SWOT analysis: what it is, what it is for and how to do it (with examples)
Strengths and Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats, which initials form the name of this matrix. We are talking about the SWOT analysis, perhaps the best known tool for strategic planning of a project or in a business toward the achievement of a set goal. Invented by the U.S. economist Albert Humphrey between the 1960s and 1970s, even today, this methodology is used by companies of all sizes and sectors because it provides a clear and structured view of the internal and external dynamics that influence success. SWOT analysis is not just a theoretical exercise, but a practical process that, if conducted correctly, can guide key strategic decisions and still useful today to better focus and direct professional efforts also in SEO and search marketing, so as to set an effective strategy to improve the authority, organic visibility, traffic and conversions of our site.
What is the SWOT Analysis
SWOT analysis is a strategic planning tool that aims to systematically and objectively examine an organization’s or project’s internal and external environment, and more specifically to identify and assess internal strengths and weaknesses as well as external opportunities and threats, that may influence the achievement of the set goals.
This technique is based on a four-quadrant matrix that considers the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats of a specific organization or project.
In the field of strategic business planning, the acronym SWOT identifies the main intrinsic and extrinsic variables that must be evaluated before starting a project or making a decision in the path to achieving a goal.
With this technique, we can identify the strengths and weaknesses of our brand, but also the opportunities and threats that exist in the competitive market, and then assess the critical success factors that can enable us to achieve our goal.
Specifically, the acronym SWOT is derived from the words Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats; specifically, Strengths and Weaknesses are internal factors, thus related to our company or brand and therefore inherent to the organization, its resources, processes, and the people who make up the team. In contrast, Opportunities and Threats are external factors, arising from the market, the presence of competitors and the economy in general.
The main goal of SWOT analysis is to provide a comprehensive and integrated overview that helps develop effective strategies and make informed decisions.
This method of analysis, originally developed for the business world, finds application in a wide range of areas, including digital marketing and SEO, as we shall see, where it can be used to assess a website‘s performance, identify areas for improvement, and develop effective strategies to increase online visibility and organic traffic.
What the SWOT analysis is for
The “purpose” of a SWOT analysis is to provide qualitative data that captures the real conditions of a company within the context in which it operates.
The SWOT matrix can be used by any type of organization (business, non-profit, government agencies) and professionals to make strategic decisions, which therefore have a long-term impact on the way the same organization positions itself, produces, communicates, interacts with the outside and is structured.
More specifically, the SWOT model is crucial to assess the feasibility of a project and to implement a strategy that adequately takes into account factors within the organisation – starting with the so-called Unique Selling Proposition – and also external factors, such as opportunities related to market needs and to the specific historical moment.
The SWOT is thus a tool for performing situational analysis for each key area. At a general level, we can set the strategy by considering the following aspects:
- Strengths: areas in which we are strong and that give us an advantage over competitors, on which we should capitalize.
- Weaknesses: areas where we are at a disadvantage compared to competitors and should be addressed.
- Opportunities: areas where there is potential for growth and which can be used to our advantage.
- Threats: threats in the environment that could cause problems for our company now and in the future.
The purpose of a SWOT analysis is to derive information about our market position and guidance for exploiting opportunities with strengths while addressing weaknesses and threats. In short, an “attack and defense” strategy.
Benefits of the SWOT Analysis
Thanks to this technique, we can evaluate the pros and cons, the possibilities and obstacles of every action that we intend to implement to achieve our objectives, and identify what are the most likely strategies to help our business grow and achieve its KPIs, with the awareness of our shortcomings and possible threats in the path, which therefore will not catch us unawares.
SWOT Analysis is an indispensable tool to focus the crucial points of your business and is the basis for developing an effective marketing plan. SWOT Analysis serves to evaluate the internal and external processes involved in our business model, in order to make decisions that take into account the objectives to be achieved and the context in which we will develop our project.
When well executed, then, this process allows us to plan an effective marketing strategy, based on mapping and analysis of the internal and external factors, positive or critical, of an organization; in addition, it allows us to have an updated picture on “health” of our brand or company, discovering what we do well, what is missing and what can be a risk or a threat (with the possibility of minimizing the negative consequences). Widening the picture, then, the SWOT analysis can also be applied to the analysis of competitors, so as to evaluate them in an objective and more conscious way to identify the best countermoves.
SWOT analysis definition and functionalities
It already seems clear, then, that SWOT analysis can be a valuable aid in determining the priorities for action for an organization of any kind, to identify the initiatives to be taken now and the challenges to be addressed as soon as possible, regardless of the type of business and company size (as the business grows, the obstacles, challenges, opportunities and projects in general increase, but the matrix naturally accompanies this process).
Indeed, by definition, the main goal of a SWOT analysis is to help organizations develop a full awareness of all the factors involved in a decision-making process of any kind. It was in fact with this goal, and more specifically to identify the reasons why business planning consistently failed, that Albert Humphrey of the Stanford Research Institute devised this method in the 1960s, and since then the SWOT matrix has become one of the most useful tools for entrepreneurs to start and grow their companies.
The reasons for the success of this system are quite simple to understand: the matrix consists of 4 easy topics, which even novice entrepreneurs can fill out and analyze, and it allows them to chart the future of each business with sufficient accuracy by evaluating its path from all angles, including a comprehensive look at all resources and internal and external threats.
Of course, for SWOT analysis to really work, it needs to be accurate, and those doing it need to avoid preconceived beliefs or gray areas, focusing instead on real-life contexts; also, it is good to remember that the model should be used as a guide, and not necessarily as a prescription.
History and origins of the SWOT matrix
As mentioned, the roots of SWOT analysis go back to the 1960s, when Albert Humphrey, a researcher at Stanford University, began developing this tool during a research project aimed at improving business planning.
Humphrey and his team analyzed data from several Fortune 500 companies to identify the causes of failures in strategic planning processes. This analysis revealed the need for a more structured and systematic approach to assessing the internal and external dynamics that influence business success. The result was the creation of the SWOT matrix, which has since become a standard in the field of strategic planning.
Over the years, SWOT analysis has been adopted and adapted by numerous organizations worldwide, demonstrating its effectiveness and versatility in various contexts, from traditional business to digital marketing and SEO. Its simplicity and ability to provide a clear and immediate view of the forces at play make it a valuable tool not only for managers and executives, but also for marketing teams, analysts, and consultants. In fact, SWOT analysis does not require complex software or advanced technical skills, but rather a good understanding of the business context and the ability to collect and interpret relevant data.
Today, SWOT analysis is used not only for strategic business planning, but also to evaluate specific projects, launch new products, enter new markets, and improve digital performance. In the context of digital marketing and SEO, in particular, SWOT analysis can help identify areas for improvement, take advantage of emerging opportunities, and mitigate risks associated with algorithmic changes and competitive dynamics.
How to do a SWOT analysis
Conducting a SWOT analysis requires a methodical approach and a thorough understanding of the business context. This process not only helps identify the key factors that influence success, but also provides a solid foundation for developing effective strategies.
From a practical point of view, as established by the principles set by Humphrey, SWOT analysis starts by graphically representing the 4 variables in a SWOT matrix or SWOT framework, a real square divided into four sections that helps us focus on the main highlights related to our project.
Clearly, the main part of the work is filling in the four matrices, entering the characteristics of the organization, brand or site on which we focus the work. Objective tools or tools that provide measurable metrics can be used to obtain the information, but perhaps what matters most is the mindset, the approach to this technique and the understanding of what it can mean for the business.
For this reason, you can also involve all the staff and management in the work, to be able to find out what the real answers to the variables can be, and thus build a SWOT matrix customized and tailored to our needs.
That is, we can perform a sort of questionnaire in the company, asking those who work “in the field” to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the brand, but also the possible opportunities and threats that arise on the market and on the external context, and then proceed to collect and analyze the data.
What are they and how to identify variables for the analysis
We can start from the precise identification of the strengths of the organization, that is the endogenous factors that generate a positive impact, such as brand awareness, technological skills, but also the perception of the brand and financial soundness.
The second step is that of opposite sign, that is the ability to identify the possible critical points of the organization, the weaknesses that arise from internal obstacles: among the main ones there are the lack of fame of the brand, a quantitatively or qualitatively limited proposal, lack of financial or technological resources, narrow client portfolio. It can be important, in this analysis, to understand and point out in which areas we are lacking and we can improve, but also what kind of perception others have of our offer.
It is perhaps more difficult to analyze the external factors of opportunities and threats, because they are not influenced and influenced directly by our brand and are therefore of more unpredictable control. In any case, opportunities are all factors that can allow an organization to secure a single position in the market and to overcome competitors, gaining visibility, customers and turnover. They are obviously linked to strengths, and indeed one of the aspects to be studied is just how to turn the Strenghts into Opportunities.
Finally, we can study the threats, or all the external aspects that can negatively affect our results, from competitors to trends that are unfavorable to us, such as possible changes in consumer choices or problems in the supply chain. Again, it is important to try to understand how our Weaknesses can expose us to Threats, and thus hinder our growth and achievement of goals.
SWOT matrix: the significance of the components
Following the classic representation of the model, the upper left quadrant should contain internal factors (strengths on the left, weaknesses on the right), while the lower quadrant contains external factors (opportunities on the left, threats on the right).
The schematic subdivision in this way serves to provide guidance at a glance: on the left are in fact the positive aspects that can lead to the achievement of the goal, while on the right we find the main obstacles in our way.
In practice, thanks to this matrix we can see at a glance which elements are internal to the organization and those, on the other hand, which are external, put in system with the factors that can help the achievement of the goal and with all the variables that can be harmful instead. In addition, according to the principles of this theory, there are no weaknesses and threats that cannot be transformed into their opposites, and thus into salient features and opportunities, using the organization’s strengths to link them to opportunities.
Again from a theoretical and general perspective, the four components are:
- Strengths
Strengths represent the positive internal characteristics that give the organization a competitive advantage. These may include unique resources, specialized skills, a strong brand reputation, proprietary technologies, a strong base of loyal customers, and effective management. Identifying strengths is essential to understanding what assets the company can leverage to differentiate itself from competitors and achieve its goals. For example, in the context of digital marketing, a strength might be a well-defined, high-quality content strategy that attracts and engages target audiences. In SEO, a strength might be a website with an optimized structure and high domain authority, which facilitates search engine rankings.
- Weaknesses
Weaknesses are the internal characteristics that may hinder the organization’s success. These may include limited resources, lack of core competencies, operational inefficiencies, management problems, a poor online presence, or low brand visibility. Recognizing weaknesses is crucial to developing strategies for improvement and mitigating associated risks. In digital marketing, a weakness might be a low conversion rate due to an unintuitive user experience or poor landing page optimization. In SEO, a weakness could be duplicate content or insufficient page load speed, which penalize search engine rankings.
- Opportunities
Opportunities are external factors that the organization can exploit to gain a competitive advantage. These may include favorable market trends, technological changes, new regulations, strategic partnerships, expansion into new markets or emerging customer segments. Identifying and capitalizing on opportunities is critical to growth and innovation. In the context of digital marketing, an opportunity could be the emergence of new social platforms that allow you to reach a wider and more diverse audience. In SEO, an opportunity could be the identification of new emerging keywords that can be leveraged to improve organic rankings and attract qualified traffic.
- Threats
Threats are external factors that could cause problems for the organization. These can include intense competition, economic changes, legal risks, unfavorable technological evolutions, reputational crises, or changes in search engine algorithms. Recognizing threats is essential to developing mitigation strategies and preparing to respond effectively. In digital marketing, a threat could be a sudden change in the advertising policies of a key platform, which reduces the effectiveness of campaigns. In SEO, a threat could be a Google algorithm update that penalizes previously effective optimization practices, requiring rapid adaptation of strategies to maintain rankings.
Detailed analysis of these four components provides an integrated and comprehensive view of the dynamics that influence an organization’s success, facilitating the development of targeted and informed strategies.
Steps to perform a SWOT analysis
The first step in doing a SWOT analysis is to gather relevant information both internal and external to the organization. This can include financial data, market reports, customer feedback, competitive analysis, and any other information that may influence the assessment. Once the data has been collected, it is possible to proceed with the identification of internal strengths and weaknesses. This requires a critical analysis of the organization’s resources, competencies and operational capabilities. It is important to be objective and realistic at this stage and avoid overestimating one’s capabilities.
Next comes the analysis of external opportunities and threats. This involves examining the market environment, technological trends, competitive dynamics and any other external factors that may affect the organization. Again, it is essential to be thorough and based on hard data rather than assumptions. Once all relevant factors have been identified, the SWOT matrix can be created. This matrix is a four-quadrant table that organizes strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats in a clear and structured manner. Visualizing the data in this format facilitates analysis and understanding of the dynamics at play.
Finally, the last step is the interpretation of the results and the development of strategies based on the SWOT analysis. This may include setting specific goals, identifying corrective actions to mitigate weaknesses, planning initiatives to take advantage of opportunities, and preparing contingency plans to address threats. SWOT analysis is not a static exercise, but a dynamic process that should be revisited and updated periodically to reflect changes in the business and market environment.
Useful tools and resources for doing the analysis
There are various tools and resources that can facilitate the execution of a SWOT analysis.
Of these, SWOT analysis templates are particularly useful for organizing and visualizing data in a structured way. These templates can be easily found online and customized to the specific needs of the organization. In addition, there are business intelligence software that offer advanced features for SWOT analysis, such as automated data collection, interactive visualization, and detailed report generation.
These tools not only simplify the matrix creation process, but also offer additional features such as real-time collaboration, integration with other business applications, and access to educational resources. In addition, using data analysis tools, such as Google Analytics for digital marketing and SEO tools such as SEOZoom, can provide valuable data for SWOT analysis, helping to identify trends, opportunities and threats more accurately.
Finally, it is important to consider the importance of continuous training and updating so that you do not fall behind on the latest best practices and developments in the field of strategic planning. In this way, SWOT analysis becomes not only an assessment tool, but also a means of driving innovation and growth.
Practical examples of SWOT analysis
Let’s try to provide a few practical examples to understand how this tool can be adapted to different sectors and business contexts, with a view to the proactive and systematic approach that is essential to successfully navigating the complex landscape of modern business, optimizing resources and maximizing results.
- SWOT analysis for a restaurant
Strengths
- Food Quality. Use of fresh, high-quality ingredients that attract customers.
- Strategic location. Central and easily accessible location.
- Excellent customer service. Friendly and attentive staff who create a positive experience for customers.
Weaknesses
- Limited capacity. Small space limiting the number of customers served at one time.
- Dependence on key staff. High dependence on specific chefs and managers.
- Insufficient marketing. Poor online presence and limited promotional activities.
Opportunities
- Growth in food delivery. Increased demand for home delivery services, which can be leveraged through partnerships with delivery platforms.
- Events and catering. Business expansion through catering services for corporate and private events.
- Online promotion. Use of social media and online reviews to increase visibility and attract new customers.
Threats
- Local competition. Presence of numerous restaurants in the same area offering similar alternatives.
- Economic fluctuations. Economic instability that could reduce consumer spending on meals out.
- Changes in regulations. New health and food safety regulations that could increase operating costs.
- SWOT analysis for a technology startup
Strengths
- Technological innovation. Unique and innovative product that solves a specific market problem.
- Highly qualified team. Founders and employees with advanced technical skills and industry experience.
- Operational flexibility. Ability to adapt quickly to market changes and new opportunities.
Weaknesses
- Limited financial resources. Tight budget limiting marketing and development capabilities.
- Low brand awareness. Low brand recognition in the target market.
- Dependence on few customers. Limited customer portfolio, with high risk if one or more key customers are lost.
Opportunities
- Growth of the technology sector. Increased demand for innovative technology solutions.
- Access to financing. Opportunity to obtain investment from venture capital and business angels.
- Product expansion. Development of new features and additional services to expand offerings.
Threats
- Competition from larger players. Presence of established companies with more resources.
- Rapid technological evolution. Need to keep up with rapid technological changes.
- Cybersecurity risks. Cybersecurity-related threats that could undermine customer trust.
- Example of a SWOT Analysis for a software company
Strengths
- Continuous innovation. Ability to develop innovative software solutions that meet market needs.
- Experienced development team. Highly qualified staff with advanced technical skills.
- Flexibility and adaptability. Ability to quickly adapt products to new customer needs and technology trends.
Weaknesses
- Limited resources. Tight budget limiting marketing and development capabilities.
- Dependence on a few customers. Limited customer portfolio, with high risk if one or more key customers are lost.
- Poor international presence. Limited penetration in foreign markets, which reduces growth opportunities.
Opportunities
- Growth in cloud computing. Increased demand for cloud-based solutions, which can be leveraged with new products and services.
- Expansion into new markets. Opportunity to enter new geographic markets or industry sectors.
- Strategic partnerships. Partnerships with other technology companies to develop integrated solutions and expand offerings.
Threats
- Intense competition. Presence of numerous competitors with similar offerings and greater resources.
- Rapid technological evolution. Need to keep up with rapid technological changes.
- Cybersecurity risks. Cybersecurity-related threats that could compromise customer trust and data security.
- SWOT analysis for an e-Commerce
Strengths
- Wide range of products. The company offers a wide selection of products, which attracts a diverse audience.
- Optimized user experience. The website is easy to navigate, with a quick and easy checkout process.
- Efficient logistics. Highly efficient order and shipping management system, ensuring fast delivery.
Weaknesses
- Dependence on outside suppliers. The company is heavily dependent on third-party suppliers, which can cause procurement problems.
- Low customer retention. Lower customer return rate than industry average.
- Limited international presence. The company operates mainly domestically, with little penetration into foreign markets.
Opportunities
- Growth in the mobile market. Increased sales via mobile devices, which can be leveraged with a dedicated app.
- International expansion. Opportunity to enter new foreign markets, expanding the customer base.
- Strategic collaborations. Partnerships with influencers and bloggers to increase brand visibility and credibility.
Threats
- Intense competition. Presence of numerous competitors with similar offerings.
- Changes in regulations. New privacy and data protection regulations that could affect operations.
- Economic fluctuations. Economic instability that could reduce consumers’ purchasing power.
As can be seen, even with individual peculiarities and dynamics, this model thus applies to different contexts and situations. Each SWOT analysis provides a clear and structured view of the internal and external dynamics that influence the success of the individual organization, enabling the development of focused and informed strategies.
How to perform an SEO-oriented SWOT analysis
If these are valid tips for every type of organization and brand, it is long time that more specific variants have been studied to apply the SWOT method also to SEO and search marketing, examining the four elements of the analysis in relation to the website and its online presence.
This approach allows to understand where we are currently regarding the optimization of the website and the improvement of its visibility on search engines, and can be implemented by analyzing precisely the presence on the Web of our project, identifying priority areas from keywords, content and editorial plan, technical perspectives, links and competitors.
The SEO SWOT analysis can also be presented in a simple grid system that has four panels, covering the useful and dangerous factors, both internal and external. Strengths represent the positive aspects of the site that contribute to its search engine ranking, which may include, for example, user-friendly site design, high-quality content, effective use of keywords, or a good online reputation.
Weaknesses are the aspects of the site that can hinder its search engine ranking, including technical problems, low-quality content, poor keyword management, or poor online reputation.
Opportunities are the external factors that the site can exploit to improve its search engine ranking, such as new search trends, changes in search engine algorithms that can be exploited, or new market segments.
Finally, Threats are the external factors that can jeopardize the site’s Google ranking, such as competition, changes in search engine algorithms that can penalize the site, or new privacy regulations.
A complete SWOT analysis for the SEO provides a roadmap against which activities can be systematically addressed, helps to reduce the chances of failure – since it allows us to discover what we still lack and to identify potential dangers that would otherwise catch us unawares – and it gives us a way to plan a strategy that differentiates us from competitors and has more chance of success in the reference market.
Obviously, the SWOT analysis is not “fixed” over time, and the one applied to the SEO makes no difference and should be updated on a quarterly or half-yearly basis along with the organic metrics against which we measure the success of campaigns.
How to apply the SWOT matrix to SEO
Starting with this information, and the insights that come from Jeff Riddall, we can then set up a viable scheme for doing an SEO-oriented SWOT analysis of our site or the projects we follow, which outlines organizational SEO priorities following the basic phase of optimization work-that is, after performing keyword research, competitor analysis, and SERP analysis, in order to have useful and up-to-date data and information.
- SEO strengths
These are areas in which our site excels, which should also be identified through analysis tools such as Google Search Console, Google Analytics or SEOZoom, also looking after the technical, on-page and off-page optimization aspects of the site.
Elements to be evaluated include organic traffic, high-performing keywords, high-performing pages, domain authority, content quality, onpage optimization level, backlink profile, user experience (UX) quality, and site speed with specific reference to Core Web Vitals.
- SEO Weaknesses
These are areas where we are deficient and potentially at a disadvantage to competitors.When it comes to SEO, recognizing and admitting weaknesses early on can save us a lot of effort, time, money, and business opportunities! The analysis work here starts with reviewing visibility metrics relevant to our brand, and among the most common weaknesses of a site we can mention the absence of keyword strategy, low visibility in local directories, poor visibility in organic results, a poor mobile experience, slow loading times, inadequate technical SEO, low quality backlink profile, historical or low-quality SEO penalties, low-quality content.
- SEO Opportunities
Opportunities abound in SEO for those who know how and where to look for them (and even take the time to do so). These are areas of potential growth for our business, which we can find through a comprehensive analysis of strategy, an up-to-date overview of the latest Search trends, and, no less important, review of weaknesses.
For example, if we are unable to compete for relevant, high-volume keywords that are out of our reach due to competitors‘ size, age, reputation, and quality of content (weakness), a strategic move might be to work on alternative keywords of similar intent or more specific long-tail keywords, or consider other avenues (including paid keywords) to generate visibility, traffic, and conversions (opportunity). Sometimes, the best strategy is to employ complementary paid search tactics until we can establish purely organic authority.
Similarly, identifying a technical weakness can provide us with an opportunity to improve quickly by taking action with appropriate corrections.
In general, then, SEO opportunities lurk in optimizations of weaknesses, but also in researching new areas in our niche, identifying relevant keywords on which we are ranked poorly or profitable long tail keywords, on content gap analysis, on checking for new SERP features to exploit, on possible areas to improve with technical audits, or on researching relevant sites in our field on which it might be useful to publish posts.
- SEO Threats
Whether intentional or not, there are various components that can threaten organic authority in the eyes of search engines that we should prioritize to avoid potentially harmful penalties. By paying attention to threats we can in fact avoid potential problems and continue to push for visibility in a rapidly changing search landscape, and among the main risk factors we can mention algorithm updates and changes, new competitors entering the market, known competitors improving their SEO, fluctuations in search volume (including seasonality), failure to align with Google’s requirements, technical website problems, or security issues.
Questions about the SEO SWOT Analysis
Trying to provide some more practical insights, among the SWOT SEO analysis examples there are often categories of questions to answer to form the matrix, as we can see for example in this Search Engine Land article.
These are issues that help us understand the status and positioning of our business in the market – and if we fail to answer some of those questions, we have implicitly found one or more weaknesses.
- Detecting the SEO strengths
Strengths are an internal factor and are generally the easiest thing to detail in the SWOT matrix. Declining the questions for the SEO, we can ask ourselves among other things:
- For which keywords are we ranking well at the moment?
- Which contents are well-ranked at the moment?
- What are our digital resources?
- What is our best asset?
- What makes us better than competitors?
- What drives organic traffic the most?
- What are the best links?
- Which previous SEO tactic or intervention had the best results?
- Discovering our SEO weaknesses
We know it, by now, the SWOT analysis weaknesses are an internal matter, too, but determining them is not easy: we need objectivity and honesty in the analysis of the site and brand, but also the ability to research the critical areas that could cause “threats” on the market. To facilitate this work, we may ask ourselves, for example:
- Which areas need improvement?
- What do our competitors do better than us (commercially speaking)?
- Where the competitors are stronger than us (from an SEO point of view)?
- How far behind we are compared to the competition? In which areas?
- What content is currently generating little to no traffic?
- Which SEO tactics previously failed to provide added value?
- Do we have the necessary SEO skills within the team?
- Do we have the budget to achieve our SEO goals?
- Defining our SEO opportunities
In the SWOT analysis, opportunities arise from strengths and weaknesses, and therefore from areas that strengthen and from areas to be explored instead and on which to invest to avoid that turn into negative aspects. On the SEO front, we can answer questions such as:
- Which kind of content to produce would have a significant impact?
- Which aspects of the site could be optimized to improve results?
- hich areas of the site that work well could be expanded to achieve even better performances?
- What weaknesses could be easily solved?
- Which link sources do we still have to tap into?
- Are there any changes to the search engine results that we can exploit?
- Analyzing SEO threats
Lastly, the Threats, are the most difficult element to investigate because they are based on the understanding of our own weaknesses and of the strengths of our competitors. In terms of search marketing, this also implies a critical assessment of the continuous change of search engines, their algorithms and therefore of Serps, which inevitably generate an impact on our site. To shed light on these menacing aspects, we may ask ourselves, for instance:
- Which competitors are strong where we are weak and lacking?
- Are newer and less experienced competitors improving their SEO?
- Is the gap between us and our competitors growing?
- Are there new startups that are accumulating market shares aggressively?
- Are SERPs changing in a way that impacts our business? Are there any new features, more paid ads or other trends that may have negative effects on the ranking achieved?
Gathering data in order to improve the strategy
We tried to explain what a SWOT analysis is and how to apply this method also to the SEO: now we have the data on some central elements for our activity and we just have to get to work to develop a strategy that can address and solve, on one hand, the problems we have identified and, on the other hand, exploit the opportunities available. That is, an effective strategy to improve the authoritativeness of the site, increase the organic visibility of the pages and get more traffic and income.
Often, in fact, the most difficult element of an SEO campaign is knowing where to concentrate your efforts, while instead a SWOT analysis can help us to understand precisely the areas where it is most useful (or necessary) quickly and easily direct our efforts to obtain the greatest impact out of it.
Indeed, the SWOT outputs thus generated will be used to guide priority actions to protect and improve our online authority, visibility and traffic, leads and resulting revenue.
According to experts, those who want to work proactively should conduct these analyses on at least a semi-annual basis, if not quarterly, depending on how competitive the industry is and how active competitors are. A well-structured SWOT analysis can provide an excellent roadmap for where, when, and how often we need to take action or create and share content to increase our organization’s primary SEO goals.
