How do I benchmark SEO performance against competitors in Bing Ads?

Benchmarking SEO performance against competitors is crucial for understanding where you stand in the market and identifying opportunities for improvement. When focusing on landing pages linked from Bing Ads, here's how you can effectively benchmark your SEO performance against competitors:

### **1. **Identify Competitors**

**1.1. **Determine Key Competitors:**
- **Identify Competitors:** List your main competitors who are also targeting similar keywords and audience segments in Bing Ads.
  - **Action:** Use tools like SEMrush, Ahrefs, or SpyFu to identify competitors who rank for the same or similar keywords.

**1.2. **Analyze Competitor Landing Pages:**
- **Competitor Analysis:** Examine the landing pages of these competitors to understand their strategies.
  - **Action:** Visit competitors' landing pages to review their content, design, CTAs, and overall user experience.

### **2. **Gather Competitive SEO Data**

**2.1. **Use SEO Tools:**
- **SEO Analysis:** Utilize SEO tools to gather data on competitors' keyword rankings, backlink profiles, and site performance.
  - **Action:** Tools like SEMrush, Ahrefs, and Moz can provide insights into competitors' organic rankings, traffic estimates, and backlink quality.

**2.2. **Analyze Keyword Rankings:**
- **Keyword Comparison:** Compare your keyword rankings with those of your competitors.
  - **Action:** Use tools like Bing Webmaster Tools or SEO tools to track keyword positions and identify gaps.

**2.3. **Evaluate Backlink Profiles:**
- **Backlink Analysis:** Assess the quantity and quality of backlinks pointing to your competitors' landing pages.
  - **Action:** Use tools like Ahrefs or Majestic to analyze competitors' backlink profiles and identify high-quality links.

### **3. **Assess On-Page SEO Factors**

**3.1. **Compare Content Quality:**
- **Content Evaluation:** Compare the quality, relevance, and depth of content on your landing pages with competitors'.
  - **Action:** Review competitors' content for keyword usage, readability, and engagement compared to your content.

**3.2. **Analyze Meta Tags and Headers:**
- **Meta Tag Comparison:** Examine competitors' title tags, meta descriptions, and header tags.
  - **Action:** Use tools like Screaming Frog to audit and compare on-page SEO elements.

**3.3. **Review User Experience:**
- **UX Analysis:** Assess the user experience of your landing pages versus competitors' pages.
  - **Action:** Check for design, navigation, load times, and mobile responsiveness.

### **4. **Evaluate Technical SEO Aspects**

**4.1. **Check Site Speed and Performance:**
- **Performance Metrics:** Compare page load times and overall site performance.
  - **Action:** Use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights or GTmetrix to measure and compare site speed.

**4.2. **Analyze Mobile-Friendliness:**
- **Mobile Usability:** Evaluate how well competitors' landing pages perform on mobile devices.
  - **Action:** Use Google's Mobile-Friendly Test tool to compare mobile usability.

**4.3. **Review Technical Issues:**
- **Technical Audit:** Identify any technical SEO issues such as crawl errors, broken links, or site architecture problems.
  - **Action:** Use Bing Webmaster Tools or other SEO tools to detect and address technical issues.

### **5. **Monitor Traffic and Engagement Metrics**

**5.1. **Compare Traffic Volumes:**
- **Traffic Estimates:** Analyze estimated organic traffic for your landing pages versus competitors'.
  - **Action:** Use tools like SEMrush or Ahrefs to estimate traffic volumes and sources.

**5.2. **Assess Engagement Metrics:**
- **Engagement Comparison:** Compare metrics such as bounce rate, average session duration, and pages per session.
  - **Action:** Analyze engagement metrics using Google Analytics or similar tools.

### **6. **Track Local SEO Performance**

**6.1. **Review Local Search Rankings:**
- **Local Ranking Comparison:** Compare local search rankings and visibility.
  - **Action:** Use local SEO tools to check rankings for local keywords and compare them with competitors.

**6.2. **Analyze Local Listings:**
- **Local Listings Comparison:** Review the completeness and accuracy of competitors' local listings.
  - **Action:** Ensure your Bing Places for Business listing is optimized and compare it with competitors.

### **7. **Leverage Competitive Insights for Improvement**

**7.1. **Identify Gaps and Opportunities:**
- **Opportunity Analysis:** Use competitive insights to identify gaps in your SEO strategy and areas for improvement.
  - **Action:** Look for high-performing areas in competitors' strategies that you can apply to your own.

**7.2. **Adjust Strategy Based on Findings:**
- **Strategic Adjustments:** Implement changes based on the analysis to enhance your SEO performance.
  - **Action:** Optimize your content, improve technical SEO, and adjust your keyword strategy as needed.

### **Example Workflow for Benchmarking SEO Performance:**

1. **Identify Competitors:**
   - List key competitors and their landing pages.

2. **Gather Data:**
   - Use SEO tools to collect data on keyword rankings, backlinks, and site performance.

3. **Assess On-Page SEO:**
   - Compare content quality, meta tags, headers, and user experience.

4. **Evaluate Technical SEO:**
   - Compare site speed, mobile-friendliness, and technical issues.

5. **Monitor Traffic and Engagement:**
   - Compare traffic volumes and engagement metrics.

6. **Track Local SEO:**
   - Compare local search rankings and local listings.

7. **Leverage Insights:**
   - Identify gaps and opportunities and adjust your strategy accordingly.

By following these steps, you can effectively benchmark your SEO performance against competitors, identify areas for improvement, and enhance your SEO strategy for better results in Bing Ads.