When you search a competitor's SEO Keywords, you can use that information to improve your own rankings. The best SEO keyword tool will reveal a website's organic keywords that they rank for, their organic position, and useful metrics that help you gauge whether those keywords are worth targeting for your site.
How to find your competitor's SEO Keywords:
1. Enter the competitor's website without any https or www (like livingspaces.com) into the search bar.
2. Scroll down on the results page to find a list of keywords. Filter as needed and export your list.
Why search for a website's keywords?
Your competitor's SEO keywords help you learn some valuable insights. You can:
- Tell what topics they focus on
- Learn their areas of expertise
- See which pages they prioritize on their sit
- Find gaps where they don't cover much ground.
That information can tell you what kind of content pulls in traffic from the same audience that you want to visit your site. It gives you ideas of what to cover--whether to keep your voice in the same space as your competitor or to add value in areas where they aren't.
The short-hand way of describing that is to raise your rankings on important, relevant keywords.
How does an SEO keyword tool help with that?
Your best actions will come from different approaches. A good SEO keyword tool will give you access to your competitor's entire keyword list and details about the keywords. Combine that with your own rankings on those same keywords, and you can make solid, strategic decisions about your SEO.
How to Work with SEO Keywords
Now that you have done a search to get your competitor's organic keywords, let's look at how to get the most out of this tool.
- What I can learn about my competitor
- What I can learn about my own rankings (This goes for your clients, too.)
Keyword Depth
SpyFu searches offer expanded depth in your keyword data. That applies two ways:
- Keyword breadth (Millions of search engine results pages--SERPs--searched)
- Keyword depth--up to the 100th organic position from deep SERP results
That adds more accuracy to your keyword research. You have greater keyword diversity from a domain, and more websites from the SERP identified as competitors. You will see new entries earlier, because we can detect rankings from content before it takes time to reach the first few pages.
SpyFu collects the top 100 organic results from the SERP.
This will include searches where new content lands a site at #63 when they first publish. Not only does it mimic Google Search Console, but more importantly, it's a helpful "early warning" indicator.
What to do with low keyword rankings
When you view your own organic keywords, these lower rankings (like #63 mentioned above) can help you see where you are getting traction from content that just started to rank. Use this as your baseline and start working to increase links to that page--both internal and external.
For your competitor's site, these lower rankings help you spot emerging threats. If you don't rank here already, mark down that topic as one to prioritize.
Compare Your Ranks Against Your Competitor's
Enter your own domain, and you can see how you and your competitor rank for the same keywords--side by side.
Use the "Compare My Site's Ranks" feature. This comparison adds better context to your research. It also makes opportunities more obvious. It's a bit different if you are looking at your competitor's new keywords or ones where they just surpassed your ranks. In this related article, we look at those situations in depth and what you can do with each one.
Filters to Fine Tune Your Results
A keyword tool only works for you if you target keywords that fit your needs. That's where our filters and automatics topics help you out.
You can filter for functionality (leave out certain URLs from results), and you can filter for metrics and performance stats like search volume, mobile usage, or expected clicks.
Keyword Filters
Keywords (include/exclude)
One example is excluding "near me" when you compare yourself to larger retail operations.
URLs (include/exclude)
Your competitor's blog (and all of its ranking pages) is a great example. You can pull keywords from just those pages and skip unrelated sections.
Volume
A lower ranking on a power keyword with high volume might bring in more clicks--and certainly more impressions--than what you get from top rankings on low-search terms.
Keyword Difficulty
Narrow your choices to keywords within reach. Then you can sort them further based on other metrics.
Rank
That "new" icon in the change column will help you spot movement in your competitor's content or your own rankings.
SEO Clicks
Some keyword ranks bring in far more clicks from a top-10 spot than other keywords in #1. Find out how much traffic comes in thanks to specific SEO keywords.
Usually, clicks go hand in hand with ranks, but there are exceptions. That's why we break this metric apart. The change figure next to it measures changes in clicks from (roughly) the month prior.
Additional SEO Keyword Metrics
We brought in some next-generation metrics from the SpyFu Keyword Overview into the domain's SEO keyword search results. Use these to make smarter decisions about the keywords you choose:
- CPC
- Mobile Searches Percent
- Desktop Searches Percent
- Searches Not Clicked Percent
- Paid Clicks Percent
- Organic Clicks Percent
- Cost
- Paid Competitors
- Number of Homepages that Rank
All of the keyword results come loaded in a sortable "grid" with select metrics by default. Any of the metrics we've listed so far are available as columns you can use to weigh your keyword selections. You can also fine-tune the cost-related metrics from broad match-based costs estimates to figures based phrase match or exact match. Click the icon to customize your view.
Adult Filter
Whether they are "on brand" or not, some domains can rank for NSFW terms. Since it's not always expected, we include a default filter that hides these terms until/unless you choose to show them. And now, something different on SpyFu, you can see what those terms are.
That filter will be tremendously helpful to look for negative match opportunities on the PPC side. Watch for updates on this feature.
You can read more about our extended filters that help you find the right keywords here.
Find Topics to Inspire Content Ideas
One more way of filtering the keywords is to sort them into content topics. Or rather, have SpyFu do the sorting. Anytime you search a domain, you can find their keywords automatically sorted into related phrases and topics. Use these to drive strong content ideas.
Here's what it looks like for asics.com's Most Valuable (SEO) Keywords.
Now instead of individual keyword metrics, you can gauge interest and performance on a larger keyword group.
Similarly, it's helpful to generate content ideas around topics that have strong interest. Use the individual keywords to guide you toward subjects to cover within that content, or make those specific keywords into supporting pieces in a hub and spoke style.
With paid keywords, this automatic sorting helps to guide your ad groups, giving you a stronger shot at tying together relevant ads and ad copy.
Tip: Along the way, it helps to save and track your new keyword finds. SpyFu's built-in project manager is a perfect spot to store the keywords you want to keep for future reference. Start a project, give it a name, and add keywords as you find them with the "add" button.
Take Action on Keyword Segments
Instead of metrics, keyword segments are built on movement and recent changes. These dynamic groups are automatically updated and sorted for you:
- Most Valuable Keywords
- Newly Ranked Keywords
- Keyword Rank Gains
- Keyword Rank Losses
- Keyword Click Gains
- Keyword Click Losses
- Keywords that Just Made the First Page
- Keywords that Just Fell Off the First Page
Let's look at how these segments help you take action on your keywords and on your competitor's keywords.
Most Valuable Keywords
Your Competitor’s Site: Here's the sweet spot of SpyFu's original promise: find which keywords your competitors rank on that are most valuable.
Your best actions to accomplish this:
“Shop” for good keywords that you can target, remembering to de-prioritize their branded terms.
While you review their strong keywords for ideas, add this timesaver: Go to the additional options at the bottom of the filter list. You will probably have to click "view more."
Check the box to "Exclude Homepage Keywords."
This will remove keywords where the targeted domain's homepage ranks, like branded terms. Similarly, chasing homepages could be an intensive effort with little return. Let the filter save you some future frustration.
One other important note while you gather new keyword ideas. This is where the project manager comes in really handy. It allows you to add ideas here and there as you find them. We suggest using the filters to narrow the list by important, achievable criteria.
Switch to Topics for a broader view.
This 30,000-foot view helps you shift your focus to topics rather than specific keywords. We designed this with content creators in mind.
In this case, consider your own content.
If your site already ranks for a similar related keyword, think about what you can do to optimize that piece for the new related keyword you've found. That might help you gain some clicks and impressions.
Review the topics so you can see the forest rather than the trees. Ask yourself:
- What content do I have that ranks in this topic?
- Do I have multiple related pieces that can be combined?
Your Website: Find (or confirm) your most valuable keywords.
Your best actions to accomplish this:
Focus on the keywords that return the most value for your efforts. Then, have SpyFu track them so you can find ongoing improvement opportunities and wins.
Remember to use some of the same tips we mentioned in the previous section: refer to Topics for a wider view while you browse, and use the project manager for organization and rank updates.
Once again, the project manager tracks your weekly ranking performance--just frequent enough to stay on top of changes without getting caught in minutiae.
Keep in mind (as you track your rankings), that you should watch for clicks as the ultimate measure of your ongoing growth and success. Make note of when you made adjustments to your content, like updating your titles and meta descriptions.
I use a spreadsheet for this.
I keep track of dates and changes so I can correlate them with any shift in our ranks and clicks. If you change titles, keep track of what the old title was. You can take action by reverting anything you did that had unexpected, bad effects.
More Action on your Keywords
This will apply to all segments, but we don't want it to get buried.
When you review your own keywords with an aim to move up the page in your Google rankings, make these practices part of your routine. Ask these next questions and look for opportunities.
Do I have multiple pieces of content in a group that can be combined?
If you don't have a content management system in place, you can solve this with our keyword filter. Use the "include" keyword filter to narrow your results to a targeted keyword or phrase.
If you had three different pages that rank for a matching keyword (or that phrase is in the title), that filter will return them together. You can then look for any opportunities to internally link to each other, or combine the articles.
If you combine the articles, remember to redirect (301) the smaller article to the larger one. There is also an option to canonicalize one item over another but still keep both pieces intact. That tells the search engine that you recognize the duplicate content, but one should get the authority.
Does my content's H1 Title include the highest volume keyword that it ranks for?
Usually, you start by aiming for a target keyword with high engagement and potential clicks. That's probably something you incorporated into your original title. However, when those keywords are lofty goals, here's advice to work with the momentum you have.
Once your content starts ranking, those keywords give you an outsider's view of how that page is authoritative. It could rank for a variant keyword that still has high search volume.
We see this with carhop.com, an automotive repair site. Their page "How to Use Coca Cola to Get Rid of Car Rust" uses a similar URL:
https://www.carhop.com/how-to-use-coca-cola-to-get-rid-of-car-rust/.The fact that "get rid of car rust" appears in both their URL and their H1 tells me that they were originally aiming for that keyword.
If we look at the SEO keywords for carhop, we can see that the page ranks for two similar keywords.
That first metric to the right of the terms is the search volume. We can do a quick keyword search on "get rid of car rust" to see that rust removal phrased keywords get searched more often than the "get rid of" versions.
Since carhop already has that ranking momentum, this is an excellent case to update their H1 with "How to Remove Rust with Coca Cola."
If your stronger, already-ranking keyword isn't in your title, consider adding it. That lets you strengthen your footing on a keyword where you have a shot at meaningful rankings. Those meaningful rankings turn into clicks and impressions.
What do people ask about this keyword/topic?
This is a valuable idea starter. If good SEO content is about fulfilling a search, this is a clear doorway to coming up with topics.
Click through on a target keyword from your list. That opens the Keyword Overview which has a "Questions" section built around that keyword.
Take note of how many searches are being done for each question and how well you can answer it fully.
Return to this section often as you work through the other segments.
Newly Ranked Keywords
Your Competitor's Site: It helps to paint a picture of the direction they are taking with SEO.
Your best actions:
Keep note of trends and save keywords that are new to you but also higher in search volume and clicks. Treat the competitor like a path-clearing guide to areas you might consider in the near future. Add them to your project for reference.
These are new rankings, but is the content itself new? If not, what changed from before? (Hint: you might want to try the Wayback Machine for this if possible.)
Review any pieces that rank for keywords that you rank for. If they outrank you, add that content to a workflow of your design (notes, a spreadsheet) of work to improve.
Your Website: You already know what you targeted with your new content and optimization. This section confirms what worked. With rankings up to the 100 position, you will see activity early in the process.
Your best actions:
This might be another good time to filter out your own homepage as described in the Most Valuable Keywords section.
Now, using your filtered Newly Ranked Keywords, look for any content entries that followed a change:
- You published new content
- You optimized a page
Let those be lessons for what worked.
Next, look for traffic (clicks) that you gained from individual keywords. (You should be in the filtered keywords view, not Topics.) Use those click counts to determine how much opportunity there is if you should grow your rankings where you already have a foothold.
Keep the homepage filter in place, but switch to the Topics view.
Click a keyword in one of the subgroups, and look at the URL results that rank for keywords in that group. If you have multiple pieces of content, your best actions might be in making them work together. Some options:
- Canonicalize one piece to another
- Link the pieces to each other
- Redirect one piece
- Leave them alone
No matter what you choose, make a note to yourself so you can review your choice when your rankings shift--for better or for worse.
You're also prime to harness that momentum. Don't rest. As you rank for new keywords, stay on top of the many ways you can continue to improve your rankings.
Keyword Rank Gains
Your competitor's site: These are not new rankings, but your competitor has moved up from where we saw them ranking last month.
Your own site: As you continue to optimize your existing work, you hope to see the results here in rank gains.
Your best actions:
Treat these similarly to what you did with Newly Ranked Keywords for both your competitor's site and for your own.
However one important difference is that gains (vs new ranks) could be a result of returning from rank losses the previous month.
Take note of any algorithm hiccups that might have caused dips across the board. If you see widespread dips from last month, take the "gains" to be a return to normal.
Keyword Rank Losses
Your Competitor's Site: These are all keywords that your competitor ranked for but lost position.
Your best actions:
Look for the cause, especially if their loss came from someone else's gain. If you started to outrank them, that is reason to double down on what you did before. If another domain jumped up ahead of them, add that domain to your competitor list.
You can add the new domain as a project (in the project manager) for ongoing reference and frequent keyword rank updates.
Your own site: These are drops in your rankings from what you had last month.
Your best actions:
Ask if this is a rebound from heavy work you did the month before. This happens occasionally when new content spikes. You could have peaked from a surge of promotion and traffic that got you new links.
One more thing to review is the age of that page that dropped in rankings. Google loves fresh, relevant content, and sometimes a content refresh can help give you a boost.
Update any old metrics, clarify some explanations, or add details. Make sure that you adjust the date, too. Any of those actions can nudge you back in the right direction when your content has faded.
Look for more details about technical updates in the "Keywords that Just Fell Off the First Page" section below.
Keyword Click Gains/Losses
Any gains in keyword clicks and in keyword losses tend to match rank gains and rank losses. Your best actions will be similar to what we covered and will probably cover the same content, too.
Clicks follow rankings.
However, there are a few exceptions.
You can lose clicks to new Featured Snippets on the page while still holding your rank. We talk about this with the "Searches Not Clicked" metric. Sometimes Google returns enough information on the SERP--or even in the suggest bar--that answers the searcher's question.
Your best actions:
The ranking reflects how authoritative Google considers your content to be in regards to the search. The amount of clicks go hand in hand with your position, but they reflect how well the searcher feels you will answer their search. You can help your click count by making sure you have a strong, clear title and a compelling meta description.
Keywords That Just Fell Off/Just Made it to the First Page
Your Competitor's Site: This is a list of their content that ranked on the first page last month but has since slipped from those top 10 results. Had they jumped to the first page from lower ranks last month, we will include those as "just made it" keywords.
Your best actions:
Focus mostly on "just made it" keywords and add those to your workflow. This might be newer content, but like we explained in the "Gained Ranks" section, it could be older work that has gotten optimized. Check to see what they have done recently--you're looking for the specific updates that bumped them onto Page 1. If they updated the content, try to find what they did so you can roll that practice into your own work.
Your Own Site: With "just made it" keywords, these are your recent wins that confirm what you have been doing to optimize your content. The "just fell off" keywords are an early signal that something needs attention.
Your best actions:
Celebrate your wins and double down on the work that got you to Page 1 for a search. When it comes to losses, pounce on these quickly. When you lose Page 1 status, you will see a more dramatic loss in clicks and impressions than what you would from other rank losses.
Review the advice from the Keyword Rank Losses section and stay focused on updating your content. Look for broken links on your page, and fix any issues that hurt the user experience on your site.
This might be a good opportunity to run an SEO site audit, especially if you see your rankings slip across your site.
Should You Consider a Paid Keyword Tool?
Free keyword tools can be a great way to dip your toes into SEO, and SpyFu's free access is one of the most generous in the industry. It's not tied to a free trial where the clock runs out. It allows for unlimited free searches, sharing up to 5 results at a time.
However, many eventually outgrow their limitations—usually needing more data to combine for better, more complex insights.
How to Know It’s Time to Upgrade
You’ll know you’ve hit the ceiling when:
- You bump into search limits too often. Most free plans cap your queries daily or monthly (or by number of searches). Waiting for a reset mid-project can slow your momentum.
- You need more than basic metrics. Advanced features like reporting, daily tracking, historical trends, or SERP feature analysis often live behind a paywall.
- You’re managing multiple clients or campaigns. As your SEO needs expand, you’ll want keyword grouping, competitor comparisons, or bulk exports—none of which are common in free tiers.
If you’re nodding along, it’s worth exploring paid options that give you full access to these time-saving and insight-rich features.
Paid Tools Can Keep Your Research Flowing Smoothly
Take SpyFu, for example. Having a paid tool comes with personalized dashboards that let you pick up where you left off. SpyFu customers log in to see a My Sites feature that tracks daily keyword ranking snapshots for key competitors.
Unlike many tools that gate features based on pricing tiers, SpyFu offers unlimited search results across all paid plans. That means no caps that cut your research short or leave you needing more. Plus, our Kombat tool lets you compare your keyword performance side-by-side with two (or more) competitors, revealing high-value opportunities they’re ranking for and you’re not.
Another standout is SpyFu’s historical ranking data. You can see how your site—or a competitor’s—has ranked for a keyword over the past decade. Paid access unlocks this kind of expanded data that proves valuable in identifying what’s worked, what hasn't, and where to go next.
Compare that to more limited free tools that show a snippet of data, often with minimal context or filtering.
Where Free Tools Still Shine
That said, free keyword tools still have their place. Just like with SpyFu, other free keyword tools like Google Keyword Planner are great for PPC-focused research, especially if you’re running Google Ads. Others like Moz Keyword Explorer offer intuitive interfaces with limited, but solid, keyword data—enough for occasional research or solo projects.
But for any SEO or PPC effort that goes beyond quick checks, paid tools pay off quickly (especially if you’re managing campaigns across domains).
Final Thought: Think Beyond Just Keywords
The real value of a paid tool isn’t just more keywords. It’s the ability to strategize smarter and faster—whether that means tracking competitor movement, monitoring rank changes, or building content plans around keyword gaps.
If you want to see how this looks in action, check out SpyFu’s keyword competitor analysis guide. It shows how to use paid keyword tools to reverse-engineer your competition and build strategies that get results.
Use SEO Keywords to Your Advantage
You have plenty of options and opportunities to gain ranks by reviewing SEO keywords. It's important to stay on top of your own site while also keeping an eye on your competitors.
These features bring actionability and action-ready metrics to the field--for your own site and for competitive intelligence. Everything is in place to help you find meaningful answers with clear next steps.
