With so much competition on the web these days, many brands gasp at the thought of mentioning other brands within their niche. As search engine optimization aims in large part to make content visible in search above other competitors, many do not wish to naturally include references to people who may be competing against them in the same regard. Despite this natural feeling, it can sometimes be good to reference the competition in one way or another (or at least, not necessarily bad). In the following article, we’ll discuss reasons why mentioning your competitors can either be a good thing or a neutral thing, depending on the situation.

Being Open Implies Trust

Whenever many brands discuss their products and services, they do so within a vacuum. That is to say, they often do not compare their own offerings against what others offer. In some cases, this is because their offerings are inferior. In other cases, it is because they simply do not want to risk providing them with business. The reality is that a sense of trust is deeply lacking in many consumers today when it comes to internet brands; you want to be pinging users with a sense of trustworthiness rather than insularity. In order to do this, be open about other competitors and what they offer: by putting it out there, you’re more likely to earn business – even if your product or service isn’t the best.

They Probably Already Know

Customers and visitors alike are usually well-informed within a given niche: if they aren’t already, then they soon will be. Because the internet is so fast-paced and all-encompassing, it is easy to figure out who operates within a given niche or industry. Because of this, your customers and visitors likely are already aware of who else is competing against you. There is no need to hide the fact that there are others out there offering the same services or products – in some cases like the one above, you should embrace it – because they are going to find out if they don’t already know. Unlike the days of old, you cannot dominate exclusively within a given audience under the impression that they will not find out about anyone else, so don’t think that this will hurt you or otherwise wake people up to other choices.

Competitor Interaction Can Be Beneficial

Believe it or not, there is room for competitors to work with one another toward broader goals. If a given brand doesn’t have the ability to attract new attention, then it will inevitably run out of steam. Some competitors have friendly interactions, pinging users with mentions of each other and keeping clients, readers, subscribers and customers flowing back and forth. There may be enough difference between brands to facilitate the flow of people both ways – what one person needs may not be available from one, but might be from the other. It is interactions such as these that help fulfil demand even within tiny niches; you never know who may be visiting your competitors that would prefer your services, and who is visiting you (that isn’t converting) that may convert for your competition.