What is competitor-analysis?

The Competitor Analysis skill is a specialized tool designed to extract structured marketing data from competitor websites with high precision. It focuses on objective observation of messaging, trust signals, pricing models, and call-to-action strategies, providing a clean, raw dataset that serves as the essential first step for strategic positioning and content creation workflows.

When should I use competitor-analysis?

competitor-analysis is useful in the following scenarios: • Messaging & Value Prop Benchmarking: Systematically extract headlines and unique claims from 3-5 competitors to identify common industry patterns and brand tones. • Pricing & Transparency Audit: Analyze how rivals structure their pricing, including hidden costs, discount models, and transparency levels to inform your own pricing strategy. • Trust Signal Mapping: Identify the specific review platforms, certifications, and guarantees competitors use to build authority and credibility in the market. • Conversion Path Analysis: Observe primary CTA placements, button text, and form field requirements on competitor landing pages to understand their lead generation tactics. • Gap Analysis Data Collection: Generate a structured report of 'not found' elements on competitor sites to identify potential areas for brand differentiation.

name	competitor-analysis
description	Extracts marketing elements from competitor websites. Structured observation only. Does not write copy or make recommendations.

Competitor Analysis Skill

Purpose

Extracts observable marketing data from competitor websites. Observation only, no interpretation.

Position in Workflow

[competitor-analysis] → [keyword-research] → [lead-gen-copy]
         ↓
   Raw observations      →    Patterns    →    Copy decisions

This skill produces RAW DATA. Copy decisions happen in other skills.

Input

competitor_urls: ["url1", "url2", "url3"]  # min 3, max 5
analysis_focus: full | messaging | trust | pricing | cta
industry: removals | cleaning | trades | legal | healthcare

Output

competitors:
  - url: "..."
    messaging: { ... }
    trust: { ... }
    pricing: { ... }
    ctas: { ... }
observed_differences: [ ... ]  # What varies between competitors

Hard Rules

Rule	Requirement
Competitor count	Minimum 3, maximum 5
Data source	Visual observation only
No scraping	Manual review, no HTML parsing
No recommendations	Observations only, no "should"
Absence = explicit	Missing element → `not_found: true`

Analysis Categories

1. Messaging

Field	Extract
`headline`	Exact H1 text
`headline_pattern`	benefit / feature / question / statement
`value_prop`	Main promise (1 sentence)
`tone`	formal / professional / casual / friendly
`unique_claims`	List of specific claims

2. Trust Elements

Field	Extract
`review_platform`	Google / Trustpilot / none
`rating`	Number or `not_found`
`review_count`	Number or `not_found`
`credentials`	List: type + name
`guarantees`	List: type + specifics
`team_visible`	true / false

3. Pricing

Field	Extract
`transparency`	hidden / teaser / full
`lowest_shown`	Price or `not_found`
`pricing_model`	fixed / hourly / quote-only
`discounts`	List or `not_found`

4. CTAs

Field	Extract
`primary_text`	Exact button text
`primary_placement`	hero / header / footer
`form_fields_count`	Number
`phone_prominent`	true / false
`mobile_sticky`	true / false

Handling Missing Data

Never leave fields empty. Never guess.

# If element exists
rating: 4.8

# If element not found
rating: 
  not_found: true
  
# If unclear/ambiguous
pricing_model:
  unclear: true
  observed: "Shows 'from £X' but also 'call for quote'"

Observed Differences Rules

Differences are observations, not opportunities or recommendations.

# CORRECT - observation only
observed_differences:
  - category: pricing
    observation: "Competitors A, B show no prices. Competitor C shows 'from £299'."
    
# WRONG - contains recommendation
observed_differences:
  - category: pricing
    opportunity: "Show transparent pricing to differentiate"  # ❌ NO

"Opportunity" word is FORBIDDEN in output.

Output Stability

Same input → same output structure. Always.

Scenario	Rule
Field has data	Include with value
Field not found	Include with `not_found: true`
Field unclear	Include with `unclear: true` + `observed`
Never	Omit fields

Forbidden

❌ HTML scraping or parsing
❌ Accessing competitor analytics
❌ Recommendations or "should" statements
❌ Ranking competitors (better/worse)
❌ Omitting fields when data missing
❌ Using word "opportunity"
❌ Making strategic suggestions

Non-goals

Does NOT write copy
Does NOT rank competitors
Does NOT make recommendations
Does NOT interpret data
Does NOT suggest positioning

References

schema-messaging.md — Full messaging schema
schema-trust.md — Full trust schema
schema-pricing-cta.md — Full pricing & CTA schema

Definition of Done

3-5 competitors analyzed
All categories filled (or marked not_found)
No recommendations in output
No "opportunity" word used
Differences are observations only

competitor-analysis

When & Why to Use This Skill

Use Cases