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ActionableAnalysisfocusFigure 3Figure 4Figure 5Review Historical DataGoing back in time—something that manyof us wish we could do—is something thatwe can now do in our competitive analyses.During the holiday season, for example, wecan examine the strategies, bidding habits,ad copy, and budget that Coach and Guesshad over the previous year.Let Others Take the RiskBuying and stocking various items, andcompleting the myriad other tasks involvedin running businesses, all add up to a hugerisk. Employing a new marketing strategy isa risk as well, as it requires an initial investmentthat may not pay off—unless you havealready discovered the successes and failuresof your competitors. By spying on your competitors,you can get a leg up in your marketby knowing which avenues will be the mostprofitable.Investment Revenue DecisionCoach Purses $40,000 $55,000 YES!Guess Purses $30,000 What TBDamountwould yoube happywith?Assuming that the sale of Coach purseshas already begun, we know that our revenueis going to be approximately $15,000more than our initial investment, which is anacceptable profit. However, we are uncertainwhether to sell the Guess purses since thereisn’t quite as much advertising around themas there is for Coach, even though the initialinvestment is substantially less. It all comesdown to being able to make a simple decisionabout a product by looking at the digitalmarketing tactics of your competition. If youwere to sell Guess, what revenue would yoube happy with?ConclusionThese are just a few of many ways in whichto spy on your competition Always rely ondata when making business decisions, andhave a clear idea of the level of revenue youwant to achieve. By studying the ins andouts of your competitors’ marketing strategiesbefore you formulate your own, you canbuild your advertising program and, in turn,your business. So start exploring.As the COO of the SEOquakeTeam, Suren Ter-Saakov utilizeshis extensive knowledge ofsearch engines to help developtools that serve those whomake their living online.sesconference.com • SES 15