Written by Julien Ricciarelli-Bonnal

13 December 2025

The simple method to predict your competitors’ strategy — using three free tools

Most companies assume that competitor analysis requires expensive tools, dedicated analysts or complex dashboards. In reality, three free resources are enough to reveal the strategic backbone of any actor: visibility patterns, acquisition priorities, growth trajectory and even the underlying intent behind their digital decisions. The point is not surveillance, but understanding. Because a business that knows how to read what its competitors show — voluntarily or not — makes better decisions, clarifies its own positioning and strengthens the logic of its actions. Many SMEs observe what others publish, but very few understand what these signals actually say.

Public Google Search Console data: a competitor’s strategic map revealed unintentionally

When a company leaves Search Console tables accessible through indexed URLs or open APIs, it exposes a strategic piece of information: the queries it targets, the type of traffic it wants, the pages it tries to push and those that stagnate. These signals reveal more than performance — they reveal intention. A competitor focusing heavily on long-tail queries is pursuing a niche strategy. Another producing generic content seeks visibility over precision. Reading these movements becomes a competitive advantage, especially when supported by expert marketing consulting capable of transforming data into decisions.

By observing the evolution of clicks, impressions or page positioning, one can determine whether a competitor is investing in content, whether they publish consistently, and whether their focus is awareness or acquisition. This is not technical analysis; it is strategic interpretation. And for companies lacking internal clarity, this mirror often exposes their own weaknesses.

SimilarWeb and estimation tools: the real dynamic behind the storytelling

Companies say many things, but few show the truth of their traction. Traffic estimators such as SimilarWeb reveal what public statements hide: traffic sources, growth stability, channel dependency and the rhythm of visibility. A competitor who gains 40% traffic in a month has not suddenly mastered the market — they launched a campaign, earned a strong backlink or updated a high-potential page.

These signals help decipher market priorities without relying on unverifiable claims. SMEs often underestimate this approach, believing they lack the time or expertise. Yet these simple indicators reveal a basic story: rising, stagnating or declining. Combined with a full strategic audit, the picture becomes clear: strengths, weaknesses and transferable ideas.

Public content: the visible surface of an internal strategy

Articles, landing pages, updates — these are strategic artifacts. The frequency, tone, structure and depth of a competitor’s content reveal whether they aim to educate, reassure, convert, differentiate or recover. A company suddenly publishing three articles a week is rarely doing it because they “finally have time.” They are chasing visibility, rebuilding authority or responding to pressure. Conversely, a company slowing its publishing pace may simply have reached stability.

Reading content as a strategic signal requires nuance, but it provides valuable insight into a competitor’s priorities.

Why this method works

Competitor analysis is not imitation. It is the art of seeing what should not be copied, what must be surpassed and what reveals structural gaps in a sector. Companies that regularly observe these three sources — Google data, traffic estimations, public content — gain clarity, and clarity is a competitive advantage.

This method works because it is simple, repeatable and based on observable facts rather than assumptions. Strategic intelligence does not require sophistication; it requires consistency. And consistency is what allows a company to invest where it truly matters.