Editor's note: Originally published by Ryan Law in 2020. Updated by David Galic in 2025.
Talking about competitors makes many brands nervous. But it shouldn't.
So we'll say it clearly: Yes, you should talk about your competitors.
We get it: you don’t want to look defensive or give prospects a reason to look elsewhere. But the face is those prospects are already comparing options.
Whether it’s Google or an AI chat, these engines learn about your industry, the products in them, and how users talk about them. The question isn't if they'll see your competitors, but whether you'll shape the story they find.
If you're not participating in that conversation, you're letting others (often your competitors) define your brand narrative and competitive landscape.
"We Don’t Want to Do Their Marketing for Them"
This is the most common objection we hear: Why would we help prospects discover our competitors?
The reality is that prospects are already finding them. People shop around. According to Gartner's Global Software Buying Trends Report, 72% of B2B software buyers consider at least four providers during their evaluation process, and platforms like G2, Reddit, and ChatGPT have made doing detailed comparisons very easy.
The smart move is to be part of that research process.
A good example of a company doubling down on competitor-based content is Podia, an all-in-one course and membership platform for creators.
They built dedicated comparison pages for prominent “Podia alternatives.” These pages are direct. They show how Podia's pricing and features stack up, side by side, with no marketing spin.
It's also smart SEO. When someone searches "Podia alternatives," Podia can rank for that search itself. They can also bid on the term in paid search.
Instead of only seeing competitors in the results, prospects see Podia owning the conversation about their own alternatives, guiding the comparison instead of being absent from it.
"We Don't Want to Lose Business"
Another reason companies avoid talking about competitors is the fear of losing customers to a rival. But if your product isn't the right fit, you'll lose that customer anyway.
It's better to focus on winning the right customers and redirecting the wrong ones toward a better alternative. If you can't provide the right solution, you can at least add value with honest guidance.
According to Forrester research, transparency is one of the seven key trust levers for B2B buyers. So when you help a customer find the right solution, even if it's not yours, they remember. A customer you helped becomes part of your trusted network.
When Forrester asked B2B buyers to rank their most trusted sources of information, 79% cited vendors they've worked with before. If a prospect's needs change down the line — maybe the competitor you recommended doesn't scale with them, or their priorities shift — you'll be the first alternative they reach out to.
"We Don't Have Feature Parity"
Many companies avoid competitor comparisons because they're worried they'll come up short. Your competitor has features you don't. Why highlight that gap?
Podia does this very well, too. As an all-in-one platform, their job is to handle everything a creator needs in one place. That typically means consolidating several different tools for each customer.
"There are cases where these point solutions offer fringe features (we call them '1% features') that we don't have, because their goal is to make the best possible tool for a specific job, whereas our goal is to make a great tool for each job, and an amazing platform that ties everything together," said Podia COO Len Markidan.
When they compare themselves to competitors with more niche features, they're honest about the gap. Then they pivot to what they do offer: simplicity, integration, and the value of having everything in one place.
That’s not hiding your limitations. It’s explaining what you chose to prioritize instead and why.
"We Want to Take the High Road"
One final criticism leveled at talking about competition is that it isn't classy.
But fair comparison is perfectly compatible with classy marketing. The goal should never be to tear down competitors, but to help buyers make informed decisions.
There's a cautionary tale that shows what happens when that line gets crossed.
Coding bootcamp Codesmith saw its revenue decline by about 80% after Michael Novati, co-founder of competing bootcamp Formation, became a moderator of r/codingbootcamp and spent over a year posting negative content about Codesmith. Those posts now dominate Google and AI search results for the company.
While he did succeed in hurting Codesmith, Novati also experienced significant backlash for his actions. Many competing bootcamp founders rushed to Codesmith’s defense. And when Novati tried to defend himself on LinkedIn, commenters were very critical of his behavior.
No one wins with these tactics. There's a clear line between fair comparison and aggressive attacks. These guiding principles can help you stay on the right side:
Prioritize honesty above all else.
When it's relevant, acknowledge the differences or limitations of your own product.
Don't exploit a competitor's setback to make your brand look better.
Taking the high road shouldn't mean avoiding comparison. It's about respecting prospects enough to tell the whole story, and earning your place in the conversation.
What's New: AI Makes Competitor Content More Important
According to recent Ahrefs’ data, AI traffic has grown roughly 10 times over the past year, with ChatGPT alone growing 85% since January.
While Google still matters, more prospects are turning to AI tools for recommendations — and those tools rely on what's already published about your category.
Strategic competitive content influences AI training data and search results. What you publish now becomes part of how these systems learn about your category.
If you're not part of that conversation, you're letting competitors, review sites, and maybe a Redditor named "BlingRhames420" define your story.
Though it will likely be addressed in the near future, as of the end of 2025, brands can still significantly sway how AI perceives them and their competitors. We're seeing companies publish structured comparison content that quickly reshapes how AI systems represent their brand.
These AI platforms haven't yet built strong defenses against content tactics that wouldn't work with Google. This creates both opportunity and ethical questions for content marketers.
Where is the line between smart marketing and taking advantage of flawed systems? That's the question content teams now face.
How to Get Started
Getting started with competitor comparisons doesn't require overhauling your strategy. Start simple:
Talk to your sales and support teams: Spend 10 minutes asking which competitors keep coming up in calls, demos, and support tickets. You'll walk away with a clear list of who you're actually competing against in the market.
Prioritize with data: Focus on the competitors that appear most frequently in customer conversations. Then layer in search volume. Prioritize the overlaps — high conversation frequency and high search volume.
Create dedicated content: This could be a comparison page on your website or a blog post. The format isn't important as long as prospects can easily find it when they're actively comparing options.
Be direct: Compare pricing and features. Explain your product philosophy and how it differs from competitors. Walk through use cases where each product shines. Be upfront about what you don't have, then focus on what you do best and why it matters more.
Focus on bottom-of-funnel buyers: Competitive content works best for people who are ready to make a decision. These prospects have done their research, narrowed down their options, and need help making the final call. That's where you come in.
Your product gets compared to competitors every day. Don't let those conversations happen without you. Participate, add value at every stage of the buying process, and help prospects make better decisions.