How to Conduct Competitor Analysis Using Ahrefs in the Canadian Digital Landscape

To conduct a competitor analysis using Ahrefs in the Canadian digital landscape, follow these key steps tailored for local relevance:

1. Identify Your Competitors
   Start by identifying direct competitors in your niche and geographic area (Canada). Use Google search with your main keywords plus location indicators (e.g., “Toronto digital marketing agency”) to find competitors. Then input their URLs into Ahrefs’ Site Explorer to analyze them.

2. Analyze Competitor Website Overview
   Enter a competitor’s domain in Ahrefs’ Site Explorer to get an overview of their organic traffic, paid traffic, top keywords, and backlink profile. This helps you understand their overall SEO strength and traffic sources.

3. Examine Keywords and Traffic

   • Use the Organic Keywords report to see which keywords your competitors rank for in Canada.
   • Check Traffic by Keyword to understand which keywords drive the most visits.
   • Explore Paid Keywords if competitors run ads targeting Canadian audiences.

4. Perform Content Gap Analysis
   Use Ahrefs’ Content Gap tool by entering your domain and competitors’ domains to find keywords your competitors rank for but you don’t. Focus on Canadian-specific keywords or regional terms to capture local search traffic.

5. Analyze Backlinks
   Review competitors’ backlink profiles to identify high-quality Canadian or local backlinks they have acquired. This can reveal link-building opportunities relevant to the Canadian market.

6. Filter and Localize Data
   Use Ahrefs’ filtering options to narrow down results by country (Canada) or region to ensure insights are relevant to the Canadian digital landscape. This is crucial for understanding local search behaviour and competition.

7. Monitor Competitor Trends Over Time
   Regularly track competitors’ keyword rankings, traffic changes, and backlink growth to stay updated on their SEO strategies and market movements in Canada.

8. Evaluate Competitor Website Structure and Content Strategy
   Use the Site Structure report to see which sections of competitors’ websites attract the most traffic. This can help you identify content types or topics that perform well in the Canadian market.

By systematically applying these Ahrefs tools and focusing on Canadian-specific keywords, backlinks, and competitor behaviour, you can develop a robust competitor analysis tailored to the Canadian digital environment.

Summary Table of Key Ahrefs Features for Canadian Competitor Analysis

This approach ensures your competitor analysis using Ahrefs is comprehensive and localized for the Canadian digital market.