A weekly competitor briefing template
A useful competitor update is short, specific, and tied to a decision. This template keeps the weekly review from turning into a link dump.
The format
- Headline: the most consequential change in one sentence.
- What changed: the competitor, the page, and the observable change.
- What it likely means: a clearly marked inference, not a fact.
- So what: ignore, watch, or act — and who owns the next step.
Example
Headline: NiceJob is going all-in on AI search.
What changed: 15 pages changed in 30 days, including a page written for AI assistants, a guide on AI search visibility, and a free AI review-reply generator. The pricing page now sells “better AI search visibility” on the $75 plan.
What it likely means: NiceJob is repositioning from a review tool into an AI-visibility and lead-capture platform for local businesses.
So what: If we sell review software, “AI visibility” may become table stakes. Marketing should review our positioning; product should check whether AI search is on the roadmap.
Keep these rules
- One email, not five. Group changes by competitor and put the most important first.
- Quote the page. Link to the exact URL and include the changed line when possible.
- Separate fact from inference. “They added a page” is fact. “They are moving upmarket” is an inference.
- Skip quiet weeks. If nothing meaningful changed, do not send an email just to fill a calendar slot.
- Name the owner. A briefing without a next step is just reading.
What not to include
Do not pad the briefing with routine blog posts, job ads, legal pages, or translated copies of existing pages. They create noise and make the important changes harder to see. If a change does not affect a buyer, a roadmap, or a message, it can wait.
Make it repeatable
The best cadence is weekly, on the same day, with the same format. A short Monday email gives the team a shared picture before the week’s decisions. If you want the collection and first-pass analysis handled for you, Competitor Radar tracks up to five competitors and sends one short briefing every Monday.
For pricing pages, add daily checks so a plan change does not sit unnoticed for a week. Pro includes daily price-page alerts.
Read the full monitoring process or try the free website change checker.