Best SpyFu Competitor Research Tips to Dominate Your Niche

Introduction

Do you want to know what your business competitors are doing? Do you want to beat them online? SpyFu can help. But how? This guide is here to help you understand it all. We will share the Best SpyFu Competitor Research Tips to help you grow. These tips are easy and useful. Even if you are new, don’t worry. This guide uses simple words and short sentences.

Let’s get started!

What is SpyFu?

SpyFu is an SEO and PPC tool. It helps you see what your competitors are doing online. You can learn about their:

• Keywords
• Ads
• Backlinks
• Website traffic
• SEO rankings

SpyFu gives you a spy view of your competitor’s strategy. This is why many marketers use it.

Why is Competitor Research Important?

If you don’t know your competition, you can’t win. Competitor research helps you:

• Find their best keywords
• See what content works for them
• Understand their ad budget
• Know where they get backlinks
• Improve your own SEO plan

When you know your competitor’s tricks, you can do better.

Tip 1: Search Your Competitor’s Website

This is the first step in learning the Best SpyFu Competitor Research Tips. Go to SpyFu and type your competitor’s website.
For example: If your competitor is bestshoes.com, type it in the SpyFu search box.
SpyFu will show:
• Organic keywords
• Paid keywords
• Estimated traffic
• Google Ads history
• Backlinks

You will get a full picture of their online plan.
Nuance: Look at what they rank for, and what you don’t.

Tip 2: Check Their Top Keywords

SpyFu shows all the keywords your competitor ranks for. Click on “SEO Keywords” from the menu.

You will see:

• Keyword list
• Monthly search volume
• Ranking position
• Keyword difficulty

Make a list of these keywords. Choose the ones with:

• Low difficulty
• Good search volume
• Relevance to your business

These are golden keywords for you.

Nuance: Start with easy keywords, then go for hard ones.

Tip 3: Look at Their Google Ads

If your competitor is running ads, SpyFu will show them. Click on “PPC Research” → “Ad History”.

You will see:

• What ads they used
• Which ads ran the longest
• The cost of each ad
• The keywords used in ads

From this, you can:

• Copy good ad ideas
• Avoid bad ad choices
• Know how much they spend

Nuance: Long-running ads mean they worked well. You can try similar ones.

Tip 4: Discover Their Backlinks

Backlinks help websites rank higher on Google. One of the Best SpyFu Competitor Research Tips is to study your competitor’s backlinks.
SpyFu shows who is linking to your competitor. Click on “Backlinks” to see:
• Who links to them
• What pages have links
• The type of link (text/image)
• Domain authority of linking site

Use this list to:
• Contact those websites
• Ask them to link to your content
• Build strong backlinks

Nuance: Choose backlink sources with high domain strength.

Tip 5: Check Competitor’s SEO Strength

Click on “SEO Overview”. SpyFu will show:

• Monthly SEO clicks
• Top pages
• Ranking changes
• SEO value (in money)

This helps you know how strong their SEO is.

Compare it with your website.

Nuance: Look for areas where they are weak. You can win there.

Tip 6: Monitor Keyword Changes Over Time

SpyFu allows you to see keyword ranking history. Click on “Keyword History”.

You will see a graph:

• Keyword on X-axis
• Position over time on Y-axis

This helps you see if their rankings are going up or down.

If a keyword is falling, it’s a chance for you.

If a keyword is growing, study what they did to improve.

Nuance: Use this to track both you and your competitors.

Tip 7: Check Shared Keywords

SpyFu also shows shared keywords.

Go to the “Compare Domains” tab.

Put in your domain and your competitor’s domain.

You will see:

• Common keywords
• Keywords only your competitor has
• Keywords only you have

This is very helpful.

Nuance: Try to rank for keywords they have, but you don’t.

Tip 8: Learn from Competitor’s Top Pages

SpyFu can show you your competitor’s top-ranking pages. Go to the “Top Pages” section.

You will see:

• Page URL
• Traffic each page gets
• Keywords ranking for that page
• Estimated monthly clicks

This helps you understand what type of content works for them.

Steps you can take:

• Visit those top pages
• Study their layout, headlines, keywords
• Write similar or better content

Nuance: Always add your unique value. Don’t just copy.

Tip 9: Use SpyFu Kombat Tool

SpyFu has a tool called Kombat. It compares three websites side by side.

Go to “Compare Domains” → Kombat.

Enter your site + two competitors.

You will see:

• Shared keywords
• Unique keywords for each
• Overlapping areas

This helps you:

• Know where you stand
• Find missing keywords
• Find gaps in the market

Nuance: Focus on keywords that all 3 sites rank for. These are important.

Tip 10: Analyze Ad Copy Strategy

In the PPC Ad History section, SpyFu shows real ads your competitor used.

Check:

• Headline
• Description
• Display URL
• Time period

Ask yourself:

• Which words catch attention?
• What offers are repeated?
• Are there call-to-action phrases?

Use this knowledge to write better ads.

Nuance: Save ideas and test them in your next campaign.

Tip 11: Track Competitor’s PPC Budget

SpyFu estimates how much your competitor spends on Google Ads.

You can see:

• Monthly ad spend
• Total number of ads
• Keywords they paid for

This gives you an idea of:

• How serious they are
• Where they are putting money
• What products they focus on

Nuance: If they spend more on some keywords, those are profitable. Try to compete there.

Tip 12: Study Their SEO Trends

SpyFu gives a full SEO trend report.

Check:

• Organic clicks over time
• How many keywords are rising
• How many are falling

This tells you if your competitor is doing better or worse.

If they are growing fast, ask:

• Did they update old content?
• Are they building more backlinks?
• Are they targeting better keywords?

You can use the same strategy.

Nuance: Watch your top 3 competitors regularly.

Tip 13: Export Keyword Reports

SpyFu lets you download all data as CSV or Excel files.

Download:

• Keyword list
• Backlink list
• Ad copy examples
• Ranking history

Use this data to:

• Build your SEO plan
• Share with your team
• Track monthly growth

Nuance: Make a habit of downloading reports every week.

Tip 14: Use SpyFu for Local SEO

If your business is local (like a shop or service), SpyFu can still help. One of the Best SpyFu Competitor Research Tips is to focus on local data.
Use it to find:
• What keywords local competitors rank for
• What ads they run in your city
• Who links to them from local sites

Create pages or blog posts with:
• City name
• Local terms
• Neighborhood mentions

Nuance: Add local phone numbers and maps. Google loves it.

Tip 15: Find Your Niche Competitors

Not all competitors are big brands. SpyFu helps you find smaller, niche competitors.

Just enter your keyword in the search box.

SpyFu will show:

• Sites that rank for it
• Paid and organic ones
• New rising websites

Some of these might be new threats to your business.

Nuance: Watch new competitors closely. They grow fast.

Tip 16: Track Competitor Changes Every Month

SpyFu allows you to track a domain.

Set alerts or check back every month.

Look for changes like:

• New keywords they target
• New ads they run
• New backlinks they got

Keep a simple Excel file and note:

• What changed
• What you learned
• What you will do next

Nuance: Regular tracking beats one-time research.

Tip 17: Use Filters to Save Time

SpyFu has many filters like:

• Search volume
• Keyword difficulty
• CPC (cost per click)
• Click-through rate (CTR)

When researching competitors:

• Use filters to find easy wins
• Avoid wasting time on hard keywords
• Focus on keywords in your niche

Nuance: Small filters give big insights.

Tip 18: Use SpyFu’s Ranking History Graph

SpyFu shows a graph of ranking history. You can track how your competitor’s keyword ranking changed over time.

Steps:

1. Go to the keyword your competitor ranks for.
2. Click on “Ranking History”.
3. Choose your competitor’s domain.

You will see:

• When their ranking improved
• When it dropped
• How long they stayed on page one

This tells you if their strategy is working or failing.

Nuance: A sudden drop may mean Google penalty or poor content.

Tip 19: Watch for New Keywords Gaining Rank

SpyFu highlights new keywords your competitor is ranking for. This is very useful.

Steps:

1. Go to SEO Research.
2. Click “New Keywords”.
3. Select your competitor.

You will see:

• The new keywords
• Search volume
• Current ranking position

These keywords are new opportunities. You can also target them early.

Nuance: Early keyword targeting means easier ranking.

Tip 20: Discover Weak Keywords

SpyFu also shows weak spots. These are keywords your competitor ranks for, but not in top positions.

Steps:

1. Click on “SEO Keywords”.
2. Sort by position (10 to 30).
3. Look for medium-volume keywords.

Why is this good?

• Your competitor is not strong there
• You can create better content
• You may rank faster

Nuance: Always aim for where your competitor is weak.

Tip 21: Compare Desktop vs Mobile Rankings

SpyFu lets you check rankings on:

• Desktop
• Mobile

Sometimes, a competitor ranks high on desktop, but low on mobile.

You can:

• Use this weakness
• Create mobile-friendly pages
• Optimize for mobile speed and layout

Nuance: More than 60% of searches are on mobile now.

Tip 22: Track Competitor’s SEO Value

SpyFu shows how much money value competitors get from SEO.

You will see:

• Value of their organic traffic
• Monthly estimated savings from SEO
• Keyword value in dollars

This helps you:

• Understand their SEO success
• Set your SEO goals
• Estimate your content’s potential

Nuance: If value is growing fast, copy their approach.

Tip 23: Use SpyFu Projects to Organize

SpyFu lets you create Projects.

Steps:

1. Sign in to SpyFu
2. Go to Projects
3. Add your competitor’s domain
4. SpyFu will save all info for you

Now you can track:

• Keyword changes
• Ranking progress
• New backlinks
• Ad changes

It’s great for long-term tracking.

Nuance: Create one project per competitor for clear tracking.

Tip 24: Learn from Similar Competitors

SpyFu gives you a list of similar domains.

Steps:

1. Type your competitor’s domain
2. Go to the “Competitors” tab

You will see:

• Domains with similar keywords
• Their rankings
• Overlapping ads

You can find hidden competitors using this feature.

Nuance: Always study more than one competitor.

Tip 25: Use SEO Reports for Planning

SpyFu gives you full reports.

You get:

• Top performing keywords
• Ranking trends
• Keyword opportunities
• Backlink sources

Use this report to plan:

• Blog post ideas
• Product pages
• Ad campaigns

Nuance: Reports save time and improve focus.

Tip 26: See Your Domain Vs Competitor

SpyFu allows full domain vs domain comparison.

Steps:

1. Click on “Compare Domains”
2. Add your site and competitor site
3. View the keyword overlap and gaps

You will learn:

• What keywords both sites share
• What your competitor ranks for but you don’t
• What you rank for but they don’t

Use this to create a list of new keyword goals.

Nuance: Compete where you both overlap. That’s where audience interest is.

Tip 27: Study Seasonal Trends

SpyFu shows when a keyword or ad performs better during the year.

Use it to:

• Plan campaigns before peak season
• Target keywords at the right time
• Avoid low seasons

Example:

• If a competitor runs ads only in December, they are targeting holiday shoppers.
• You can plan in November and beat them early.

Nuance: Timing matters in online marketing.

Tip 28: Use “Keyword Groups” to Save Time

SpyFu lets you create keyword groups. These help you organize keywords by topic or goal.

Steps:

1. Go to any keyword list
2. Select keywords you like
3. Add them to a group

For example, you can create groups like:

• “Easy to Rank”
• “High Volume Keywords”
• “Product Keywords”

This makes your SEO work faster and cleaner.

Nuance: Grouped keywords = better planning = better results.

Tip 29: Use Filters for Better Results

SpyFu has many filters like:

• Keyword Difficulty (KD)
• Cost Per Click (CPC)
• Search Volume
• Clicks per Month

How filters help:

• KD < 40 = easy keywords
• CPC > $1 = valuable keywords
• Volume > 500 = popular keywords

Apply filters when checking your competitor’s keyword list. This gives you quality keywords, not just quantity.

Nuance: Always apply filters before exporting keyword lists.

Tip 30: Compare Ads from Multiple Competitors

SpyFu lets you see ads from different domains at once.

Steps:

1. Go to Compare Domains
2. Add 2-3 competitors
3. Click on PPC Ads tab

You will see:

• Which ads worked best
• What messaging is common
• Which keywords they all use

Use this to build stronger ad copy for yourself.

Nuance: If all competitors use a word like “free,” it’s working.

Tip 31: Track New Backlinks Weekly

SpyFu updates backlink data often. Check weekly for new backlinks your competitors gain.

Steps:

1. Go to Backlinks section
2. Choose New Links Only
3. Filter by domain strength

Find where they’re getting fresh links. Reach out to those websites too.

Nuance: New backlinks = new SEO growth. Watch closely.

Tip 32: Focus on “Clicks” Instead of Just Ranking

Some keywords have:

• High search volume
• Low clicks

SpyFu shows actual clicks per keyword. Not all #1 rankings bring traffic.

Steps:

1. Check keyword list
2. Sort by Clicks per Month

Choose keywords that bring more traffic, not just good ranks.

Nuance: Clicks = Real users. Focus there.

Tip 33: Find Negative Keywords Competitors Avoid

SpyFu also shows negative keywords competitors block in PPC ads.

These are keywords they don’t want to show for.

Why it helps:

• You can avoid bad traffic too
• Save money on ads
• Learn from their mistakes

Example:

• If your competitor blocks “free shoes,” they don’t want non-buyers

Nuance: Use SpyFu to build your own negative keyword list.

Tip 34: Check Ad Frequency & Duration

SpyFu shows:

• How long a competitor’s ad has been running
• How often it runs

Long-running ads = Successful ads High frequency = High budget

Study these ads carefully. They are probably bringing profit.

Nuance: Good ads last longer. Bad ads disappear quickly.

Tip 35: Watch Your Competitor’s Domain Health

SpyFu gives you data like:

• Total ranking keywords
• Domain strength
• Backlink quality

Use this to check if a domain is:

• Growing
• Dropping
• Stuck

You can decide if they are a real threat or just noise.

Nuance: Focus on rising domains. They grow fast.

Tip 36: Follow Their Content Update Pattern

Check if your competitor updates blog posts.

SpyFu shows changes in keyword ranking.

If old pages go up, they updated content.

This helps you:

• Know what pages to update
• What keywords to refresh
• How often to post new content

Nuance: Fresh content = better Google love.

Tip 37: Check Keyword Intent

Not all keywords are the same.

SpyFu helps you know:

• Informational keywords (blogs)
• Commercial keywords (product pages)
• Transactional keywords (buying)

For example:

• “Best shoes” = blog post
• “Buy running shoes” = product page

Choose your keywords based on user intent.

Nuance: Intent matters more than just volume.

Tip 38: Compare Keyword Difficulty vs Ranking Position

SpyFu shows both:

• Keyword Difficulty (KD)
• Your competitor’s ranking

When KD is low but competitor ranks high, it means:

• That keyword is easy to steal
• You can try to beat them

Steps:

1. Find low KD keywords your competitor ranks for
2. Make better content for those keywords
3. Add better title, images, and structure

Nuance: Low difficulty + high position = your best chance to win.

Tip 39: Discover Competitor’s Evergreen Content

Evergreen content means:

• Content that always gets traffic
• Does not go out of trend

SpyFu helps spot these by showing:

• Same pages ranking for years
• Consistent monthly traffic

Study these pages:

• What topic they used
• How deep the content is
• What format they chose (list, guide, review)

Nuance: Make your own evergreen content to keep traffic coming long-term.

Tip 40: Find Paid vs Organic Focus

Some competitors focus more on:

• Paid ads
• Some on SEO

SpyFu shows how much traffic comes from:

• Paid campaigns
• Organic rankings

If they rely more on ads:

• You can beat them with strong SEO If they dominate SEO:
• Try PPC to get fast results

Nuance: Balance your strategy based on their weak side.

Tip 41: Identify Trending Keywords

SpyFu highlights rising keywords in your competitor’s list.

These are keywords that:

• Grew fast recently
• Became popular in last few months

Steps:

1. Go to your competitor’s keyword list
2. Sort by growth
3. Filter by last 3 months

Target these before others do.

Nuance: Early action gives big rewards later.

Tip 42: Export PDF Reports for Clients or Team

SpyFu lets you download:

• SEO reports
• Keyword rankings
• PPC data
• Backlink summary

Click Export → Choose PDF format.

Share with:

• Clients
• SEO team
• Ad buyers

This makes teamwork easier.

Nuance: Use visual reports to explain data clearly.

Tip 43: Track Multiple Competitors in One Dashboard

SpyFu’s Dashboard lets you:

• Add many domains
• Track all at once
• View keyword overlap and gaps

Steps:

1. Go to Dashboard
2. Add your domain
3. Add 3-5 competitors

Check regularly to monitor their progress.

Nuance: A dashboard saves time and keeps you focused.

Tip 44: Combine SpyFu with Google Analytics

Use SpyFu data with your Google Analytics or Search Console.

You can match:

• What keywords SpyFu shows
• What traffic you actually get

Compare to:

• Fix weak areas
• Add missing keywords
• Improve landing pages

Nuance: More tools = clearer picture.

Tip 45: Learn From Competitor Mistakes

If your competitor:

• Stops running ads
• Drops in ranking
• Loses backlinks

SpyFu helps you notice it.

Then ask:

• What went wrong?
• Can I avoid this mistake?
• Can I take their spot?

Nuance: Your growth can start where they failed.

Tip 46: Monitor Competitor Blog Frequency

SpyFu can show new ranking content.

Check how often they:

• Post new blogs
• Update old pages
• Get content ranked

If they post weekly and win traffic, maybe you need to post more.

Nuance: Follow their publishing habits to stay in the game.

Tip 47: Use Ad History to Plan Seasonal Campaigns

SpyFu shows when your competitor ran ads.

You will see:

• Peak ad months
• Special event ads
• Offers they pushed

Plan your ads before their season starts. Beat them by being early.

Nuance: Early ad = more sales.

Tip 48: Find Domains Linking to Multiple Competitors

SpyFu shows shared backlinks.

These are websites linking to 2 or more of your competitors.

That means:

• They like linking in your niche
• You can contact them too

Steps:

1. Go to Backlink Kombat
2. Enter 2-3 competitor domains
3. See shared backlink sources

Reach out to those sites and ask for a backlink.

Nuance: If others got it, you can too.

Tip 49: Watch Their YouTube and Social Mentions

SpyFu mainly tracks websites and ads. But one of the Best SpyFu Competitor Research Tips is to look beyond just search. If your competitor is growing fast, maybe they’re also using:
• YouTube
• Facebook
• Twitter

Check their content for social mentions. Add those platforms to your marketing plan.

Nuance: SEO + Social = powerful combo.

Tip 50: Keep Learning – SEO is Always Changing

Even if SpyFu gives you great data, you need to keep learning.

• Google updates happen
• Competitors change
• User behavior shifts

Keep checking:

• SpyFu updates
• Keyword trends
• Competitor moves

Make it a habit to spend 15–30 minutes a week on SpyFu research.

Nuance: Consistency beats speed.

Bonus Section: SpyFu for Beginners (Simple Guide)

If you are new to SpyFu, don’t worry. Here’s a simple way to start competitor research.

 Step 1: Type a Competitor’s Website

Go to www.spyfu.com

In the search box, type your competitor’s domain (example: nike.com) Then press Enter

Step 2: See Keyword Overview

You will see:

• Total organic keywords
• Total paid keywords
• Monthly traffic
• Estimated value

👉 These numbers help you understand how big or strong your competitor is.

Step 3: Click on SEO Keywords

This shows:

• Keywords your competitor ranks for
• Current position (1–100)
• Monthly searches
• Clicks per month

Use filters like:

• Volume > 500
• Position = 1–20
• Keyword Difficulty < 50

👉 These are good SEO targets for you too.

 Step 4: Check PPC Ads (Paid Keywords)

Click the “PPC Research” tab.

Here you will see:

• Their ad copy
• Which keywords they buy
• Cost per click (CPC)

👉 This tells you what products they push the most.

Step 5: Explore Backlinks

Backlinks help websites rank better.

SpyFu shows:

• Who links to your competitor
• How strong the linking site is
• Which page got the link

👉 You can try to get links from those same websites.

Pro Tips for Beginners

• Don’t copy everything your competitor does. Learn and improve it.
• Track only top 3 competitors to avoid confusion.
• Use notes or spreadsheets to record your research.
• Focus on easy keywords first, then go after big ones.

SpyFu Competitor Research Checklist

Here’s a quick list you can follow weekly:

✅ Task FrequencySearch competitor domainWeeklyCheck top organic keywordsWeeklyAnalyze PPC adsWeeklyTrack new backlinksBi-weeklyExport reports (PDF/CSV)MonthlyCompare keyword gapMonthlyUpdate your SEO contentMonthly

👉 This checklist helps you stay organized and focused.

Free Tools to Use with SpyFu

Here are some free tools that work great with SpyFu:

ToolUseGoogle Search ConsoleSee your own site keywordsGoogle TrendsSee keyword popularity over timeUbersuggestFind extra keyword ideasAnswerThePublicGet questions people askGrammarlyWrite better contentCanvaCreate blog images

Use them to boost your competitor research and content strategy.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

 What is SpyFu used for?

SpyFu helps you analyze competitors, find keywords, and study ads. It is used for SEO and PPC marketing.

Is SpyFu beginner-friendly?

Yes. It has easy reports, visual charts, and simple tools. Even new users can understand it in a few days.

Can I use SpyFu for free?

SpyFu has limited free features. To see full keyword lists and reports, you need a paid plan.

What makes SpyFu different?

SpyFu gives:

• Keyword history (years back)
• Competitor PPC ads
• Backlink Kombat tool
• Domain comparisons

It is great for spying on what works and what fails.

Is it useful for small businesses?

Yes! Small businesses can:

• Find local keyword ideas
• Study bigger competitor tricks
• Save time by using ready data

Final Thoughts

Using SpyFu for competitor research is a smart move. It helps you:
✅ Find keyword gaps ✅ Study ads ✅ Watch backlinks ✅ Discover new trends ✅ Plan content & SEO
This guide shares the Best SpyFu Competitor Research Tips to make these steps easy for you.
If your audience speaks simple English, this guide is made for you.
Stay consistent, stay curious, and SpyFu will become your best SEO friend.
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