops to compare if they are not auto-detected.
Q: What if a competitor is not local but ranks higher? A: Higher ranking outside your target area may not matter for in-store traffic. Prioritize nearby competitors who outrank you within your service area.
Q: Can this tool show which keywords are shared between shops? A: Yes — the Compare view highlights overlapping keywords and ranks so you can focus on shared opportunity keywords.
Privacy & responsible use
Use competitor insights to improve your own listing and user experience, not to scrape or impersonate competitor content.
All usage should comply with platform terms and local laws.
Example action plan (30-day sprint)
Week 1: Add 10 priority keywords to tracking; run competitor multi-compare.
Week 2: Update listing categories, add 10 high-quality photos, and optimize website pages for 3 top keywords.
Week 3: Reach out to customers for reviews mentioning specific services/products.
Week 4: Re-check the Rank Comparison chart; prepare paid/local promotions for keywords still behind competitors.
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