Competitor Research and Market Intelligence Services
What is competitor and market intelligence research?
Competitor research is the systematic process of gathering and analysing publicly available information about the businesses you compete with — or will compete with. It answers the question: what are my competitors actually doing, and what does that mean for me?
Market intelligence is a broader term that includes competitor analysis but also covers market-level signals: pricing norms, dominant messaging patterns, category language, and the gaps that exist between what competitors offer and what customers want.
This service conducts that research entirely online. No cold calls to competitors, no mystery shopping phone calls, no in-person visits. Every piece of information in the report comes from sources that are publicly accessible on the internet — competitor websites, service pages, pricing pages, reviews, job postings, social media, and more.
The result is a structured written report that tells you exactly where you stand relative to your competition, where the opportunities are, and what language and positioning is most common in your market.
Who is this service for?
This service is most useful when you need to understand your competitive environment — either before entering a market, when reviewing your own positioning, or when you want to find the gaps your competitors are leaving open.
What you get — the deliverable
You receive a written competitor and market intelligence report delivered as a Google Doc or PDF. The report is structured to be immediately useful for decision-making — not padded with methodology descriptions or generic industry context.
Standard Report Structure
- Research scope and competitor list — a clear statement of which competitors were analysed, how they were identified, and what was excluded from the scope.
- Individual competitor profiles — for each competitor: what they offer, who they appear to target, how they describe their service, what pricing signals they show, and what language they use repeatedly.
- Pricing landscape overview — a summary of pricing signals observed across all competitors: what is publicly visible, what is implied, what pricing models are common (fixed, hourly, tiered, custom quote), and what the apparent price range looks like.
- Messaging and positioning map — an analysis of the words, phrases, and positioning claims that competitors repeat most frequently, which reveals what the market considers important and where messaging has become undifferentiated.
- Target audience analysis — who competitors appear to be speaking to, based on language, case studies, client logos, testimonials, and page content.
- Content and SEO signals — what content types competitors publish, what topics they focus on, and any observable SEO footprint that indicates where they are competing for visibility.
- Identified gaps and weak spots — areas where competitors are silent, inconsistent, or clearly weak. These are the opportunities for differentiation.
- Summary and positioning recommendations — a direct, plain-language summary of what the research found and what it suggests about how you could position yourself differently and more effectively.
The report does not present competitors in a flattering or artificially negative way. The goal is an honest picture of what is publicly visible, so you can make better-informed decisions.
What I analyse — the specific dimensions
For each competitor included in the scope, the analysis covers a consistent set of dimensions. This structured approach makes the report comparable across competitors and avoids the common problem of research that goes deep on one competitor but misses key things about others.
What they actually offer — specific services, packages, and scope. What they include and visibly exclude.
Who they appear to be addressing — by company size, industry, role, or situation — based on language, case studies, and testimonials.
Any visible pricing: listed prices, price ranges, tiered packages, pricing page structure, or signals from case studies and client references.
The primary claim or value proposition presented on the homepage or main service page. The thing they most want a visitor to believe or feel.
Words and phrases that appear multiple times across their pages — revealing what they think their audience cares about.
Reviews, testimonials, client logos, case studies, and awards — the evidence they present to establish credibility.
Blog content, guides, resources, and keyword topics they appear to be targeting — indicating where they invest in organic visibility.
Things they do not address, questions they leave unanswered, or areas where their positioning is vague or inconsistent.
How the process works
The engagement is simple and requires very little time from you. Here is how a typical project runs:
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Step 1 — You send your brief
Describe in a few sentences: what your business does, who your main competitors are (or who you think they are), and what you most want to know. You do not need to prepare a detailed brief — a short email is enough. -
Step 2 — I confirm the competitor list and scope
Within one working day, I will confirm the list of competitors to be included, what dimensions will be covered, and the price. I may suggest adding or removing competitors based on what I find at this initial stage. You approve the scope before work begins. -
Step 3 — Research and analysis
I visit each competitor's website and relevant pages, document findings across the standard dimensions, identify patterns across the competitive set, and write the report. Research is done manually — I visit actual pages and read actual content. -
Step 4 — Report delivery
You receive the completed report by email as a Google Doc link or PDF attachment, as you prefer. The report is self-contained and clearly structured. No presentation call is required — though if you want to discuss the findings by email, that is included. -
Step 5 — Follow-up questions
One round of follow-up questions by email is included. If you want to add more competitors or deepen a specific section after reading the initial report, I can quote for that as an add-on.
Timeline and pricing
How long does it take?
A standard report covering 3–5 competitors is delivered within 4–6 business days from confirmed scope and payment. Larger scopes (8–12 competitors) take 6–9 business days. If you need faster delivery, mention it when you get in touch and I will tell you whether it is possible.
Pricing
Pricing is fixed per project based on the number of competitors and depth of analysis. The tiers below cover most projects. If your scope is unusual, I will quote a custom price.
- 4–6 business days
- Report: approx. 1,500–2,000 words
- Good for a quick market orientation or pitch brief
- Covers all 8 dimensions at summary level
- Google Doc or PDF delivery
- 5–7 business days
- Report: approx. 3,000–5,000 words
- Full 8-dimension competitor profiles
- Pricing landscape section
- Messaging map and gap analysis
- 7–10 business days
- Report: approx. 5,000–8,000 words
- Full profiles on all competitors
- Detailed content and SEO analysis
- Detailed strategic recommendation section
All prices in USD.
How to use the competitive intelligence report
A competitor research report is only useful if it informs actual decisions. Here are the most common ways clients use the output from this type of research:
Setting your pricing
If you are unsure how to price your service, knowing what competitors charge (or signal they charge) gives you a foundation. The report shows you the range observed in the market and what pricing models are common — fixed, hourly, tiered, or "contact us." This helps you decide whether to price above, at, or below the market, and how to frame that choice to potential clients.
Writing your website and service pages
One of the most valuable outputs of the messaging and positioning map is seeing what language everyone else uses. When every competitor uses the same phrases ("actionable insights," "strategic partner," "data-driven"), you know exactly which language to avoid to sound different. The gaps in competitor messaging are the spaces where your own language can stand out.
Identifying what to emphasise
The gap analysis section identifies things competitors are not addressing, questions they leave unanswered, or weaknesses in their positioning. These are the areas where you can create genuine differentiation — not just by saying you are different, but by actually addressing what others ignore.
Building a business case or pitch
If you need to justify a new product, service line, or market entry to an internal team, board, or investor, a documented competitive analysis is a standard expectation. The report provides that in a form that can be quoted, attached, or incorporated into a presentation.
Informing content strategy
The content and SEO signals section tells you what topics competitors are publishing on, which questions they are answering, and where the gaps in published content are. This is directly useful for planning a blog or content strategy that does not simply replicate what already exists.
What online competitor research cannot tell you
It is important to be clear about what this research can and cannot do. Online competitor research shows you what is publicly visible. It does not reveal:
- Internal pricing structures — any pricing that is not published, and negotiated or volume-based discounts that happen in private conversations.
- Customer satisfaction or retention — unless this is reflected in public reviews, you cannot know how happy a competitor's clients actually are.
- Internal strategy or future plans — what a competitor intends to do next is not visible online unless they have published it.
- Revenue or profitability — unless a competitor is a public company or has published case studies with financial details.
- Sales process details — how competitors sell, how long their sales cycles are, or what their conversion rates look like.
For these questions, the appropriate research methods involve direct conversations — customer interviews, win/loss interviews, or mystery shopping. This service does not include those. If you need primary research to complement the online analysis, I can recommend next steps.
Competitor research vs. market research — what is the difference?
These two types of research answer different questions, and the right choice depends on what you need to know.
| Question | Better fit: Competitor Research | Better fit: Market Research |
| What are my competitors charging? | ✓ | |
| How do competitors describe their services? | ✓ | |
| Where can I differentiate my positioning? | ✓ | |
| Is there demand for this type of product at all? | ✓ | |
| What problems do potential customers have? | ✓ | |
| How large is the addressable market? | ✓ | |
| What gaps are competitors leaving open? | ✓ | ✓ |
| Is this market growing or declining? | ✓ |
Many clients benefit from both. If you are entering a new market, you may want the market research service first to validate that there is demand, and then the competitor research service to understand the competitive landscape before finalising your positioning. Both can be ordered separately or as a combined package — if you need both, contact me and I will quote a combined price that is lower than ordering them separately.
Frequently asked questions
What if I don't know who my competitors are?
That's fine — and actually common. Tell me what your service or product is, what problem it solves, and who it is for. I will identify the appropriate competitors as part of the scope confirmation stage, and we will agree the list before work begins.
Can you include competitors who don't have much online presence?
If a competitor has very little public online presence — a basic website with minimal content, no pricing information, and no reviews — the analysis of that competitor will necessarily be thin. I will flag this during scope confirmation and we can decide whether to include them or replace them with more information-rich alternatives.
Do you contact competitors directly?
No. All research is conducted using publicly available online information only. I do not contact competitors, submit enquiry forms under false identities, or engage in any form of deceptive research. If pricing or service details are not publicly visible, the report will note that they are not available and explain what signals are visible instead.
How current will the information be?
The research reflects what is publicly visible at the time of the project. Competitor websites are visited and read during the research period. Since this is a point-in-time snapshot, pricing, messaging, and service offerings may change after the report is delivered. For markets that change rapidly, it is worth commissioning updated research every six to twelve months.
Can you include competitors from multiple countries?
Yes, provided their websites are in English or have English versions. For competitors whose websites are primarily in other languages, the analysis will be limited to what is visible in English-language sections. This will be flagged clearly if it applies.
Is the report confidential?
Yes. Your brief, the competitor list, and the resulting report are treated as confidential. I do not share client research with third parties or use it as a reference in other projects. A formal NDA can be signed before work begins if you require it.
Can I add more competitors after I receive the report?
Yes. If after reading the report you want to add further competitors or go deeper on a particular area, I will quote for the additional work separately. The standard scope and price covers what is agreed at the outset.
Can I order competitor research and market research together?
Yes — and if you need both, a combined project will cost less than ordering them separately. Tell me in your initial enquiry what you need and I will quote for the combined scope.
Ready to understand your competitive landscape? Tell me who you are, what you offer, and who you compete with. I will respond within one working day with a scope confirmation and price.