As the internet continues to grow and grow, people who have recently waded into the vast ocean that is the World Wide Web are finding out that there is both ample opportunity and strict competition. When you first deploy a blog or website, it can seem as if the sky is the limit. Unfortunately, reality begins to sink in once you discover that there are dozens of competitors out there who provide products, services or information in the same niche you wish to target. How can you effectively compete against bigger competitors who have had a foot-hold in the niche for long periods of time? We will discuss some strategies below that can help you assess the best way that your site or blog can compete in the modern age of niche saturation.

Know Where to Compete

When you first start out pinging search engines like Google with content and are facing stiff competition, it can be difficult to know where to begin. In cases like this, you have to know when and where to do battle. Some people have found openings for competition within AdWords and AdSense, while others may spot a vulnerability or untapped search query that can be targeted. You may find a backlash from your competitors, however, so always be prepared to take an alternate route if suddenly your bids on AdWords cannot keep up or your SERPs begin to suffer extensively. If you have one precise medium to target and one in waiting as a secondary target, then you can funnel resources into a targeted strike that will hopefully yield results.

Understand Your Competitors’ Competitors

While you may be innately focused on the relationship between you and those you identify as competitors, your competitors have to worry about other people who are not you. In many cases, the same people you have identified as competitors form a complex weave of “allies” and “enemies”; some competitors can have relationships that are mutually beneficial, while others are exclusively in business to drive the other one out of SERPs. After you have studied these relationships through metrics and a variety of other tell-tale signs such as link building, you can put together a snapshot of the web of competition that you face.

Know What Your Competitors Do

If you are pinging search engines for details about your competitors, then you probably want to take some time to search for how your competitors are obtaining traffic. Do they have subscription lists embedded in their websites? Have you seen advertisements for them in search? Do they have an extensive social media presence and if so, what forms of marketing are they using? If it has worked for them, it will most likely work for you – although it goes without saying that bigger brands will have more clout with search engines, social media and other forms of marketing.

Conclusion

The battle to compete in a niche is a time-consuming and long-term process that requires dedication. You can begin the good fight by understanding the complicated network of how your competitors interact with one another, knowing what your competitors have been doing that works and knowing which mediums have the least amount of overall competition.