Let’s be honest – running a landscaping business feels like you’re constantly playing catch-up with your competition. You see other companies landing the big contracts, ranking higher on Google, and somehow always seeming to know exactly what customers want before you do. Trust me, I’ve been there, and it’s frustrating as heck.
Here’s the thing though: your competitors aren’t necessarily smarter than you. They’re just using better tools to see what’s really happening in the market and find opportunities you’re missing. And honestly? That’s something you can fix starting today.
The landscaping industry is booming right now. We’re looking at steady growth, and homeowners are spending more on outdoor spaces than ever before. But with that growth comes tough competition, and if you’re not keeping tabs on what your rivals are doing, you’re basically playing poker with your cards face up while everyone else can see your hand.
Why Landscaping Businesses Need Competitor Analysis (More Than You Think)
I know what you’re thinking – “I already know who my competition is. It’s that guy down the street with the fancy trucks.” But competitor analysis goes way deeper than just knowing who’s in your area.
The landscaping market has gotten a lot more advanced. Your real competition might be the company three towns over that’s dominating Google searches for “xeriscaping” or “smart sprinkler systems.” They might be capturing customers you didn’t even know were looking for your services.
Think about it this way: every month, thousands of people in your area search for landscaping services online. Some search for “lawn care near me,” others look for “landscape design,” and still others want specific services like “irrigation installation” or “spring cleanup packages.” If you don’t know which keywords your competitors are targeting – and more importantly, which ones they’re missing – you’re leaving money on the table.
And the numbers prove it. Recent analysis shows that high-conversion keywords like “landscaping near me,” “landscape maintenance,” and specialized terms like “xeriscaping” are driving lots of local homeowner demand. But here’s the kicker – many landscaping businesses are still missing out on these opportunities because they don’t know they exist.
The Game-Changing Tools You Need to Know About
Alright, let’s talk about the tools that’ll give you superpowers when it comes to understanding your competition. I’ve tested dozens of these, and some are absolute game-changers while others are just expensive wastes of time.
Semrush: The Swiss Army Knife
If I had to pick just one tool, Semrush would be it. This thing is like having a private investigator for your competitors’ online strategies. You can see exactly which keywords they’re ranking for, what their Google Ads look like, and where they’re getting their traffic from.
The keyword gap analysis feature is pure gold. You literally type in your website and your top three competitors, and it shows you a list of keywords they’re ranking for that you’re not. I’ve seen landscaping businesses discover hundreds of profitable keywords they never knew existed.
One landscape contractor I worked with found out their main competitor was ranking for “commercial snow removal” – a service they offered but never marketed online. Within six months, they’d captured 30% of that market in their area.
SE Ranking: The Time Machine
What makes SE Ranking special is its historical data. We’re talking 15 years of keyword performance and industry changes. For landscaping businesses, this is incredibly valuable because you can spot seasonal trends and emerging services before your competitors catch on.
Plus, it’s way more affordable than some of the bigger names, which matters when you’re running a business with seasonal cash flow challenges.
SpyFu and iSpionage: The Ad Spies
These tools are laser-focused on Google Ads intelligence. They’ll show you exactly what your competitors are spending on ads, which keywords they’re bidding on, and even suggest negative keywords to help you avoid wasting money.
I love SpyFu’s ad budget estimates. You can see that your competitor is spending $2,000 a month on Google Ads for “landscape lighting installation” and decide if that’s a market worth entering or if you should focus your budget elsewhere.
Ahrefs: The Link Detective
Ahrefs is fantastic for understanding how your competitors are building their online authority. You can see which websites are linking to them, what content is performing best, and identify opportunities to get similar backlinks for your own site.
The content gap analysis is particularly useful. It shows you topics your competitors are writing about that you haven’t covered yet. Maybe they’ve got blog posts about “drought-resistant landscaping” that are bringing in tons of traffic, and you haven’t even thought about that topic.
Speaking of tools, if you’re looking for more specialized SEO analysis, you might want to check out Casey’s SEO Tools enhanced competitor analyzer – it’s designed specifically for businesses that need super detailed insights without the enterprise-level complexity.
Finding Those Golden Market Gaps
Here’s where things get exciting. Market gaps are like finding twenty-dollar bills on the sidewalk – they’re opportunities your competitors haven’t noticed or haven’t bothered to pursue yet.
In 2025, I’m seeing some massive gaps in the landscaping space. Specialized services like xeriscaping are huge right now, especially in areas dealing with water restrictions. Smart sprinkler systems and irrigation technology are exploding as homeowners want more control over their water usage and costs.
But here’s what most landscaping businesses miss – service bundling. Instead of just targeting “spring cleanup” or “mulching,” the smart companies are going after “Spring Cleanup + Mulching Packages.” It’s a longer keyword, sure, but it captures customers who want the convenience of bundled services and are often willing to pay more for it.
The Commercial vs. Residential Gap
One of the biggest gaps I see is in commercial landscaping. Most small landscaping businesses focus all their marketing on residential customers, but commercial clients often have bigger budgets and longer contracts. If your competitors aren’t targeting “commercial landscaping” or “office landscape maintenance,” there’s your opportunity.
Use your competitor analysis tools to search for commercial landscaping keywords in your area. If you see low competition but decent search volume, that’s a market gap you can drive a truck through – preferably one with your company logo on it.
Keyword Research That Actually Works
Let’s talk about finding keywords that actually bring in customers, not just traffic. There’s a big difference, and too many landscaping businesses get caught up in vanity metrics.
Start with your competitor analysis tools and look for keywords with commercial intent. These are searches that indicate someone is ready to hire a landscaping company, not just browsing for ideas. Terms like “landscaping companies near me,” “landscape contractor [your city],” or “lawn care service estimates” are pure gold.
But don’t ignore the longer, more specific phrases. “Drought resistant landscape design Colorado Springs” might only get 50 searches a month, but every single one of those searches is from someone with a specific need and probably a decent budget.
Seasonal Keyword Strategy
Landscaping is seasonal, and your keyword strategy should be too. Use your tools to track when certain keywords peak throughout the year. “Spring cleanup” obviously spikes in March and April, but “leaf removal” peaks in October and November.
The smart move is to create content and start optimizing for seasonal keywords about two months before they peak. Your competitors are probably scrambling to rank for “spring landscaping services” in April, but you started working on it in February.
For more targeted keyword research, Casey’s website keyword finder tool can help you discover what keywords your competitors are actually ranking for, not just what they think they’re targeting.
Actionable Steps You Can Take This Week
Alright, enough theory. Here’s what you need to do right now to start gaining ground on your competition:
Step 1: Identify Your Real Competition
Don’t just look at the obvious competitors in your immediate area. Use Google to search for your main service keywords and see who’s showing up on the first page. Those are your real competitors – the ones stealing your potential customers.
Make a list of the top 5-7 companies that keep showing up in search results. These are the businesses you need to analyze.
Step 2: Run a Keyword Gap Analysis
Pick one of the tools I mentioned (Semrush is my top choice) and run a keyword gap analysis comparing your website to your top 3 competitors. You’ll get a list of keywords they’re ranking for that you’re not.
Don’t try to tackle everything at once. Pick the 10-15 keywords that have decent search volume and seem achievable based on your current website authority.
Step 3: Analyze Their Content Strategy
Look at what type of content your competitors are creating. Are they writing blog posts about seasonal landscaping tips? Creating before-and-after galleries? Sharing maintenance guides?
Find the gaps in their content and fill them. If they’re all writing about spring cleanup but nobody’s covering “preparing your landscape for drought conditions,” there’s your opportunity.
Step 4: Check Their Local SEO Game
Look up your competitors on Google Maps and see how their profiles compare to yours. Are they getting more reviews? Do they have better photos? Are they listed in categories you’re missing?
Local SEO is huge for landscaping businesses, and small improvements here can have massive impacts on your visibility.
Step 5: Monitor Their Social Media and Referral Traffic
Instagram and Facebook drive significant referral traffic for landscaping businesses. See what your competitors are posting, how often they’re posting, and what kind of engagement they’re getting.
More importantly, look for the types of projects they’re showcasing. If they’re getting tons of engagement on xeriscaping projects but you’re not offering that service, maybe it’s time to expand.
Common Mistakes (And How to Avoid Them)
I’ve seen landscaping businesses make the same mistakes over and over when it comes to competitor analysis. Let me save you some time and frustration.
Mistake 1: Only Looking at Direct Local Competitors
Your biggest threat might not be the landscaping company across town. It could be a larger regional company that’s expanding into your area, or even a national franchise that’s starting to target your keywords.
Cast a wider net when you’re doing your analysis. Look at anyone ranking for your target keywords, regardless of their location or size.
Mistake 2: Focusing Only on Organic Search
Google Ads can eat up a huge portion of search traffic, especially for high-value commercial keywords. If you’re only looking at organic rankings, you’re missing half the picture.
Use tools like SpyFu to see what your competitors are doing with paid search. Maybe they’re bidding on keywords you never considered, or maybe they’re ignoring paid search entirely and leaving an opportunity open for you.
Mistake 3: Analysis Paralysis
It’s easy to get overwhelmed by all the data these tools provide. I’ve seen business owners spend weeks analyzing every single keyword and never actually implementing anything.
Set a time limit for your analysis – maybe 4-6 hours per month – and focus on finding 3-5 actionable opportunities each time. It’s better to act on a few good insights than to have perfect analysis that never gets used.
Staying Ahead of Industry Trends
The landscaping industry is evolving faster than ever, and your competitor analysis should help you spot trends before they become mainstream.
Right now, I’m seeing huge growth in sustainable landscaping practices. Keywords around water conservation, native plant landscaping, and eco-friendly maintenance are exploding. Climate change concerns and water restrictions are driving real demand for these services.
Smart irrigation systems and landscape technology are another massive trend. Homeowners want app-controlled sprinkler systems, soil moisture sensors, and automated landscape lighting. If your competitors aren’t targeting these keywords yet, you’ve got a head start.
The key is to use your competitor analysis tools to track emerging keywords before they become competitive. Set up alerts for new keywords in your industry and monitor search volume trends monthly.
Measuring Your Success
Here’s how you’ll know if your competitor analysis is actually working:
First, track your keyword rankings monthly. You should see steady improvement in rankings for the keywords you’ve identified through your gap analysis. If you’re not moving up after 3-4 months, either the keywords are more competitive than you thought or you need to adjust your approach.
Second, monitor your organic traffic and leads. The whole point of this exercise is to bring in more customers, not just improve vanity metrics. Use Google Analytics to track which keywords are actually bringing in phone calls and contact form submissions.
Third, keep an eye on your local search visibility. If you’re implementing the local SEO insights from your competitor analysis, you should see improvements in your Google Maps rankings and local search traffic.
For ongoing monitoring, consider using Casey’s local rank tracker tool to keep tabs on how you’re performing against competitors in local search results.
Your Next Steps
Look, I get it. This probably feels like a lot to take on when you’re already juggling crews, estimates, and everything else that comes with running a landscaping business. But here’s the thing – your competitors who are growing fastest aren’t necessarily better landscapers than you. They’re just better at understanding their market and positioning themselves strategically.
Start small. Pick one tool, analyze your top three competitors, and find five keyword opportunities you can go after this month. Create some content, optimize your existing pages, and track your progress.
The landscaping industry isn’t getting less competitive. Every month you wait is another month your competitors are potentially finding and snapping up opportunities that should be yours.
If you need help getting started or want more specialized tools for your analysis, Casey’s SEO Tools offers a full suite of competitor analysis and SEO tools designed specifically for businesses that need practical insights without the big-business complexity.
The market gaps are out there. The keywords are waiting to be discovered. The question is: are you going to find them first, or are you going to let your competitors beat you to it?
Time to stop playing defense and start taking control of your market position. Your future customers are searching right now – make sure they find you instead of the other guy.
