seo-competitor-pages

Competitor Comparison & Alternatives Pages

Shared Data Cache

Step 0 -- Check shared data cache:

Before gathering, check .seo-cache/ for reusable context from related SEO skills. Reference: ../seo/references/shared-data-cache.md for schemas and dependency map.

Check these cache files when present:

• .seo-cache/site-meta.json for domain, business type, industry, and crawl context
• .seo-cache/audit-scores.json for prior full-audit priorities
• .seo-cache/pages/{url-slug}/page-analysis.json for page-level context when a URL is provided

• If found: parse and use clearly valid fields (note "Using cached [X] from [date]")
• If missing, corrupt, or irrelevant: continue with fresh evidence
• If the user says "refresh" or "re-run": ignore cache reads and overwrite on write

Create high-converting comparison and alternatives pages that target competitive intent keywords with accurate, structured content.

Page Types

1. "X vs Y" Comparison Pages

• Direct head-to-head comparison between two products/services
• Balanced feature-by-feature analysis
• Clear verdict or recommendation with justification
• Target keyword: [Product A] vs [Product B]

2. "Alternatives to X" Pages

• List of alternatives to a specific product/service
• Each alternative with brief summary, pros/cons, best-for use case
• Target keyword: [Product] alternatives, best alternatives to [Product]

3. "Best [Category] Tools" Roundup Pages

• Curated list of top tools/services in a category
• Ranking criteria clearly stated
• Target keyword: best [category] tools [year], top [category] software

4. Comparison Table Pages

• Feature matrix with multiple products in columns
• Sortable/filterable if interactive
• Target keyword: [category] comparison, [category] comparison chart

Comparison Table Generation

Feature Matrix Layout

| Feature          | Your Product | Competitor A | Competitor B |
|------------------|:------------:|:------------:|:------------:|
| Feature 1        | ✅           | ✅           | ❌           |
| Feature 2        | ✅           | ⚠️ Partial   | ✅           |
| Feature 3        | ✅           | ❌           | ❌           |
| Pricing (from)   | $X/mo        | $Y/mo        | $Z/mo        |
| Free Tier        | ✅           | ❌           | ✅           |

Data Accuracy Requirements

• All feature claims must be verifiable from public sources
• Pricing must be current (include "as of [date]" note)
• Update frequency: review quarterly or when competitors ship major changes
• Link to source for each competitor data point where possible

Schema Markup Recommendations

Product Schema with AggregateRating

{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Product",
  "name": "[Product Name]",
  "description": "[Product Description]",
  "brand": {
    "@type": "Brand",
    "name": "[Brand Name]"
  },
  "aggregateRating": {
    "@type": "AggregateRating",
    "ratingValue": "[Rating]",
    "reviewCount": "[Count]",
    "bestRating": "5",
    "worstRating": "1"
  }
}

SoftwareApplication (for software comparisons)

{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "SoftwareApplication",
  "name": "[Software Name]",
  "applicationCategory": "[Category]",
  "operatingSystem": "[OS]",
  "offers": {
    "@type": "Offer",
    "price": "[Price]",
    "priceCurrency": "USD"
  }
}

ItemList (for roundup pages)

{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "ItemList",
  "name": "Best [Category] Tools [Year]",
  "itemListOrder": "https://schema.org/ItemListOrderDescending",
  "numberOfItems": "[Count]",
  "itemListElement": [
    {
      "@type": "ListItem",
      "position": 1,
      "name": "[Product Name]",
      "url": "[Product URL]"
    }
  ]
}

Keyword Targeting

Comparison Intent Patterns

Title Tag Formulas

• X vs Y: [A] vs [B]: [Key Differentiator] ([Year])
• Alternatives: [N] Best [A] Alternatives in [Year] (Free & Paid)
• Roundup: [N] Best [Category] Tools in [Year], Compared & Ranked

H1 Patterns

• Match title tag intent
• Include primary keyword naturally
• Keep under 70 characters

Conversion-Optimized Layouts

CTA Placement

• Above fold: Brief comparison summary with primary CTA
• After comparison table: "Try [Your Product] free" CTA
• Bottom of page: Final recommendation with CTA
• Avoid aggressive CTAs in competitor description sections (reduces trust)

Social Proof Sections

• Customer testimonials relevant to comparison criteria
• G2/Capterra/TrustPilot ratings (with source links)
• Case studies showing migration from competitor
• "Switched from [Competitor]" stories

Pricing Highlights

• Clear pricing comparison table
• Highlight value advantages (not just lowest price)
• Include hidden costs (setup fees, per-user pricing, overage charges)
• Link to full pricing page

Trust Signals

• "Last updated [date]" timestamp
• Author with relevant expertise
• Methodology disclosure (how comparisons were conducted)
• Disclosure of own product affiliation

Fairness Guidelines

• Accuracy: All competitor information must be verifiable from public sources
• No defamation: Never make false or misleading claims about competitors
• Cite sources: Link to competitor websites, review sites, or documentation
• Timely updates: Review and update when competitors release major changes
• Disclose affiliation: Clearly state which product is yours
• Balanced presentation: Acknowledge competitor strengths honestly
• Pricing accuracy: Include "as of [date]" disclaimers on all pricing data
• Feature verification: Test competitor features where possible, cite documentation otherwise

Internal Linking

• Link to your own product/service pages from comparison sections
• Cross-link between related comparison pages (e.g., "A vs B" links to "A vs C")
• Link to feature-specific pages when discussing individual features
• Breadcrumb: Home > Comparisons > [This Page]
• Related comparisons section at bottom of page
• Link to case studies and testimonials mentioned in the comparison

Output

Comparison Page Template

• COMPARISON-PAGE.md: Ready-to-implement page structure with sections
• Feature matrix table
• Content outline with word count targets (minimum 1,500 words)

Schema Markup

• comparison-schema.json: Product/SoftwareApplication/ItemList JSON-LD

Keyword Strategy

• Primary and secondary keywords
• Related long-tail opportunities
• Content gaps vs existing competitor pages

Recommendations

• Content improvements for existing comparison pages
• New comparison page opportunities
• Schema markup additions
• Conversion optimization suggestions

Error Handling

Write to shared data cache

After completing all work, write a concise JSON summary to .seo-cache/ when the workflow produced durable findings. Use the schemas and naming rules in ../seo/references/shared-data-cache.md; include at least cache_type, analyzed_at, source URL/domain, key findings, issues, recommendations, and tool limitations. Add .seo-cache/ to .gitignore if it is missing.