Why is your competitor ranking better?

You have spent time on your competitor's site to see the keywords they use. You have invested time to outsmart them. Yet they rank above you. Sounds frustrating, right? This blog tells you what your competitors are doing beyond just using the right words.

Learn about how they optimize their site, attract visitors, and maintain a strong online presence so you can apply the same strategies and improve your rankings.

What is the competition doing for SEO?

Are you checking what your competition is doing apart from the keywords they are using? Here are some actions that help them get a better position on the search engine result pages.

Understanding the audience better

If you look at most of the websites that are ranking well on the search engines or have good credibility, they serve the user. They know what questions people are asking, what problems they need solved, and what kind of content keeps them hooked. In short, it is not about keywords. It is about creating content that answers real questions and keeps visitors engaged.

Learning:

• Think like an audience before you plan your website content.

• Look for the queries people are asking on the internet. Write content to answer them.

• Look for trending topics, if any, and make sure you write about them before the trend goes away.

• Have many formats. Blogs, infographics, videos, and guides make content more engaging and shareable.

Being consistent in posting content

How often are you posting content on your website? Websites that rank high don’t just rely on one or two posts. They publish more content regularly. Consistency signals to search engines that the site is active and relevant. Regular updates also keep visitors coming back, increasing engagement and the page authority, domain authority, and credibility over time.

Learning:

• Create a content calendar and stick to a schedule.

• Publish one or two new content every week and also publish them on social media with relevant backlinks.

• Update old content to maintain relevance and improve search rankings.

• Post trending content at the trend time.

• Track which topics perform best and double down on those types of content.

• Make sure you do not forget the quality of the content when you are focusing on the quantity.

Focusing on the click optimization of the search engine

Top-ranking websites don’t leave their search results to chance. They carefully craft titles, meta descriptions, and URLs that grab attention and encourage clicks. Everything you see on the search engine is well-thought-out and well-crafted to make users stop scrolling and choose your link. Strong metadata can drive more traffic and indirectly boost rankings, because the search engines notice what people click on.

Learning:

• Make titles descriptive and benefit-driven so users know what’s inside.

• Write meta descriptions that highlight the solution or value of the page.

• Keep URLs short, readable, and relevant to the content.

• Use words that have CTA, like “read now” or “learn more,” to encourage them to open the page.

• Experiment with different titles and description formats to see which drives more traffic.

Smart keyword optimization

You might have seen what keywords your competitors are using. However, you might have missed seeing how they have used it. High-ranking competitors don’t just stuff keywords into their content but smartly use them.

They identify the keywords for every page and follow the SEO rules to add them into titles, headings, and content, and target different keywords for different pages. This way, they avoid competing with themselves while covering a wider range of search queries.

Learning:

• Map keywords to specific pages based on content focus.

• Use keywords naturally in headings, subheadings, and body text.

• Follow the 3% keyword density in your content.

• Include long-tail keywords to capture more specific search queries.

• Monitor keyword performance regularly to adjust strategy as needed.

Off-page SEO strategies with high-quality backlinks

Top-ranking competitors actively earn links from other reputable websites. They create content and opportunities that others naturally reference, share, and link to. Social mentions, guest posts, and client reviews all contribute to their authority and credibility in the eyes of search engines. Here are affiliate pages run by credible influencers. They are a good source of getting backlinks to your website.

Learning:

• Focus on getting links from authoritative websites in your niche.

• Collaborate with influencers, bloggers, or industry partners for guest posts and mentions.

• Share your content in various forms on social platforms to encourage organic backlinks and traffic.

• Ask your customers and clients to leave a review on your website link on third-party platforms.

• Monitor competitors’ backlinks to identify new opportunities for your own site.

A keen eye on speed, mobile-optimization, and security

Websites that rank higher pay close attention to how their site performs technically. They make sure pages load quickly, navigation is smooth, mobile devices display correctly, and the site is secure. These factors help search engines crawl their site efficiently and improve user experience, which boosts rankings.

Learning:

• Compress images and minimize code to improve page speed.

• Use sitemaps to help search engines index content more easily.

• Keep an eye on the speed of the page and fix what keeps it slow.

• Implement HTTPS to secure your site and build trust.

Going where the users are - Social Media

Top-ranking websites are not just active on the website but also on the social media platforms where the users are. They share content, engage with followers, and create a network of visibility that drives traffic and builds authority. Social signals like shares, comments, and mentions also support their SEO indirectly by showing search engines that their content is valuable.

Learning:

• Share website content on social platforms to increase visibility and reach.

• Engage with your audience through comments, polls, and discussions to boost engagement signals.

• Collaborate with influencers or industry pages for cross-promotion.

• Monitor social performance to see which types of posts drive traffic back to your site.

• Encourage social sharing by including share buttons and prompts on content.

Giving a paid ad boost

Many top-ranking competitors don’t rely solely on organic traffic. They first try to become visible through paid ads. These ads help drive immediate traffic, support new content, and can even influence organic performance by boosting engagement and awareness. Ads help them reach the right audience fast, drive traffic to new pages, and even improve engagement metrics that search engines notice.

Learning:

• Run targeted ads for high-priority pages to attract initial visitors and signals.

• Use retargeting campaigns to bring back visitors who didn’t convert the first time.

• Support time-sensitive promotions with ads to increase visibility immediately.

• Monitor ad performance to see which campaigns also boost organic traffic.

• As much as the ads are bringing in the traffic, do not treat it as a replacement of the organic SEO.

Improving the user experience

Top-ranking competitors know that a good website experience keeps visitors around. Their pages load fast, navigation is intuitive, and it’s easy for users to find what they need. When visitors spend more time on a site, engage with content, and navigate smoothly, search engines see the website as valuable and relevant. Metrics like time on page, low bounce rates, and multiple page views signal quality, which can indirectly boost search rankings.

Learning:

• Make navigation simple and intuitive, so users can find what they need with just one or two scrolls.

• Use clear headings, readable fonts, and a clean layout to improve readability.

• Include interactive elements like videos, forms, or buttons to keep visitors engaged.

• Monitor behavior metrics such as time on page, bounce rate, and click patterns to spot areas for improvement.

Use the right tools

Top-ranking competitors don’t leave SEO to guesswork. They use tools to track every part of their strategy. From keyword performance to backlinks and traffic patterns, they constantly monitor what’s working and what isn’t, then adjust accordingly.

Monitoring tools let you see which pages perform well, which keywords drive traffic, and where visitors drop off. This data helps you fix weak spots, optimize content, and strengthen technical SEO, all of which improve search engine visibility and rankings.

Learning:

• Track keyword performance to know which terms to focus on.

• Analyze user behavior metrics like time on page, clicks, and bounce rates to improve engagement.

• Conduct regular site audits to fix technical issues and improve crawlability.

• Compare metrics with competitors to spot gaps and opportunities for better SEO performance.

• Monitor backlinks and referral sources to make sure your credibility does not go down.

All you need is WEMASY’s all-in-one SEO Tool

You may think you need many things to look for and improve your website’s SEO. Imagine juggling with so many tools and so many reports. Confusing, isn’t it? With WEMASY’s all-in-one SEO tool, you can track keywords, monitor backlinks, audit your site, optimize content, and manage local SEO, all from a single dashboard.

It simplifies the process, gives you clear insights, and helps you take actionable steps to improve your rankings without switching between multiple tools. Sign up for it today and take your website up the SERP.