Competitive Intelligence Best Practices
Turn Surva.ai competitor data into strategic advantage. These tips help you monitor competition effectively and act on intelligence quickly.
Setting Up Competitor Tracking
Choose the Right Competitors
- Include 2-3 direct competitors (same product/service)
- Add 1-2 indirect competitors (alternative solutions)
- Track 1-2 aspirational competitors (market leaders)
- Monitor emerging players in your space
Review Competitor List Quarterly
- Add new competitors that emerge
- Remove companies no longer relevant
- Adjust focus based on market changes
- Ensure you are tracking the right threats
Monitoring Competitor Activity
Check Competitor Ads Weekly
- Review new ads in the Ad Library
- Note messaging changes and new offers
- Identify keywords they are targeting
- Save compelling ads to your Swipe File
Track Ranking Changes
- Use SERP Matrix for weekly position review
- Identify keywords where competitors are gaining
- Investigate when competitors jump significantly
- Learn from their successful pages
Monitor AI Visibility
- Compare your AI visibility to competitors
- Note which platforms favor which competitors
- Analyze competitor content that earns AI mentions
- Target keywords where competitors have AI visibility you lack
Acting on Intelligence
Respond to Competitive Threats
- When a competitor launches new ads, analyze the offer
- When rankings drop, investigate what changed
- When competitor gains AI visibility, study their content
- When landing pages change, note new messaging
Find and Exploit Gaps
- Identify keywords competitors miss
- Target AI platforms where competitors are weak
- Differentiate where competitors converge on messaging
- Move fast when you spot opportunities
Strategic Analysis
Understand Competitor Strategy
- What keywords do they prioritize?
- What messaging themes do they emphasize?
- How are they positioning against you?
- What is their content strategy?
Identify Patterns
- Do they have seasonal campaigns?
- How often do they update content?
- When do they typically launch new ads?
- What triggers their marketing activity?
Reporting and Sharing
Create Competitive Reports
- Summarize competitor activity monthly
- Highlight significant changes and threats
- Include recommended actions
- Share with relevant stakeholders
Brief Your Team
- Share competitive insights with sales
- Inform product team of competitor features
- Update marketing on competitor messaging
- Keep leadership aware of market dynamics
Ethical Considerations
- Use only publicly available information
- Focus on learning, not copying
- Differentiate rather than imitate
- Compete on value, not just reaction