Second to SEMRush, SpyFu is one of our favorite link research and PPC competitor analysis tools. SpyFy has a great dataset to work with and we really like the interface which makes getting to the data we need quick and easy. SpyFu, as with most other competitive intelligence tools reviewed on this website, provides a robust set of reports which helps digitial marketers research competitor backlinks, PPC activities, and keywords.

In the post, we’ll review the SpyFu software platform as well as the features, pros, and cons that we’ve found over the years.

SpyFu Overview

  • Features: Organic search competitive analysis, paid search spying, backlink research and more
  • Interface: Simple, easy to use
  • Customer Support: Good, email/phone, very responsive
  • Website: www.spyfu.com
  • Pricing: 30 day free trial, $33/month

SpyFu Provides the Following SEO Competitive Research Tools

Feature TypeDetailsLearn More
Technical SEO AnalysisSearch your website to find errors and look for technical SEO issuesLearn More@semrush @seopowersuite @raventools
Backlink ResearchReview current backlinks on a websiteLearn More@semrush @spyfu @mangools @seopowersuite @raventools
Backlink ManagementStay on top of link building effortsLearn More@semrush @spyfu @seopowersuite
Keyword Rank TrackingYour website rank for keywordsLearn More@semrush @spyfu @mangools @seopowersuite @raventools
Ranking HistoryTrack historical SEO data to compare performanceLearn More@seopowersuite
Organic Traffic EstimatesSee estimates of how much organic traffic a website getsLearn More@semrush @spyfu @mangools @seopowersuite @raventools
Local RankingsAnalysis of ranking based on a locationLearn More@semrush @mangools @seopowersuite @raventools
Local Citation TrackingAnalysis of information on local business listingsLearn More@semrush
Keyword CompetitorsIdentify which competitors rank for specific keywordsLearn More@semrush @spyfu @mangools @seopowersuite
Paid Search ResearchAnalysis into competitors advertismentsLearn More@semrush @spyfu
PPC Keyword ResearchSee keyword volume and cost per clickLearn More@semrush @spyfu
PLA ResearchAnalysis of competitor product listing adsLearn More@semrush
Display Ad ResearchResearch competitor display adsLearn More@semrush
PPC Ad ResearchAnalysis of competitor search ads and landing pagesLearn More@semrush @spyfu
Competitor Traffic AnalysisEstimates of competitor traffic and on-site metrics.Learn More@semrush @seopowersuite

How SpyFu Works

SpyFu is a great lower-cost alternative to SEMrush. We actually like the SEO analysis software features a bit better on SpyFu compared to SEMrush. SpyFu really offers a great set of tools related to keyword research, paid search competitior research, rank tracking, business citation management and more. That said, SpyFu does lack in a few features related to local SEO (local rank analysis) as well as lacking a great technical analysis tool.

Here’s what we use SpyFu for:

  • Competitor Backlink Analysis: Robust metrics related to inbound links for domains of all authorities. SpyFy offers plenty of data to help you reverse engineer your competitors’ backlink portfolios.
  • Google PPC Ad Research: Competitor budget estimates, keywork targets, landing pages, ad text, ad history, etc.
  • Organic SEO Rankings: Current and historical views on organic keyword rankings for you and your competitiors.
  • Kombat: Kombat is a feature in SpyFu which allows you to view overlaps between you and you competitors in terms of keywords targeted in paid search.
  • Organic Keyword Research: SpyFu has a great feature which helps with ideating keyword themes for organic content.

It’s best to get to know SpyFu by taking advantage of their 30 day free trial.

SpyFu 30-Day Trial