How To Find Competitors’ Traffic Sources

Want to level up your SEO game in the Philippines?  You must do something others have never done before or be better at it. That’s how you will stand out.

But before that, you must understand how your competitors attract their audiences.

In this article, we will discuss how to find competitors’ traffic sources. Competitor analysis creates better marketing to boost your website’s traffic.

Let’s uncover their secrets for successful traffic sources!

Uncovering Your Competitors’ Secret Sauce: Traffic Sources

So you go on social media and see fellow Filipino business owners. The thing is, they seem to be doing much better than you. Their posts have a lot of engagement, and their websites are getting a ton of traffic.

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Meanwhile, you look at your professional online store. Even made with a modern ecommerce platform, it doesn’t seem to give you customers like you thought.

What gives? The answer is that others have tapped into a goldmine: traffic sources.

But there’s a catch. You can also use the same traffic sources and even outperform the competition. That’s what we’ll get into here.

Why Analyze Competitor Traffic Sources?

First things first, why go through all the trouble? There are four reasons why this research will pay off:

• Gain more data sources. Online stores run on customer data. Your competitor’s traffic sources become another data point you can use for all aspects of your business.
• Identify new opportunities. Discover untapped channels where you can attract potential customers. Or, attract customers that were previously loyal to your rivals.
• Improve your marketing. See what works for your competitors. Then, refine your own ecommerce marketing strategies to attract more visitors.
• Stay competitive. Keep up with industry trends. Avoid falling behind by learning from other’s successes and mistakes.
• Boost ROI. Pour resources into the most effective channels. This will lead to better returns on your marketing investments.

Remember, though, that competitor analysis for ecommerce is not about unethical practices. You should never do something that is illegal.

Competitor analysis is standard practice for the industry. Thus, as long as you do it right, you’re not breaking any legal or moral rules.

Moreover, you’re not harming rivals by tapping into their traffic. Instead, you’re improving your own business and even raising industry standards.

Common Traffic Sources for Ecommerce Stores

Before learning about competitor traffic sources for ecommerce, know the most common ones.

This can help you benchmark your traffic against other businesses in the Philippines.

Knowing where you stand in the industry is powerful. Moreover, you can easily spot areas of improvement for yourself. All these will help develop more high-impact channels. 

Here is where most online stores’ traffic comes from:

• Search engines. Audiences look things up through engines like Google or Bing. Then, they get connected to the highest ranking website.
• Social media. Platforms like Facebook and Instagram contain millions of users. You can lead them to your online store with the right methods.
• Email marketing. Newsletters, promotional emails, etc., directly go into your potential customers’ inboxes.
• Referral websites. These sites make money by directing traffic to other online stores.
• Paid advertising. Avenues like Google and social media add funnel traffic to your store directly.

Pro tip: before you head to the next section, assess your current traffic sources. Look at where most of your customers come from. Then, determine which other channels are a good fit. Once you have that down, proceed to the next section.

8 Best Ways To Find Competitors’ Traffic Sources

Competitor analysis examines your rivals to understand their strengths and weaknesses.

This is especially crucial for businesses in the Philippines. This is because the e-commerce market is expanding fast. In fact, it’s expected to reach $24 billion in sales by 2025.

Search engine optimization (SEO) is one of the best ways to capture customers. After all, Filipinos are very active online. Thus, there’s a large audience for online businesses through SEO.

In this area, Google dominates search engine usage, with a 94.40% market share in the country.  Knowing how to find rivals’ traffic sources will help you improve your traffic. Here are the eight best methods for doing that.

Using Website Analytics Tools To Analyze Competitors’ Traffic

Web analytics tools show the volume and behavior of visitors on competitors’ websites.

They show which parts of a website attract the most visitors and how they interact with the content. Some of the best traffic checker tools are:

• Google Analytics
• Semrush’s Traffic Analytics
• SimilarWeb
• Ahrefs

These include metrics like page views, bounce rates, and session duration. This data identifies where and how your rivals get their audience. You can then use this to increase website traffic for your online store.

Using website analytics is convenient. They feature powerful tools that can provide in-depth analytics.

However, they also tend to be expensive. You’ll often have to pay for a subscription.

Leveraging Competitor Research Tools for Traffic Analysis

Competitor research tools provide insights into competitors’ traffic levels and sources. But how do they differ from website analytics?

Website analytics focus on metrics surrounding how users access websites.

These tools often focus on audience profile and behavior metrics. This includes features like traffic estimation, audience demographics, and engagement metrics.

Some examples of these tools include SparkToro and Brand24. You can use them to track competitors’ activities and compare their traffic over time.

This approach reveals product trends and shifts in the market.

High-level info allows you to spot opportunities for differentiation and better understand the market landscape. This enhances your competitive edge.

Examining Referral Traffic: Identifying Websites and Sources

Referral traffic analysis involves identifying which websites are directing traffic to competitors’ sites. These reveal where competitors are forming partnerships or finding link-building opportunities.

Use tools like SimilarWeb, SEMrush, Ahrefs, or Alexa. They can help gather data about your competitors’ traffic sources. For example, you can find a breakdown of referral traffic. This shows which sites are directing traffic to their stores.

Then, you’ll need to look at the specific sources of referral traffic. Are they coming from blogs, forums, news sites, or affiliate marketing programs? This will help you understand where they are investing their efforts.

A good practice is to analyze the quality and relevance of these referral sources. Not all referral sources are equal. Look out for well-regarded niche or industry-specific platforms. High-quality sources generally state effective partnership techniques.

Knowing others’ referral traffic reveals valuable potential partners or content placement ideas.

Analyzing Organic Search Traffic: SEO Insights and Keywords

Learn which keywords drive visitors to competitors’ websites through organic search results.

For this, tools like keyword planners and SEO platforms are very useful. Through them, you can:

• Identify which organic keywords are most effective;
• What keywords others are targeting;
• Related keywords that you can exploit.

Check out tools like Buzzsumo, SimilarWeb, and Feedly.

This process involves tracking keyword performance and aligning content strategies to target high-performing keywords. But how can you use these insights?

Look at your competitors’ organic keyword rankings. Then, see which SEO keywords make their content visible to search engines. Use this for your digital marketing strategies and increase organic traffic.

Analyzing organic search traffic enhances content visibility. Then, use this information for better search engine rankings and increased web traffic.

Understanding Paid Traffic Sources: PPC and Display Advertising

Paid traffic sources (paid ads) include pay-per-click (PPC) Google ads and display advertising. For any business, these are critical for driving targeted traffic. As it is true for you, so is it for rival stores.

Thus, analyzing competitors’ paid advertising methods can bring benefits. This reveals which keywords or demographics they target the most. Most importantly, you learn which ones you can then exploit.

For this, analyze your competitor’s paid ad placement and the types of creatives they use.

Here are some tips:

• Look for seasonal trends. See how your competitors’ advertising changes with seasons, holidays, or industry events. Look for shifts in their marketing approach that give you a traffic trend to exploit.
• Assess the creativity and quality of ads. Analyze the creativity, quality, and appeal of the ads. Understanding what makes their search ads effective can inspire improvements in your campaigns.
• Identify gaps and opportunities. Look for areas where other websites are not focusing their efforts. These could be potential opportunities for you to explore.
• Use tools to determine top-paid keywords. Free and paid SEO tools will give you a list of all the keywords your PPC rivals are likely targeting. Also, pay attention to valuable numbers like search volume for competitors’ sites.

Understanding paid traffic sources can help optimize advertising budgets and improve ROI. By adopting methods that have proven successful for others, you adapt them for your use. This has the potential to improve your marketing.

Another pro tip: learn the difference between organic traffic vs. paid traffic for ecommerce. While they have some commonalities, the way they work is very different.

Social Media Traffic Analysis: Identifying Social Platforms and Strategies

For any business using online platforms, social media traffic analysis is key.

But this doesn’t apply only to you. You should also do this for your competitors as well. This helps you discover which platforms are working for them. You’ll also see which types of content generate the most engagement.

Social media traffic analysis involves monitoring competitors’ analytics. Consider tracking their frequency of posting, content type, and user interaction.

Here are brief tips for this analysis:

• Identify their social platforms. Determine which social media platforms others are active on. This will help you understand where to focus your efforts.
• Analyze social media strategies. Look at competitors’ content type, posting frequency, and engagement rates. This will reveal which are successful in engaging the audience.
• Track engagement and response rates. Track how competitors interact with their audience and how they respond to inquiries. This indicates customer service effectiveness and engagement level.
• Benchmark performance. Compare your social media performance to your competitors to identify areas for improvement.

This analysis provides insights into successful practices and trends within the industry.

Understanding competitor practices lets you refine your social media strategies. Thus, you can better capture and engage its target market, driving more traffic.

Monitoring Email Marketing and Direct Traffic Sources

This shows how they directly engage with their audience, such as via email. What do you have to do?

• Examine the frequency of emails.
• Determine the content they send.
• Look at how these efforts drive traffic to their websites without middle-man sources.

One best practice is to subscribe to competitors’ newsletters. This will help you assess their content and promotional strategies.

Also, use analytics tools and email marketing services. They can help you track the origin of traffic. You’ll also see how different email types affect audience engagement and traffic.

Monitoring direct marketing provides insights into successful direct communication strategies. You’ll learn which messages and encourage tangible results to their site. From there, you’ll know how to improve your own methods.

Cross-Referencing Data: Identifying Overlapping Traffic Sources

Cross-referencing data means comparing information from different sources to see where they overlap. Thus, look at where your and your competitors’ website visitors come from.

Start by using analytics tools to track your own traffic sources. Look at:

• Social media
• Email marketing
• Direct links
• Referral websites
• Search engine results

Then, use the ecommerce competitor research tools and strategies discussed above. This will let you see similar data for your rivals. 

Best practices include:

• Reviewing traffic data regularly;
• Noting shared sources;
• Analyzing what this overlap might mean for your market position;
• Paying attention to any changes in these sources over time to spot trends.

Identifying these overlaps helps you understand a few things.

First, you’ll find where they might be better or where you have a competitive edge. This information can help you with marketing strategy by telling you where to focus. It can also help you discover opportunities you’ve never even thought of before.

These increase your visibility and drive more sales.

Final Thoughts

The search engine marketing space in the Philippines may seem too competitive.

But you can do so much with the right insights and plenty of creativity. Thus, these techniques let you craft a strategy for you to stand out from everyone else in your industry.With this article, you can now conduct a killer competitor website traffic analysis.