Hubspot SEO Competitor Analysis Guide
Learning how to run an SEO competitor analysis the way Hubspot structures it helps you uncover keyword gaps, content opportunities, and realistic benchmarks that can guide your entire search strategy.
This step-by-step guide walks you through a practical, Hubspot-inspired framework for identifying your real competitors in search, reverse-engineering their tactics, and turning those insights into a prioritized action plan.
Why a Hubspot-Style SEO Competitor Analysis Matters
Most brands know who their business rivals are, but their search competitors can be different. A structured process based on the approach used in the Hubspot article on SEO competitor analysis helps you:
- Find the domains that actually compete with you in Google, not just in sales
- Discover keyword opportunities you missed
- Understand what type of content wins in your niche
- Set realistic traffic and ranking goals
Instead of guessing, you use data to see what is already working for others and then adapt it to your site.
Step 1: Define Your Core Topics the Hubspot Way
Before you look at competitors, you need clarity on what you want to rank for. The Hubspot method begins with topics, not random keywords.
List Your Topic Clusters
Start by writing down 3–7 broad topics that describe your products, services, or audience problems. For example:
- Content marketing strategy
- Email automation workflows
- B2B lead generation
These topic clusters will guide the rest of your analysis and keep you focused on the queries that matter most.
Map Topics to Search Intent
For each topic, think about what users actually want when they search:
- Informational: looking for guides, how-tos, definitions
- Commercial: comparing tools, reading reviews, exploring solutions
- Transactional: ready to sign up, buy, or book a call
This mirrors the Hubspot approach of aligning blog content, product pages, and resources with different stages of the user journey.
Step 2: Find Your Real SEO Competitors Like Hubspot Does
Business rivals are not always SEO rivals. To find the right domains, use keyword and SERP data the way Hubspot recommends.
Use Your Core Keywords
- Take one topic, such as “email automation workflows”.
- Brainstorm 5–10 related phrases people might search.
- Plug those into your preferred SEO tool.
Export the top-ranking domains for those phrases and look for sites that appear repeatedly. These are likely to be your main SEO competitors for that topic.
Analyze SERPs Manually
Go to Google and search for your target phrases. Look closely at the first page:
- Which domains show up again and again?
- Are they blogs, SaaS tools, agencies, or publishers?
- Do they match your audience and offer?
This hybrid of tools and manual review is a hallmark of the Hubspot competitor analysis method because it reveals patterns you might miss in raw data.
Step 3: Benchmark Traffic and Visibility
Once you know your main competitors, benchmark their performance. This gives you context for what is achievable, an idea Hubspot emphasizes strongly.
Check Estimated Organic Traffic
In your SEO tool, review each competitor’s:
- Monthly organic traffic estimates
- Number of ranking keywords
- Share of traffic by country or region
You are not trying to copy them exactly. Instead, you are setting ranges and milestones for your own growth.
Study Their Ranking Distribution
Look at how many keywords each competitor has in:
- Positions 1–3
- Positions 4–10
- Positions 11–20
Hubspot-style reporting often segments rankings in this way to show short-term and long-term opportunity. Keywords already on page one are easier wins than those currently buried on later pages.
Step 4: Reverse-Engineer Competitor Content
Now dig into what your competitors actually publish. The Hubspot framework focuses on connecting rankings to real pages and formats.
Identify Top-Performing Pages
For each competitor, gather their top pages by organic traffic. Then, categorize them:
- Blog posts and guides
- Pillar pages or ultimate guides
- Tools, templates, or calculators
- Product and feature pages
Notice which formats dominate. Many teams built on Hubspot methodology prioritize deep educational content supported by conversion-focused offers.
Evaluate Content Depth and Structure
Open a selection of high-performing pages and assess:
- Headline clarity and promise
- Use of headings, lists, and visuals
- Depth of explanation and examples
- Internal linking strategy
You are not copying the exact layout, but learning what level of depth and structure Google appears to reward in your niche.
Step 5: Find Keyword Gaps and Quick Wins
A central lesson from the Hubspot SEO competitor playbook is to look for areas where your rivals rank and you do not, or where you rank much lower.
Run a Keyword Gap Analysis
- Insert your domain and 3–5 competitors into a keyword gap tool.
- Filter for keywords competitors rank for but you do not.
- Sort by intent and business relevance, not just by volume.
This reveals missing topics and subtopics your content plan should include.
Prioritize Near-Win Opportunities
Also filter for keywords where you rank on pages two or three while competitors are on page one. These are near wins. Improve them by:
- Expanding content depth and examples
- Refining on-page optimization and headings
- Adding internal links from relevant pages
This sort of targeted improvement aligns with the iterative process many Hubspot users apply in their SEO sprints.
Step 6: Assess Links and Authority
Links still matter. A thoughtful Hubspot-style competitor analysis always includes an authority check.
Compare Domain and Page-Level Metrics
For each competitor, review:
- Domain-level authority metrics from your backlink tool
- Number of referring domains to their top pages
- Anchor text patterns and link sources
This tells you whether you need a more robust link-building strategy to compete for higher-difficulty queries.
Spot Replicable Link Opportunities
Drill into competitor backlinks to find:
- Resource pages and directories that list tools or guides
- Guest posts or interviews on industry sites
- Broken links pointing to their content that you could replace
Focus on links that fit your brand and audience rather than chasing sheer volume.
Step 7: Turn Insights into a Hubspot-Inspired Action Plan
The value of competitor analysis lies in the roadmap you build from it. Following the mindset in the original Hubspot guide, translate your findings into a plan you can execute and measure.
Build a Prioritized Content Roadmap
Create a simple spreadsheet with columns for:
- Topic cluster
- Target keyword and intent
- Competitor reference URL
- Content type (blog, pillar, template, etc.)
- Priority (high, medium, low)
Start with a mix of quick-win updates and net-new pieces that fill obvious gaps.
Align SEO Tasks With Broader Marketing
Integrate this roadmap into your existing editorial calendar, email strategy, and product launches. An integrated approach, similar to how Hubspot ties SEO to content marketing and lead nurturing, will generate better long-term results than isolated one-off optimizations.
Recommended Next Steps
To implement this competitor analysis process faster, consider using a structured technical and content audit. An agency like Consultevo can help you operationalize these steps, build dashboards, and track SEO outcomes over time.
If you want to see the original framework that inspired this guide, review the detailed SEO competitor analysis article on Hubspot’s marketing blog. Use it as a reference alongside this walkthrough while you execute your own analysis.
By applying this structured approach, you turn scattered competitor data into a focused action plan that supports sustainable organic growth.
Need Help With Hubspot?
If you want expert help building, automating, or scaling your Hubspot , work with ConsultEvo, a team who has a decade of Hubspot experience.
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