Let’s get one thing straight: SEO is a zero-sum game.
There is only one winner for each spot on Google’s results page. Someone else has to lose traffic if you want more of it. It’s not enough to write blog posts by yourself and hope that Google’s algorithm will work. That takes a long time, is old-fashioned, and usually ends in mediocrity.
But here’s the catch: You don’t have to guess.
You can now see your competitor’s SEO strategy, including their keywords, content, backlinks, and even technical flaws, thanks to today’s competitive intelligence tools. You can then use that information to get their traffic.
This isn’t just a theory. This plan has been tried and tested in battle.
Your Arsenal: New “Spy Tools” for SEO
Don’t just think of Ahrefs, Semrush, or Moz as tools for tracking keywords; think of them as intelligence centers. These platforms go through billions of pages and show:
- What words do your competitors use to make sales?
- What kind of content brings them traffic
- Which sites are linking to them?
- Where their site isn’t very good from a technical point of view
The change in mindset? Stop protecting your rankings and start taking theirs.
The Four-Step SEO Heist
You need a clear plan, just like with any other successful operation. Here’s a step-by-step plan for stealing your competitor’s traffic.
Phase 1: Keyword Recon (Taking Their Search Strategy)
Your competitors have already spent years and thousands of dollars figuring out which keywords bring in customers. You can use that research for free.
Steps:
- Find real SEO competitors
Your search competitor and your business competitor aren’t always the same. The “Organic Competitors” report will show you who is really competing for your keywords. - Find the money words
Search for words that show a strong intent, like “pricing,” “buy,” and “best software.” These are the ones that get people to buy, not just click. - Do a keyword gap analysis
You can see exactly which keywords they rank for that you don’t by comparing your site to theirs. That’s your plan. - Choose the easiest tasks to do
Filter for keywords that are in the top 4 to 10. It’s easier to beat them here than to get rid of a #1 result.
Phase 2: Content Espionage (Copying Their Best Pages)
The “what” is the keywords. Content is the “how.”
What do you do? Find the pages that get the most traffic and make them better.
Step 1:
- Look at their Top Pages report to see which articles or tools get the most traffic from search engines.
- Break down the formula by looking at the word count, structure, use of visuals, and tone.
- Use the Skyscraper Technique: Take the same subject and make something taller by making it more detailed, new, better designed, and easier to read.
Phase 3: The Backlink Heist (Steal Their Authority)
Google uses backlinks to show that they trust a site. You don’t need to start from scratch because your competitors already have a strong network of links.
Steps:
- Export their backlink profile to see all the sites that link to them.
- Put high-value links first. Look for authority sites, industry-relevant mentions, podcasts, and directories.
- Outreach with a better deal
- Tell those sites about your better content: “I saw that you linked to [Competitor’s Guide]. I just put out a new, more detailed version of the same thing. Here’s the link; it might be even more useful for your readers.”
- That way, you’re not cold calling; you’re giving them a better resource.
Phase 4: Technical Triage (Use Weaknesses)
Even small technical problems can make a site rank #1 or #5. If you are more technically skilled, you can beat them.
Steps:
- Check their domain with a site audit—Use your SEO tool to look around their site.
- Find the problems: slow loading times, broken links, bad schema, and hard-to-use navigation.
- Make your site faster, cleaner, and technically bulletproof so that their flaws work to your advantage.
Making Your Spying Automatic
SEO isn’t something you do once. Set up automatic alerts in your platform to stay ahead:
Type of Alert:
- New Words – You can act quickly when you see that your competitors are starting to rank for new keywords.
- New Links – When they get new high-quality links, you’ll be notified and then you can go after the same sources.
- Changes in Rank – Keep an eye on their movements on “money keywords” and attack when they make a mistake.
The Bottom Line
It’s not enough to just make content and hope it works anymore.
It’s about being smarter than your competitors:
- Take their proven keywords
- Do better than their content
- Copy (and improve) their backlinks
- Take advantage of their technical weaknesses
You don’t have to guess if you have the right tools. You are using a system of competitive displacement that is predictable and repeatable.
The hard work has already been done by your competitors. They’ve tried out the market, made a plan, and shown you what works. Just follow the trail, do it better, and take their traffic.
