So you want to know what your competitors are doing right—and more importantly, what they're missing. Whether you're an in-house marketer, a freelance writer, or running your own site, figuring out how top-ranking content stacks up is half the SEO battle. But just poking around the SERPs or counting keywords by hand? That’s a slog.
This guide is for anyone who wants to use Clearscope keyword reports as a shortcut to laser-focused competitor analysis—without falling for the usual SEO myths.
Why Use Clearscope for Competitor Content Analysis?
Let’s level with each other: Most “competitor analysis” advice is either way too complicated or so basic it’s useless. Clearscope actually gives you something actionable—a side-by-side look at what keywords and topics your competitors hit (and which ones they skip).
- Saves time: No more endless spreadsheets or guessing about keyword density.
- Cuts through fluff: Focuses on what matters for ranking, not just what looks good.
- Spot real gaps: See where your site can actually stand out, not just copycat what’s already there.
But don’t expect magic. This tool won’t write your content, make it original, or replace your own judgment. It’s just a (pretty good) microscope.
Step 1: Pick the Right Keyword for Analysis
Before you touch Clearscope, you need a target keyword. This isn’t about chasing volume—you want a keyword that matters to your business and actually matches what you’re offering.
How to pick: - Choose a keyword you want to rank for, not what “sounds big.” - Make sure it lines up with your content goal (are you selling? informing?). - Google it yourself—do the results look like your ideal customer’s question?
Pro tip: Don’t overthink this. If you’re unsure, start with something you’re already trying to rank for and work from there.
Step 2: Run a Clearscope Keyword Report
Now, open up Clearscope and drop your chosen keyword in to generate a report. This is where the magic starts.
What you’ll get: - A list of “top competitors”—pages that already rank for your keyword. - The recommended terms and topics found across those top pages. - A content grade for each competitor (and, later, for your own draft).
What to skip: Don’t get hung up on the “grade” number just yet. That’s more of a directional nudge, not a guarantee of rankings.
Step 3: Identify Your True Competitors
Here’s where most people mess up—they treat every top result as a direct competitor. Wrong. Not every result is relevant to your goals.
Look for: - Pages with the same search intent (if you’re writing a guide, ignore e-commerce listings). - Brands or sites who speak to your audience. - Pages with a similar content format.
Ignore: - Outliers like PDFs, government pages, or random forum threads (unless your audience loves those). - Mega-brands that rank off sheer authority, not content quality.
Why this matters: You want to beat the pages your reader actually cares about—not chase Wikipedia or Amazon.
Step 4: Analyze Competitor Content Side-by-Side
Now for the fun part: dig into those competitor pages using Clearscope’s tools.
What to Look For
- Recommended terms: Which keywords and topics do top competitors cover? Are there any they all hit?
- Frequency: Are certain terms mentioned just once, or are they core to the topic?
- Content structure: How do they organize info? Lists, FAQs, case studies?
- Depth: Are these shallow posts or deep dives?
- Gaps: Which recommended terms are missing from most pages? That’s your opportunity.
Pro tip: Don’t just scan for words—read a section or two. Are they actually answering the searcher’s question, or just padding the word count?
How to Use Clearscope’s Comparison Tools
- Use the competitor comparison view to see which terms each page covers (and skips).
- Sort by “terms missing” to spot easy wins.
- Pay attention to headings and structure, not just word soup.
What NOT to do: Don’t obsess over hitting every single term. That’s a fast track to unreadable, Frankenstein content.
Step 5: Spot Gaps and Opportunities
Here’s where you separate yourself from the copycats. Clearscope will show you recommended terms that few (or none) of the top competitors use. This is your chance to add value.
Questions to ask: - Are there important questions or subtopics competitors ignore? - Did they skip recent updates or data? - Is there jargon or insider info your audience would appreciate?
Quick wins: - Add missing terms where they make sense—but only if they help the reader. - Structure your content more clearly than competitors (think: better headings, summaries, visuals). - Include examples, case studies, or expert insights competitors missed.
Caution: Don’t shoehorn in every suggested term. Google (and readers) can tell when you’re stuffing for the sake of it.
Step 6: Build Your Content Brief
Take what you’ve learned and turn it into a one-page plan for your own article. Don’t get bogged down—just outline the important parts:
- Main keyword and any high-priority related terms.
- Core topics/subtopics to cover (based on competitor gaps).
- Content format (guide? list? comparison?).
- Tone, length, and structure ideas.
Why bother? This saves you from rewriting later. And if you’re working with writers, it keeps everyone on the same page (literally).
Step 7: Write—and Use Clearscope as a Sanity Check
Once you’ve got your draft, run it through Clearscope. The tool will score your content and highlight any missing terms. But here’s the trick: use this as a guide, not gospel.
- If you missed an important term, add it if it fits naturally.
- If you’re “missing” a term that would sound forced, skip it.
- Re-read your intro and conclusion—are you actually answering the search query better than competitors?
Bottom line: Clearscope is a tool, not a search engine. The final call is yours.
What Works, What Doesn’t, and What to Ignore
What Works: - Using Clearscope to quickly spot gaps and must-have topics. - Focusing on real competitors, not irrelevant outliers. - Building briefs that save time and frustration.
What Doesn’t: - Treating the content grade as a magic bullet. - Stuffing every term just because it’s “recommended.” - Blindly copying the structure of the top results.
What to Ignore: - Worrying about hitting every single recommended keyword. - Chasing the highest content grade at the expense of clarity. - Overanalyzing pages that clearly aren’t relevant to your audience.
Keep It Simple: Your Next Steps
Competitor analysis doesn’t have to be a labyrinth of spreadsheets or a blind chase after content grades. With Clearscope, you get a clear look at what’s working, what’s missing, and where you can stand out—if you use your head.
So, pick a keyword that matters, check out the competition, spot the real gaps, and make your content genuinely useful. Don’t get lost in the weeds. Start simple, iterate, and you’ll stay ahead of the crowd.