01Direct vs indirect competitors
Direct competitors sell a similar product to the same customers (two dental clinics in the same area). Indirect competitors solve the same problem differently (a teeth-whitening kit versus a clinic). Replacement competitors are the "do nothing" or DIY options, like a spreadsheet instead of software.
Most businesses only track direct competitors and get surprised by the other two. Write all three down.
02Search Google like a customer
Methods 1 and 2. Search the phrases your customers use, not your internal product name: "best accounting software for freelancers", "salon near me", "alternative to <market leader>". Note who ranks organically and who appears in the map pack for local searches.
Then search "<your brand> vs" and "<competitor> alternatives". Google's autocomplete and the "People also ask" box show which comparisons people are actually making.
- Use a private window so results aren't personalised.
- Search in each country or city you sell in.
03Use review & directory sites
Method 3. Review and directory sites group businesses by category: G2 and Capterra for software, Google Maps and Yelp for local businesses, Trustpilot for e-commerce, Clutch for agencies. Browse your category and the "compare" or "alternatives" pages for each known competitor.
Reviews also tell you what customers like and hate about each option, which is gold for your positioning.
04Check ads and social
Methods 4 and 5. Search your main keywords and note who runs ads: they are paying for the same customers. The Meta Ad Library and Google Ads Transparency Center let you see any advertiser's active ads for free.
On Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn and YouTube, search your category hashtags and look at the "suggested accounts" next to a known competitor. Platforms are good at showing you look-alikes.
05Compare competitor websites
Method 6. Once you have a list, open each website and compare the basics: what they say they do, who it's for, pricing, proof (case studies, reviews) and how modern and fast the site is. This shows quickly who is a serious competitor and who just looks like one in search results.
Compare two sites side by side06Automate with Hazana
Method 7. Paste your website (or a competitor's) into Hazana's Find Competitors to get a list of similar companies you can filter by country and industry. Open any result with a website scan, compare it with yours, or set up monitoring to get alerts when a competitor changes their site.
- 1Find competitorsEnter a website and pick the country and industry.
- 2ComparePut the strongest ones side by side with your site.
- 3WatchMonitor the few that matter for changes.
Free tools for this guide
Frequently asked questions
How many competitors should I track?
Keep a broad list for research, but actively track 5 to 8: your closest direct competitors plus one or two indirect ones that are growing fast.
How often should I check competitors?
A quick look monthly and a deeper review each quarter works for most businesses. Monitoring tools can alert you to big changes in between.
What if I can't find any competitors?
There are almost always indirect or DIY alternatives. If there are truly none, check whether there is real demand before investing heavily.