Measuring up the Competition: Versus Articles, Alternative Analysis and Comparisons
A competitor comparison is not a validation exercise. It’s not about who wears a feature better. It’s about how you solve a problem in a way that might be interesting and helpful to a prospect. In this article, we cover the three most common formats for publicly documenting competition and share our recommendations on the best approach.
Choosing your weapon wisely
Competitor comparisons, alternative analysis, and versus articles are often confused, but they have very different tones and approaches. Let’s look at these in more detail.
Versus Articles
Versus articles often list everything you do and everything the competition doesn’t in black-and-white table format. There might be some pre- and post-amble about customer service and big-name clients, but the focus is on the feature sets. Most of the time, we discourage these articles. Here’s why:
They’re often inaccurate
Anyone can build a feature you don’t have, what’s important is whether anyone cares
They are pretty high maintenance and need constant updating
They are a fast way to end up in hot water with legal teams
We only ever write these articles if it’s something people are searching for. If you’ve identified that there are 50+ searches a month on Google for [your product] vs [another product], that’s a good opportunity to get ranked and shine.
Alternative Analysis
Alternative analysis is where you compare your solution to a range of others. You might frame this as ‘5 tools that will help you do x’ and then Trojan Horse your solution in as the obvious choice. These articles can rank well for SEO, but they do come with some problems and unintended consequences:
They can introduce new players to the procurement for you to compete with more seriously
It’s hard to come across as credible without talking a lot about what the competition does really well on balance. Free advertising anyone?
As with the verses articles, we only recommend this if it’s advantageous for ranking in Google or if all the alternatives are nonsensical (e.g., pen and paper).
Competitor Comparison
Competitor comparisons are our pick of the bunch. These articles focus on how you approach the problem differently from one alternative. Comparisons focus on what’s important for a shared ideal customer profile (ICP) and position your solution to help prospects easily navigate their procurement decision. These also come with the most search and ad campaign advantages.
Competitor comparisons often rank well organically on your competitor’s brand keywords.
Search volumes for [competitor] alternatives or comparisons are usually higher than ‘vs’
You can run ads on a competitor brand keyword without spending mega bucks. However, running ads using your own brand keyword is important if you do this. This is affordable, from as little as $0.10 per click, and protects you against counter campaigns. Think of it as an insurance policy.
So, how do you write a competition comparison?
Choosing a subject
You can waste a lot of time writing a competitor comparison that isn’t relevant, or worse, gives away a whole lot of free marketing! Here’s how to choose the best comparison subject.
Define the competitive alternative
As the positioning godmother April Dunford puts it, “Not every competitor is an alternative.” A real competitor is any solution you stand to lose to - they might not do what you do, but they solve the problem you solve.
If your ICP isn’t bringing a percieved competitor on paper to the table, all you're doing is introducing a new player to the procurement, not positioning against them.
Meeting the criteria
The best competitive alternatives to write a comparison about are:
solutions being considered to solve the problem at least 75% of the time (the de facto alternative), or,
water cooler famous solutions that hold the majority of the market, and/or
the status quo approach (eg. spreadsheets, the intern, documents, phone notes, pen and paper).
If your comparison subject isn’t in one of these categories, you just give them free advertising. There’s truth in the statement: There’s no such thing as bad press.
It’s also helpful to check out:
Search volumes on the competitor’s brand
Cost of ads in different regions on competitor brand keywords (if you’re planning on doing this)
Whether they have written anything about you
This will help you decide whether writing this article is worth the effort and whether it will have a shot at being seen. After all, time is a non-renewable resource in a start-up. Use it wisely.
Writing the Content
How do you structure the content of your article so it’s respectful and ultimately helpful?
Unpack your advantage
When writing a competitor comparison, rather than writing your hitlist of superior features, list out why you win. The best way to find this out is to ask customers! Why did they choose you? What was the big tick-box moment? In other words, what is your competitive advantage?
Writing the article is a lot easier when you understand this because you have some focus areas. The content becomes less about telling people to make a different choice and more about helping others make the same choice as your customers.
Position difference
Once you understand why you win, you can align the advantage with what makes your product different. This might be a button placed in a good place, a pricing tactic, a compilation of features that provide a specific benefit to the ICP, the list goes on.
By placing the difference you bring to the table inside the context of your why you win headlines, you influence prospects to re-ask the questions of what’s most important to them, what the impact of the path chosen is, and whether you have what they need.
Final thoughts
It doesn’t have to be a roast
It can be easy to obsess over your competitor’s Achilles heel and write a thesis about how idiotic the alternative is. But it’s not a fun read and often does you more harm than good. It’s important to be accurate, focus on what matters most to customers, and be unemotional. The way you approach a conflict says a lot about your brand. A competitor comparison doesn’t have to be a roast.
Take your time with it. Do a mystery shop, read the support articles, and if there’s a free trial, try it out. Validate every assumption, claim, and comment with first-hand experience. You may also consider including disclaimers that clarify the nature of the comparison and that it reflects the product at a particular time.
A respectful tone can genuinely create differentiation. So rather than implying that all competitors are inferior, which may not reflect reality, you can take a more balanced approach. This means you acknowledge the strengths of alternatives while still advocating for your own solution and approach. Customers appreciate transparency, and recognizing what competitors do well can build credibility.
Lawyer up
There is usually nothing illegal or wrong with writing a comparison article. But we can’t ignore that there’s a degree of risk. We recommend that you run your comparison past someone with a bit of legal know-how or make sure you’re not doing any of the following - and note that this may depend on where you are in the world:
Defamation: If a comparison makes false statements about a competitor that harm their reputation, it could lead to a defamation claim. This includes written statements (libel) and spoken statements (slander).
False Advertising: Claims that misrepresent the capabilities or features of a competitor's product can be considered false advertising under the Lanham Act in the U.S. This includes misleading comparisons that create a false impression of superiority.
Trademark Infringement: Using a competitor's trademark in a way that confuses consumers or dilutes the brand can lead to legal issues. This includes improperly using competitor logos or names in your content. If in doubt, leave it out.
If you get a letter in the post, remember it’s easier (and cheaper) to remove the language or logo than to go to battle.
When to walk away
Sometimes, a competitor comparison doesn’t make sense. This might be because of legal risks, awareness, or because the alternative is better (hey, it happens). You want to ensure the timing is right, the product is in a great place, and the strategy fits.
If you want to learn more about how we can help you write a comparison article, run a ‘compete campaign,’ or do many other marketing activities, book a call!
