Audience research
Part of Local service marketing audience research explained for England
Seven checks for local service marketing competitor research
Seven local service marketing checks for comparing rivals’ offers, ads, Google Search visibility, reviews and outreach, then turning findings into action.
What to take away
- Most teams read competitor websites and stop there, which shows what rivals claim, not what wins them work.
- Paid, organic and review signals show intent you can act onwhat buyers click, what ranks, what people complain about.
- A repeated checklist beats a one-off audit, because local rivals change prices and coverage often.
- Live calls to householders sit under ICO direct marketing rules, so pull rivals' claims apart without copying their methods.
- Record findings where sales and delivery will use them, not in a folder nobody opens.
1. Define the patch before you look
In local service marketing, competitor research fails when the patch is vague. Write down the postcode districts or travel time you serve, then list the businesses quoting into the same ground. Neighbourhood Ads’ audience research guide for England explains how to size and sample that patch properly. A plumber working a twenty-minute radius rarely competes with a national firm.
Define Your Patch
- Write postcode districts or travel time served
- List businesses quoting into same ground
- Size and sample the patch properly
- A 20-minute radius rarely competes nationally
2. Log what they sell, not what they say
List services, minimum job size and response times from booking pages and price guides. If a rival advertises emergency cover but only answers calls on weekdays, that gap is a lead source. Keep the notes dated, because you will compare them again next quarter.
Log What They Sell
- List services offered
- Note minimum job size
- Record response times
- Check booking pages and price guides
- Date every note for quarterly comparison
3. Check paid search presence
Search your main service terms with location modifiers and note who appears in the sponsored slots. The Google Ads Transparency Center lets you inspect advertisers’ ads; if you run eligible Search campaigns, Auction insights in Google Ads can show which advertisers overlap with you. Tools such as SEMrush, SpyFu and Similarweb can help research competitor search visibility, while Google Alerts can flag new mentions; treat third-party estimates as directional. Paid visibility signals show where rivals expect demand and what they are promoting. Cost per click varies by trade, location and query, so compare like-for-like searches and your own campaign data rather than relying on a generic benchmark. Compare their ad wording with your own promises, since the offer usually decides the click.
4. Watch video and display placements
Some local firms now run video campaigns aimed at store visits and calls. YouTube's guidance on video ad formats explains how those placements are set up and measured, which helps you judge whether a rival's activity is a standing budget line or a short test.
5. Inspect the local pack and reviews
In Google Search, record who appears in the local pack; check Google Maps results separately. Inspect the businesses’ Google Business Profiles and Bing Places listings to see how their local profiles present the business. Where relevant to your trade, compare reviews on Google, Trustpilot, Checkatrade, Which? Trusted Traders and Yell. Record review counts and their average rating; there is no universal review-count threshold for a strong competitor, so compare like-for-like businesses in your patch. Read the two-star reviews first: recurring complaints about punctuality, quoting or tidiness are the quickest route to a positioning idea. Recheck monthly, because a run of new reviews can shift a pack position.
What to do with review themes
Group complaints into no more than five themes and count how often each appears. Then check whether your own recent jobs had the same problem. A theme you already fix is a claim you can make with evidence.
How to compare without copying
Use themes to shape your own wording and service promises. Do not lift review text, photographs or price tables, and keep a dated note of what you observed.
6. Check their direct outreach methods
If rivals cold-call householders, the ICO guidance on direct marketing using live calls explains the rules under the Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) Regulations 2003 (PECR). Screen numbers against the telephone preference service (TPS) for individuals and the Corporate Telephone Preference Service (CTPS) for corporate subscribers; do not call a registered number unless the required specific consent applies. Read the guidance before deciding whether that channel is worth testing, and what records you would need.
7. Check what has changed and turn findings into action
Summarise the gaps: services nobody local offers, response times nobody meets, review themes nobody fixes. Pair each gap with one action, an owner and a review date. Share the summary with whoever answers the phone, because they hear what buyers ask for.
Repeat the cycle each quarter
Set a recurring slot, perhaps ninety minutes a quarter, and rerun the checks in order. Local markets shift with seasons, staffing and new entrants, so a stale audit misleads.
If your competitor set keeps shifting, revisit how you define your target audience in England before you redraw the list. Teams wanting firmer grounding in planning methods can book strategy and planning training with CIM.
Common questions
How often should I run competitor research?
Quarterly suits most local service firms, with a quick monthly check of Google Search local-pack positions, Google Maps results and review counts. Rerun the full checklist when you change your service area or launch an offer.
Is it legal to compare my prices with a competitor's?
Yes, if the comparison is accurate, like for like and not misleading. Keep dated evidence of the figures you used.
What if a competitor cold-calls households?
That does not mean you should copy them. Check the ICO rules under PECR first, screen against the TPS or CTPS as applicable, then decide whether the channel fits your brand and record keeping.
Which single metric matters most?
Track your share of Google Search’s local pack for your top five service terms; Google Maps has separate results. It is quick to record and usually moves before enquiry volume does.
