How to create a B2B competitor analysis and how the insights move you forward

A B2B competitor analysis shows how other providers behave in your market. You look at who your competitors are, how they position themselves, which channels they use, which message they repeat and where the opportunities lie for your organisation. 

Many companies limit competitor research to a list of names, services and prices. That gives you an overview, but little direction. In B2B, what you really want to understand is why a customer chooses one provider and passes over the other. That calls for a broader analysis of proposition, content, website, social media, visibility, proof and sales approach. 

In this article you will read how to create a strategic B2B competitor analysis. You will see which steps to go through, which questions to ask yourself, how to translate the insights into your value proposition and how to use competitor research to make sharper choices in your marketing strategy. 

A strategic B2B competitor analysis

A strategic B2B competitor analysis goes further than looking at who offers roughly the same thing. You examine how competitors are visible in the market and which position they are trying to claim. That shows you where the market is already crowded and where there is still room. 

For B2B companies, that is especially relevant. Buying journeys are longer, several decision-makers have a say and prospects often compare providers long before they get in touch. The competitor that is most visible, recognisable and credible therefore often has a head start before sales even sits down at the table. 

A good competitor analysis helps you take a sharper look at your own strategy. Where do you resemble others too much? Which claims does everyone use? Which questions does the competitor answer that you don't yet? And where can you take a clearer stance? 

So the goal is not to copy competitors. The goal is to spot patterns and make your own choices based on them. You use the analysis to better align your proposition, content, website and channel strategy with the market you want to win. 

Identify your competitors

Start by defining your competitor set. Distinguish between direct competitors, indirect competitors and alternatives. Direct competitors offer roughly the same solution to the same target group. Indirect competitors solve the same problem in a different way. Alternatives are other choices a customer can make, such as doing nothing, solving it in-house or hiring a freelancer. 

In B2B, that last group is particularly interesting. You are not only competing with other providers. You are also competing with postponement, internal projects, existing suppliers and doubt within the DMU. Include those alternatives in your analysis. 

Then choose a manageable selection. Five to ten competitors is usually enough to recognise patterns without the analysis becoming unworkable. 

How do my competitors behave?

If you want to define your own Point of View and value proposition, you first need to understand how competitors behave. List the following:

• Which words do they use?  

• Which problems do they name?  

• Which services do they put forward?  

• And how do they try to win trust? 

In B2B, behaviour often says more than a positioning line on the homepage. So look at what competitors do consistently:

• Do they publish a lot of thought leadership content?  

• Do they advertise on specific keywords?  

• Are their experts active on LinkedIn?  

• Do they use customer cases as proof?  

• Or do they mainly focus on product information and demo requests? 

By mapping that behaviour, you see where the market is heading. You also discover what competitors pay little attention to. That can open up room for your own story. 

Map your DMU and your competitors' DMU

B2B decisions are rarely made by one person. That is why you need to find out which decision-makers your competitors address: 

• Is their content aimed at management, marketing, sales, operations, HR, IT or procurement?  

• And which role gets the most attention? 

Compare that with your own target group. Perhaps you mainly speak to the marketer, while the competitor also addresses the commercial director and CFO. Or the other way round: competitors stay high-level, while you can answer the practical questions of operational roles. 

This analysis helps you find gaps in your own communication. If several people influence the decision, your content has to serve several information needs. 

Analyse your own platforms and your competitors'

Next, look at the platforms where competitors are active. Start with the website:

• How is the homepage structured?  

• Which services get attention?  

• Is there a knowledge base, blog, case page or separate landing page per target group?  

• How clear is the navigation? 

Also look at social media, especially LinkedIn:

• Are only company pages active, or do employees also share their own insights?  

• Is the content substantive, commercial or mainly aimed at visibility?  

On YouTube you can assess whether competitors use video to explain processes, products or customer cases. 

Include search engines too. That gives you insight into their organic visibility and content strategy. 

• Which topics do competitors rank for?  

• Which blogs are likely to attract traffic?  

• Which commercial pages have they developed well?  

Map the visibility ‘gap’

A competitor can be weaker in substance and still be visible more often. That is why visibility is a separate part of your competitor analysis. Look at organic findability, paid ads, social reach, branded search, PR, events, partnerships and the visibility of experts. 

The gap is rarely in a single channel. Sometimes a competitor performs better in Google but barely shows up on LinkedIn. Sometimes a company has a lot of reach through personal profiles but a weak website. Or a competitor is strong in substance but has little proof. 

By mapping these differences, you see where you can accelerate. You don't have to be better everywhere. Above all, you need to be more visible in the places where your ideal customer does their research. 

Evaluate pricing and the business model

In B2B, pricing is not always public, but you can often find signals. Look at packages, subscription models, project prices, implementation costs, contract length, service levels and guarantees. The way pricing is presented also says something about positioning. 

A company that is transparent about its rates may be focusing on speed and simplicity. A company that doesn't mention prices may be steering more towards bespoke work, enterprise projects or advisory value. Both choices affect the way prospects compare. 

So don't use pricing information only to determine whether you are more or less expensive. Use it above all to understand which business model makes sense for the competitor and how your value compares. 

Bring the data together in a SWOT analysis

Once you have gathered the individual parts, bring them together in a SWOT analysis. You look at strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. Do this not only for your competitors, but also for your own organisation. 

Strengths might lie in brand awareness, clear cases, active experts or good SEO visibility. Weaknesses might lie in an unclear proposition, little content, limited proof or a website that doesn't provide enough answers. 

Opportunities arise where competitors leave something on the table. Threats arise where competitors become stronger on points that matter a lot to your target group. The value of SWOT lies in translating it into choices, not in filling in the model itself. 

Translate the SWOT analysis into insights for your B2B marketing strategy

The final step is translating it into strategy.  

• Which position do you want to claim?  

• Which message needs to be sharper?  

• Which content is still missing?  

• Which channels deserve more attention?  

• And which target group questions are you not yet answering well enough? 

Turn the analysis into concrete actions. For example: creating a new pillar page, developing customer cases further, making more active use of experts' LinkedIn profiles, rewriting commercial pages or creating content for a DMU role that currently gets too little attention. 

That way, competitor research doesn't become a document that disappears into a folder, but input for your B2B marketing strategy. 

How do you define your value proposition based on a strong competitor analysis?

A competitor analysis helps you formulate your value proposition more sharply. You see which claims are used a lot and where the market starts to sound interchangeable. If everyone talks about quality, a personal approach, bespoke solutions or years of experience, that is usually no longer a clear differentiator. 

Your value proposition should show who you are there for, which problem you solve and why your approach is a better fit for that specific target group. For that, you need insight into your own strengths, but also into the way competitors present themselves. 

Use the analysis to find white space. Perhaps competitors mainly focus on large companies, while you are stronger with mid-sized organisations. Perhaps they mainly talk about technology, while your target group primarily needs strategic guidance. Or perhaps competitors use a lot of generic language, while you can claim a more concrete problem. 

So don't copy your competitors' strategy. That usually leads to the same message in a different guise. Use competitor research to see more clearly where you differ and what your market truly values. 

How often should you review a B2B competitor analysis?

A competitor analysis is not a one-off exercise. Markets move. New providers appear, existing competitors change their proposition and channels shift. Your own target group may also start searching or comparing differently. 

You can usually review a full B2B competitor analysis once or twice a year. That is enough to sharpen strategic choices. On top of that, it is wise to do a light monthly check. Look at new content, campaigns, visibility in Google, LinkedIn activity, cases, price changes and new propositions. 

Make sure someone owns this monitoring. Without ownership, competitor research often gets left on the shelf. Make it part of your marketing rhythm, for example in a monthly analysis or quarterly review. 

Also keep an eye on new players. In B2B, threats don't always come from the best-known competitor. Sometimes a smaller specialist with a sharp niche position rises faster than you expect. It is precisely those companies that can gain a lot of influence on your market over time. 

The complete B2B competitor analysis checklist

A good competitor analysis works best with a fixed checklist. That way you avoid only looking at the parts that happen to stand out. Use the checklist below as a basis and adapt it to your market. 

1. Define the goal of your analysis

First, establish why you are carrying out the competitor analysis. Do you want to sharpen your proposition, enter a new market, improve your website, find SEO opportunities or strengthen your sales story? The goal determines which parts get the most attention. 

2. Choose your competitor set

Make a list of direct competitors, indirect competitors and alternatives. Then select five to ten companies to analyse thoroughly. Also add new or fast-growing players, even if they are still smaller today. 

3. Gather basic information

For each competitor, note the target group, services, sector focus, region, team size, customer types and visible specialisms. Also look at client logos, cases and testimonials. They often reveal a lot about who they really serve. 

4. Analyse positioning and messaging

Look at how competitors present themselves. What promise do they make? Which words do they repeat? Which problems do they name? And how concrete is their story? Above all, note where several competitors resemble each other. 

5. Examine the value proposition

Find out who the competitor is clearly there for and what value they promise. Check whether the proposition is mainly about price, speed, expertise, specialism, service, results or certainty. Compare that with your own proposition. 

6. Map the DMU

Look at which roles are being addressed. Is the content aimed at management, marketing, sales, IT, HR, operations or procurement? Note which questions are answered well and which roles get little attention. 

7. Analyse the website

Look at the homepage, service pages, cases, knowledge base, contact page, navigation and calls to action. Pay attention to clarity, proof, depth and ease of use. A competitor website analysis often quickly shows where your own site can become stronger. 

8. Analyse SEO visibility

Research which keywords competitors are visible for. Look at commercial keywords, informational blogs, pillar pages and branded search. Tools such as Ahrefs, Semrush, SE Ranking or Google Search Console can help. 

9. Analyse social media

Focus mainly on LinkedIn, but also include YouTube, Meta, TikTok or other channels if they are relevant. Pay attention to frequency, formats, engagement, personal profiles, ads and subject themes. 

10. Review paid campaigns

Find out whether competitors advertise via Google, LinkedIn, Meta or other platforms. Look at ad copy, landing pages, retargeting and offers. This gives insight into where they are trying to capture demand. 

11. Evaluate pricing and business model

Gather signals about prices, packages, contract types, subscriptions, implementation costs and guarantees. If prices are not public, look at positioning and types of customers to make an estimate. 

12. Examine proof

Look at which cases, reviews, client logos, figures or testimonials competitors use. Pay attention to how concrete the results are. In B2B, proof often makes the difference between interest and trust. 

13. Bring strengths and weaknesses together

Summarise the main strengths and weaknesses for each competitor. Keep it concrete. So don't just write “strong website”, but say why: clear cases, good structure, a clear proposition or lots of in-depth pages. 

14. Work out opportunities and threats

Determine where there is room for your organisation. Which topics are being left untouched? Which target group is underserved? Which channels are rarely used? And which competitors pose a direct threat to your position? 

15. Translate insights into actions

Round off the analysis with concrete actions for marketing and sales. Think of new content, adjusting your proposition, better cases, new landing pages, sharper ads or a stronger sales story. 

Which tools can you use for a B2B competitor analysis?

You can do part of a competitor analysis manually, but tools make the work faster and more reliable. For SEO and website analysis you can use Ahrefs, Semrush, SE Ranking, Screaming Frog, Google Search Console and Google Analytics 4. With these you research keywords, pages, backlinks, technical signals and traffic patterns. 

For social media analysis you can use LinkedIn itself, supplemented with tools such as Shield, Coosto, Hootsuite or Sprout Social. These give you a better view of reach, engagement and recurring themes. For ads, you can look at the Google Ads Transparency Center, Meta Ad Library and LinkedIn's advertising environment. 

For market information and company data, LinkedIn Sales Navigator, the Chamber of Commerce (KvK), Dealfront, Apollo or other data platforms are useful. Use tools mainly as support. The real value only emerges when you link the figures to positioning, customer behaviour and strategic choices. 

Common mistakes in a competitor analysis

A common mistake is that companies only look at visible competitors. These are often the names already known internally. In reality, a prospect can also choose a specialist, a software tool, a freelancer, an internal solution or postponement. If you miss those alternatives, you get too narrow a picture. 

A second mistake is putting too much emphasis on features or services. In B2B, it is often less about the exact list of capabilities and more about trust, proof, timing and recognition. A competitor with a comparable service can still be in a stronger position thanks to better cases, clearer content or a sharper niche. 

Competitor analysis also often becomes too descriptive. It states what everyone is doing, but not what that means for your own strategy. So always make sure you translate it into actions. What needs to be sharper? What needs to go? Where do you want to become more visible? 

Create your own edge in the B2B market

A B2B competitor analysis helps you see more clearly how your market works. You discover which providers are visible, which messages are used a lot and what customers are likely to compare on. That gives direction to your own positioning, proposition, content and channel choices. 

The value is not in following competitors. The value is in recognising patterns and making your own choices. Where others stay generic, you can become more concrete. Where competitors mainly talk about themselves, you can answer the DMU's questions better. Where the market is crowded, you can choose a sharper niche. 

Want to know where your organisation stands compared with competitors and how to turn that into a stronger B2B marketing strategy? Partout helps you map competitors, visibility, proposition and target group behaviour and translate them into concrete marketing choices. 

Frequently asked questions about B2B competitor analysis

1. How do you avoid focusing too much on competitors?

Use competitor research as input, not as a guide. You want to understand how the market behaves, but your strategy should still start from your own target group, proposition and vision. So always plan a translation session after the analysis. In it, you decide what you will use, what you will deliberately ignore and which choices really suit your brand. 

2. What do you do if all competitors say roughly the same thing?

Then there is often room to become more concrete. Look at which claims are generic and which customer questions are not yet answered well enough. Use customer conversations, sales input and cases to find language that is closer to everyday practice. That makes your message more recognisable without trying to sound artificially different. 

3. Should you also include small competitors in your analysis?

Yes, sometimes especially so. Small players more often choose a clear niche and can therefore build recognition with a specific target group faster. They may not yet be a major threat in terms of revenue, but they can show where the market is heading. So alongside established companies, include a few specialists or new providers too. 

4. How do you use a competitor analysis in sales?

Translate the key insights into sales material. Think of battlecards, objection handling, comparison arguments and a better explanation of your value proposition. Sales doesn't need to actively attack competitors, but does need to know where your approach differs. That makes conversations sharper and prevents you from being compared on price alone. 

5. What if a competitor is much more visible than you?

First, find out where that visibility comes from. Is it SEO, LinkedIn, ads, events, PR or personal profiles? Then decide which channels are most relevant to your target group. You don't need to build the same visibility everywhere, as long as you become stronger in the places where your ideal customer does their research. 

6. How do you make competitor analysis useful for content?

Look at which topics competitors cover a lot and which questions they leave unanswered. From that you can derive new content pillars, blogs, cases or pillar pages. Do make sure you don't copy what already exists. Use the analysis to create better, more concrete or more distinctive content. 

7. Who should be involved in a B2B competitor analysis?

Involve at least marketing, sales and someone from strategy or management. Marketing sees visibility and content, sales hears what prospects say and management safeguards the market position. For technical or specialist products, product management can also provide valuable input. That way you avoid the analysis being viewed from just one department.