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Finding My Competitor's Customers???

by marketingrep4u
16 replies
Does anyone know or have a search string to use on Google that will help me find landing pages designed by another firm?

The other firm uses a sub-domain strategy for each of their clients. For example:

dallasduiattorney.other-seo-company.net

I'm trying to find these landing pages via Google.

How do I write the search string to find these pages?

I'll be using this for competitive analysis, by knowing 'who' my competitor's clients are.

Any ideas?
#competitor #customers #finding
  • Profile picture of the author KenJ
    I would assume that these pages would be set up as "No index".
    So a google search would be pointless.

    KenJ
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  • Profile picture of the author GetBack2it
    I kind of get what you are after.

    Have you tried anything like a reverse search?
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  • Profile picture of the author Langeani
    did you try
    HTML Code:
    site:other-seo-company.net
    ?
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    Facebook ads from the start! Check out this free course here

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    • Profile picture of the author JohnMcCabe
      Originally Posted by Langeani View Post

      did you try
      HTML Code:
      site:other-seo-company.net
      ?
      If they are using subdomains, then the string you offered would only show pages within the main site.

      The correct string to find subdomains would be:

      Code:
      site:*.other-seo-company.net
      The asterisk (*) is a wildcard operator.
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      • Profile picture of the author An Al
        Originally Posted by JohnMcCabe View Post

        If they are using subdomains, then the string you offered would only show pages within the main site.

        The correct string to find subdomains would be:

        Code:
        site:*.other-seo-company.net
        The asterisk (*) is a wildcard operator.
        Subdomains are returned just fine with the string he posted.

        https://www.google.com/search?q=site...ient=firefox-a

        Does anyone know or have a search string to use on Google that will help me find landing pages designed by another firm?
        Some of these firms include a "designed by company name" link or something similar on the pages they design. You can do a search on this search string and find a lot of stuff.
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        • Profile picture of the author marketingrep4u
          Originally Posted by An Al View Post

          Subdomains are returned just fine with the string he posted.

          https://www.google.com/search?q=site...ient=firefox-a



          Some of these firms include a "designed by company name" link or something similar on the pages they design. You can do a search on this search string and find a lot of stuff.
          This is great stuff!!! Thank You.

          We're comparing our landing pages to other firms that do what we do and it's great to see what's working and what's not working across the web.

          Thanks again!
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          • Profile picture of the author RestlessBlaze
            Originally Posted by marketingrep4u View Post

            This is great stuff!!! Thank You.

            We're comparing our landing pages to other firms that do what we do and it's great to see what's working and what's not working across the web.

            Thanks again!
            Thats exactly what i am looking for. On the other hand,newbie isnt a bad word . everybody is newbie in some sense.
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  • Profile picture of the author ronrule
    Targeting another firm and offering your services at a lower price is a surefire way to be ignored by everyone you target.

    If you want to beat a competitor, don't go after their customers... just be better than them and new customers will find you instead.
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    • Profile picture of the author JohnMcCabe
      Originally Posted by ronrule View Post

      Targeting another firm and offering your services at a lower price is a surefire way to be ignored by everyone you target.

      If you want to beat a competitor, don't go after their customers... just be better than them and new customers will find you instead.
      Ron, why are you assuming that the OP is "targeting another firm and offering your services at a lower price"?

      Back in the day, when I prospected and someone told me they were happy with their current provider, I just asked "how do I get to be #2?"
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      • Profile picture of the author ronrule
        Originally Posted by JohnMcCabe View Post

        Ron, why are you assuming that the OP is "targeting another firm and offering your services at a lower price"?

        Back in the day, when I prospected and someone told me they were happy with their current provider, I just asked "how do I get to be #2?"
        Just a hunch. I could be wrong, its just a common newbie strategy that usually backfires when executed. Assuming that's what the OP's plan is, I am trying to help spare him the time. Customers who are already working with a local provider are less likely to switch based solely on price, especially when the current provider owns the real estate that's responsible for their ranking- if that existing relationship were severed those sites disappear and the clients ranking will drop. If they don't understand the inner workings of SEO (and most don't) they won't have the stamina to weather the initial drop that comes with switching and will be driven right back to the original provider, usually followed by public complaints about how "my rankings went down when I switched to X". So if that's the strategy I say leave the competitors clients alone and focus on new business.
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        • Profile picture of the author JohnMcCabe
          It is a common strategy, and you're right, it seldom works. Even when it does, you're the "other woman" who shouldn't be surprised when your client leaves you for the next "better deal".

          That's why I always wanted to be #2 on their list if I couldn't get in without playing pricing games. Sooner or later, if I kept that position by being helpful, something would happen that gave me the chance to move up to #1.
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        • Profile picture of the author marketingrep4u
          Originally Posted by ronrule View Post

          Just a hunch. I could be wrong, its just a common newbie strategy that usually backfires when executed. Assuming that's what the OP's plan is, I am trying to help spare him the time. Customers who are already working with a local provider are less likely to switch based solely on price, especially when the current provider owns the real estate that's responsible for their ranking- if that existing relationship were severed those sites disappear and the clients ranking will drop. If they don't understand the inner workings of SEO (and most don't) they won't have the stamina to weather the initial drop that comes with switching and will be driven right back to the original provider, usually followed by public complaints about how "my rankings went down when I switched to X". So if that's the strategy I say leave the competitors clients alone and focus on new business.
          Hunch? Newbie? Really????? Did you really just go there without knowing the facts?

          I learned a valuable lesson in the military: Never ASS-U-ME. Because it makes an ass out of u and me!

          Experienced operator here wanting to use Google for competitive analysis, just as stated in the original post, nothing more, nothing less.

          Why can't some people just answer the #@&! question? Oh wait...I guess we all needed the extra fluff and assumptions as it seems to be the best time to draw attention to sig blocks offering yet another useless WSO.

          To those that actually answered my question, "Thank You!"
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      • Profile picture of the author mojo1
        Originally Posted by JohnMcCabe View Post

        Ron, why are you assuming that the OP is "targeting another firm and offering your services at a lower price"?

        Back in the day, when I prospected and someone told me they were happy with their current provider, I just asked "how do I get to be #2?"
        Not only is this " how do I get to be #2?"rebuttal one I used back in the day as a professional IT recruiter, I would also simply ask the decision maker if there was anything they were unhappy with from their current provider.

        We're all usually dissatisfied with some aspect of service delivery or at the very least believe improvements can be made in some area from our current service providers.

        Just let them talk... Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. It's definitely worth the effort.
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  • Profile picture of the author ronrule
    It was a newbie question about a basic Google query - my guess was a logical conclusion, whether it was ultimately correct or not. Although I'm thinking I must have been pretty close to the mark for you to get so "offended". :rolleyes:
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    Ron Rule
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    • Profile picture of the author marketingrep4u
      Originally Posted by ronrule View Post

      It was a newbie question about a basic Google query - my guess was a logical conclusion, whether it was ultimately correct or not. Although I'm thinking I must have been pretty close to the mark for you to get so "offended". :rolleyes:

      BS!!!!!

      You used the term 'newbie' while discussing what YOU thought the motive was behind the question, NOT whether it was a 'newbie question about a basic Google query' as clearly read in your post. Anyone would have been offended by your BS. Even others pointed out your faulty assumptions.

      Is it too much to ask just to get an answer to a simple question without someone automatically referring to others as 'newbies'?

      I'm more offended that I wasted time reading your BS when all you had to do was answer the question and I would have simply said "Thank You".
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  • Profile picture of the author ronrule
    Would you prefer the term "amateur question" then? You're the one supposedly in the SEO business and you're asking how to do a Google search... newbie or amateur are both logical assumptions. There is nothing wrong with being either, really. I already said it was a hunch and I could have been wrong, but your anger issues and explosive response makes me think I was probably right. Either way you have your answer now, best of luck in your venture.
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    Ron Rule
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