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