Findings feed straight into your digital strategy, website, SEO and marketing priorities. We present them in a workshop and turn them into a prioritised list of actions.
Websites, UX, messaging, offers and content
Market & Competitor Research
Market and competitor research that shows where you actually stand online
Good decisions start with good evidence. We research your market, customers and competitors across search, AI assistants, websites, content and user experience, so your strategy is built on what’s actually happening rather than assumptions.
Decisions made on gut feel and last year’s data.
That’s where things start to fall apart.
- No clear view of who you’re really competing with online
- Unknown share of search and AI recommendations
- Customer needs assumed rather than tested
- Redesigns that copy competitors instead of beating them
Strategy should be the thing everything else refers back to.
What good research delivers
- A clear picture of your position against named competitors
- Search and AI visibility gaps ranked by opportunity
- Customer insight that shapes messaging and UX
- Recommendations tied to specific actions
Our approach
Competitive landscape analysis
We map who you’re actually competing with, not just who you assume you are.
Positioning and messaging gaps
We identify where competitors are saying the same thing, and where there’s room to stand apart.
Benchmark reporting
Clear reporting on how you compare across the metrics that matter most.
What’s included
What’s included in market & competitor research
Competitor benchmarking
Search gap analysis
Keywords competitors win that you don’t
AI search visibility benchmark
How often ChatGPT, Perplexity and Google AI Overviews mention you versus competitors
Customer research
Interviews, surveys and analytics review
Market and audience sizing
Where the opportunity is
Findings report
Prioritised recommendations and next steps
Work: Paysauce
The initial understanding of their core audience and competitors ensured a message that delivered the punch.
Frequently asked questions
About Market & Competitor Research
Why does market and competitor research matter before building a strategy?
Market and competitor research gives a clear, evidence-based view of the competitive landscape, so positioning and investment decisions are based on where the real gaps are, not assumptions. It covers competitive landscape analysis, positioning and messaging gaps, benchmark reporting and opportunity sizing, and is often the first input into brand strategy work.
How many competitors should typically be included in a research project?
Usually four to six direct and adjacent competitors — enough to spot genuine patterns without diluting focus across too many businesses.
What's the difference between competitor research and a SWOT analysis?
Competitor research is more specific and evidence-based — mapping actual positioning, messaging and search visibility rather than a general internal brainstorm of strengths and weaknesses.
Can competitor research inform SEO strategy directly?
Yes — identifying where competitors rank and what content they're missing is a common input into Content & Intent Optimisation planning.
How often should competitor research be refreshed?
At least annually, or whenever a major competitor makes a significant move — a rebrand, a new product line, or a pricing change worth responding to.
Does market research include pricing analysis?
It can — pricing is often one input among several, alongside messaging, positioning and service offering, depending on what the engagement is trying to inform.
How does competitor research feed into brand positioning?
It identifies genuine gaps and overlaps in how competitors position themselves, which directly informs Brand Strategy & Positioning work — positioning that ignores the competitive landscape risks sounding identical to everyone else.
Is competitor research only useful before a rebrand?
No — it's also useful before major marketing investment, a new product launch, or entering a new market, any time a business needs evidence of where it genuinely stands.
What data sources are used in competitor research?
A mix of public website content, SEO visibility data, social media presence, and industry reporting, depending on what's available and relevant to the specific market.
Can this research identify opportunities competitors are missing?
Yes — opportunity sizing is a core part of the work, looking for search terms, content gaps or audience segments competitors haven't addressed well, which can inform content marketing priorities.
How does this connect to a broader digital strategy?
Findings typically feed directly into Digital Strategy & Roadmapping, since prioritisation should reflect where real competitive gaps and opportunities actually sit.
How long does competitor research take?
A focused competitor snapshot takes about one to two weeks. Deeper market and customer research programstypically take three to six weeks.
What is digital competitor analysis?
Digital competitor analysis compares your online presence with competitors across websites, search rankings, AI assistant visibility, content, social and user experience, to identify where you’re ahead, behind and where the opportunities are.
Can you show how AI tools rank us against competitors?
Yes. We run your customers’ typical questions through ChatGPT, Perplexity and Google AI Overviews and report which businesses are mentioned, cited or recommended, and why.
