When you get started with marketing your SaaS product, the very first thing you do is research and identify your competitors – direct and indirect. The idea is to conduct a quick SWOT analysis to identify your strengths and weaknesses, and where opportunities to reach your target audience lie.
While most product teams will make extensive excel sheets to document these differences, the stand-out differences seldom see light. At the maximum, on a competitor comparison landing page that includes a tabular section to see which solution includes what.
Now what if we said that you could do more from all that research, combine it with your content marketing and SEO strategy, and start driving in more traffic from your target audience?
Let’s tell you how.
Different types of content formats for competitor comparisons
Based on how aggressively you want to take on your competitors, here are some of the content formats we recommend including in your marketing strategy – needless to say, they’re also well-suited for the sales and support teams (they’ll thank you later).
Quick comparisons
- Landing pages – These are web pages that can be templatised with ease to scale your competitor directory. They focus on highlighting the features you have; especially the ones not covered by your competitors along with a tabular form of feature availability. We find these a top favorite amongst performance marketing and sales teams too!
Here’s an example from Revealbot:
Competitor comparison guides
- Detailed comparisons – These include in-depth articles comparing your SaaS solution with major competitors. It should highlight the features, pricing, ease of use, benefits, customer reviews, and unique selling points.
- Comparison tables – Since no one has the time to go through lengthy content, we recommend also developing visually appealing comparison tables that quickly convey the differences and similarities between the products.
Here’s an example from Omnisend:
Case studies
- Customer success stories – Showcase case studies where users have switched from a competitor to your solution and experienced significant benefits like business growth, revenue, etc. We recommend including metrics and user testimonials to back up your claims.
- Industry-Specific Case Studies – Go deeper into your case studies and structure them based on the industries you target to provide a glimpse into the benefits you offer for each. Remember to add a comparison of how others vs your tool serves the industry – it’s a good idea to highlight if you’ve built an industry-specific solution.
Here’s an example from BigCommerce:
Feature Deep Dives
- Unique Features – Write detailed blog posts or create videos about the unique features of your tool that set it apart from competitors. While we do recommend including screenshots from both, you can also choose to only highlight yours to keep the reader’s focus on you.
- Feature Comparison Series – Develop a series of posts comparing specific features one-by-one with competitors, focusing on real-world applications and benefits; try weaving in case studies and industry use cases wherever possible to give more context.
User Reviews and Testimonials
- User Testimonials – Compile and showcase testimonials from users who have tried both your tool and competitors; you can also create a short blog post that highlights how they’re using your solution and their experience so far.
- Video Reviews – Create video reviews featuring real users discussing why they prefer your tool over others. It’s a good idea to narrow down your video to a defined set of questions; the goal is to keep the video to the point and engaging.
Here’s an example from Flits:
How-To Guides and Tutorials
- Getting Started Guides – Offer step-by-step guides on getting started with your tool, highlighting how it’s easier or more efficient compared to competitors. While you don’t have to include screenshots or videos from your competitors, you should include some of yours!
- Advanced Tutorials – Provide advanced tutorials demonstrating capabilities that competitors lack or do not perform as well. It’s a great way to showcase the ‘added benefits’ you have to offer, without really directly going after your competitors.
Blog Posts and Articles
- Market Analysis – Publish articles analyzing market trends in the ecosystem you have built your SaaS solution in and who you’re targeting, to position yourself as a leader. You can also publish this analysis as a research or report exclusive to you, helping establish authority in the long run.
- Comparative Content – Regularly publish blog posts comparing new updates and features of your tool versus competitors. While we don’t say you need to create a fresh piece of content every time you roll out a new feature, keep your existing content up-to-date at all times!
- Listicles – Another quick win against competitors can be listicles that put you on the same radar as other solutions. Seek out solutions with the highest search volume and tap into the intent of searching for alternatives for it.
Here’s an example from TxtCart:
Examples of content formats to use for competitor comparisons
To put the above into perspective, let’s give you some examples of what the above content formats would look like:
Blog Posts
- Long-Form Articles: Detailed, comprehensive guides and comparisons.
- Listicles: Top 10 reasons why your tool is better than the competition.
- Interviews: Interviews with industry experts and users.
Videos
- Demo Videos: Side-by-side demonstrations of your tool versus competitors.
- Testimonial Videos: Users sharing their experiences with your tool compared to others.
- Explainer Videos: Simple explanations of complex features, highlighting your tool’s advantages.
Infographics
- Comparison Infographics: Visually appealing infographics summarizing key differences and benefits.
- Feature Highlight Infographics: Focus on specific features where your tool excels.
Webinars and Live Demos
- Live Comparison Webinars: Host live webinars where you compare your tool to competitors in real-time.
- Q&A Sessions: Live Q&A sessions addressing common questions about your tool versus competitors.
Ebooks and Whitepapers
- Comprehensive Guides: In-depth ebooks and whitepapers comparing your tool to the competition.
- Industry Reports: Reports on trends in AI video generation, positioning your tool as the best choice.
How to integrate SEO and Content Marketing for competitor comparison?
Now just writing a great piece comparing your solution to the others is not enough. That’s where we recommend tapping into search intent and using the data to optimize the content to get discovered organically as well. Here’s how to do it:
- Keyword Research: Focus on long-tail keywords and search terms that include competitor names (e.g., “[competitor] vs [your tool]”).
- On-Page SEO: Optimize all content for relevant keywords, including competitor names and comparison-related terms.
- Content Clusters: Create content clusters around major competitors, linking all related content pieces for better SEO performance.
- Social Media Promotion: Actively promote comparison content on social media, engaging with potential users who are evaluating different tools.
- Backlink Strategy: Reach out to industry blogs and websites to feature your comparison content, earning backlinks and driving traffic.
Conclusion
By focusing on competitor comparisons through these content pieces and formats, you can effectively position your SaaS solution as a superior choice, driving traffic and conversions through targeted marketing efforts.
But the hack to making it work is actually focusing on the quality of the content you create when comparing it to the other solutions – so your research matters.
Not sure where to begin or need help creating competitor comparison content?