Not long ago, my local business was barely surviving to attract new customers. Our website was nowhere to be found in Google listings. That's when I decided to explore professional search engine optimization.

Recently, a clothing brand approached me after wasting over 150,000 SAR on platform promotion with minimal outcomes. After revamping their campaign, we achieved a six hundred thirty-one percent increase in ROAS.

A few months ago, a local business approached me after investing over 120,000 SAR on foreign search optimization with minimal returns. After executing a customized Saudi-focused ranking approach, they achieved premium rankings for 23 high-value keywords within just 90 days.

I now use several tools that have significantly enhanced our competitive research:

• Search analysis platforms to track other companies' search rankings
• Social listening software to monitor competitors' social activity
• Premier digital marketing services tracking solutions to observe modifications to their online presence
• Newsletter subscription to receive their promotional messages

Not long ago, I observed as three competitors poured resources into growing their business on a certain social media platform. Their attempts were unsuccessful as the channel proved to be a bad match for our industry.

When I started my e-commerce business three years ago, I was convinced that our unique products would sell themselves. I overlooked market research as a waste of time – a decision that almost ruined my entire business.

I suggest categorizing competitors as:

• Primary competitors (offering equivalent products/services)
• Secondary competitors (with some overlap)
• Potential threats (new entrants with disruptive potential)

Start by identifying ALL your competition – not just the obvious ones. During our analysis, we identified that our most significant competitor wasn't the established business we were watching, but a recent company with an unique approach.

I invest at least two hours each Monday reviewing our competitors':

• Website structure and user experience
• Blog posts and publishing frequency
• Social media activity
• Customer reviews and assessments
• SEO strategy and rankings

I use a basic document to monitor our competitors' pricing modifications weekly. This has helped us to:

• Discover cyclical promotion cycles
• Notice product bundling strategies
• Comprehend their pricing psychology