Buzzword Chasers

A Deeper (Yet Brief!) Look at the Individual Sections

In the previous entry, we had a meet and greet with Compete.com. We reviewed the multiple directions users can go in when using the site, and we took a look at the Compare site profiles tool.  In this entry, a deeper look at individual sections will be taken and multiple aspects will be explained within each sub domain.

Profiles

Under profiles, we have already used ‘Compare,’ but other information is given within the other tabs. A Site Profile is an individualized chart (separate from the compare tab). The same information is given of a single, specific site. On this page, users can view the searched site’s:

• Compete Rank
• Page Views and Visits (as circled in red)
• Referral Analytics,
• Search Analytics and
• Tags

More Profile Plusses: Another useful tool is the Site Description, given on the lower left-hand side of Site Profile (as can be seen in the photo below). Tag Profile lets users see how other users tag, or label, a site. An alphabetical list of all tags is given, though the list can also be sorted by size (amount under each tag). Compete describes this section of the site as “A macro level view of traffic, search, and engagement metrics across over 220 industries.”

Analytics Tools

Under Keyword Destination in the Search Analytics tab under Analytics Tools, a user can search a keyword and find:

• The volume rank of the keyword
• The % total keyword volume
• The % of site’s search traffic
• Average monthly search referrals.

If a user wants to better understand what each title means, there are small question marks that can be clicked and an explanation will pop up.

Ranked Lists

Ranked Lists under the Analytics Tools tab is another user-friendly section of the site. Users can create their own list of ranked websites using specific criterion. On the right side of the page, a list will appear of the sites under the specified criteria. By experimenting with these options, users can come up with a plentiful amount of data, tailored to their research goals.

What comes up once the criterion is chosen is a statistical chart similar to this one, provided that Ranking + All Metrics in the ‘Add Traffic Data’ section on the right is chosen. Included in the data are:

• The domain name
• Unique visitors,
• Visits, page views, total time spent (in hours)
• Monthly attention

This data can be vital to owners looking to further their knowledge of their own and competing websites within their industry.

Resources

The Resources Section of the site is quite extensive. It includes a well thought- out help section that can be vital to new users. A blog is available to read and is renowned for its “timely, entertaining and fun commentary across a wide range of topics”  (about how people are using the internet).

Compete.com Toolbar

Compete actually has a toolbar that you can try under the Resources tab- and obtain if you really enjoy using it- that alerts the user on his/her computer and provides valuable information. Included:

• How popular the web site is
• The website’s rank (the website’s ’significance’: based on Unique Visitors)
• How fast it is growing
• Warnings of potentially malicious (spyware, phishing) web sites

Other options are also available under this tab, including Contact, an About section, and Data Methodology.

Linking it all together

In the first two parts of this series, an overview of Compete.com’s capabilities, tools and a how-to within the individual sections has been looked at. In the next 2 parts, we will be taking looks at the Pros and Cons that exist on the site and ideas for improvement. Stay tuned!