Alternatives Pages (Competitive Comparison SEO/CRO)
Position in workflow: v0.9 AEO Audit → v0.9 Alternatives Pages → v0.9 Launch Metrics
Execution Mode
Default is standard. See .claude/rules/08-skill-execution-modes.md for selection logic.
| Mode | What this skill produces |
|---|---|
| quick | 2 pages for the single most-searched competitor (X-vs-us + alternative-to-X) |
| standard | 5–10 pages covering top 3–5 competitors with both variant types; CRO copy + comparison table |
| deep | Full competitor portfolio (10+ competitors); plus multi-way comparison ("X vs Y vs Z"); page-level A/B test plan; SEO targeting per page |
What This Does
Produces a portfolio of high-intent comparison pages — /x-vs-us and /alternative-to-x — that capture buyers actively searching for competitor names + comparison/alternative keywords. These are the highest-converting acquisition surface for B2B SaaS and many consumer products: the buyer has already passed awareness and is in active evaluation.
The pages must be fair, credible, and conversion-oriented — acknowledging where the competitor wins, claiming where you win, with social proof and a clear "when to pick each" guide. Aggressive trashing fails: buyers fact-check, and one false claim loses the page.
How It Works
- Source the competitor list — From the AEO Audit's comparison gaps and v0.2 CFD- competitive landscape. Rank by search volume (use Ahrefs/Semrush/free volume estimators) × buyer-intent strength.
- For each competitor, design two pages:
/<competitor>-vs-<us>— Symmetric comparison. Buyer is comparing both./alternative-to-<competitor>— Asymmetric. Buyer is leaving competitor or shopping replacements.
- Apply the page template (see Output Template) — Honest comparison table on 5–8 dimensions, "When to pick each" guidance, your unique attributes (from Dunford positioning), social proof, CTA.
- Anchor in positioning rules — Each page must respect the BR-POS-* constraints. If positioning says "not for enterprise procurement," the page does not court enterprise buyers.
- Plan attribution — Each page gets its own UTM source and a conversion event. Track per-page activation rate to identify dead pages.
Example
Competitor: Mixpanel (mid-search-volume, B2B SaaS analytics).
Page 1: /mixpanel-vs-us
Symmetric comparison table:
| Dimension | Mixpanel | Us |
|---|---|---|
| Setup time | 1–2 weeks (data engineering required) | 15 minutes (autoinstrument) |
| Analytics depth | Industry-leading (cohorts, retention, funnels) | Solid (cohorts, funnels — no formula language) |
| Pricing | Custom enterprise; usage-based | Flat tier; predictable |
| Best-fit team | 50+ person product orgs | 1–20 person teams |
"Pick Mixpanel if: you have a data team and need advanced funnel/cohort analysis." "Pick us if: you're a small team that needs analytics today, not after a 2-week setup."
CTA: "Start free trial — full setup in under an hour"
Page 2: /alternative-to-mixpanel
Asymmetric, replacement-oriented. Headline: "Looking for a faster Mixpanel alternative?" Same table, plus migration guide ("export your Mixpanel events; we'll set up identical funnels in 1 hour"), plus customer story ("[Customer X] moved off Mixpanel in 2 days — here's how").
What You Get Back
- SCR-ALT-* page specs — One per page. Includes URL slug, headline, comparison table content, "when to pick each" copy, social proof references, CTA. Hands off to design/dev for build.
- GTM-* with Type=Channel for each page — The page treated as a channel (Owned layer), with attribution plan
- Page priority queue — Build order ranked by competitor search volume × conversion potential
When to Use It
| Trigger | Mode |
|---|---|
| AEO Audit identified comparison gaps | standard |
| Competitor raised prices / had a public incident (capture displaced buyers) | quick (single page, fast) |
| Quarterly competitive SEO refresh | standard |
| Launch wave needs additional Owned-channel surfaces | standard |
| Enterprise / paid-tier buyer education | deep |
Do not use for products in tightly regulated categories where comparison claims have legal exposure (e.g., medical devices, financial advice) without legal review.
Consumes
- CFD-* competitive alternatives (from v0.2 + v0.3 Moat) — Anchor for honest comparison; CFD- entries should include competitor strengths, not just weaknesses
- GTM-AEO-* gaps (from v0.9 AEO Audit) — Comparison gaps become page priorities
- GTM-* positioning + BR-POS-* (from v0.9 Positioning) — Defines "when to pick us" claims; pages must honor BR-POS- constraints
- CFD-* customer stories (from v0.1–v0.4 + post-launch) — Social proof and migration stories
- FEA-* feature list — Anchor for "what we have" claims (no vaporware)
Produces
- SCR-ALT-* page specs (subcategorized SCR- entries for alternatives pages, lives in
SoT/SoT.USER_JOURNEYS.mdalongside other SCR- entries) - GTM-* with Type=Channel for each page (the page-as-channel with attribution plan)
- CFD-* gaps surfaced — If a competitor strength is unaddressed, log CFD- research-gap
Output Template
SCR-ALT-XXX: Comparison page — [Competitor] vs. Us Type: ScreenAlternatives Variant: [vs | alternative-to] URL slug: /<competitor>-vs-<us> (or /alternative-to-<competitor>) Owner: [Person / role] Status: [Draft | Review | Live] Headline: "[Headline]" Subhead: "[Subhead]" Comparison table (5–8 dimensions, honest): | Dimension | Competitor | Us | | ... | ... | ... | "Pick competitor if": [Honest acknowledgment] "Pick us if": [Anchored in BR-POS-* and positioning value claims] Social proof: - CFD-XXX (testimonial or migration story) - [Customer logo references] CTA: [Specific action; matches Offer Construction CTA where possible] Linked IDs: CFD-XXX (competitor), GTM-YYY (positioning), FEA-ZZZ (feature claims), BR-POS-AAA (constraints) Linked Channel: GTM-ALT-XXX
GTM-ALT-XXX: Channel — Alternatives page <slug> Type: Channel Layer: Owned Status: Live Channel: SEO/CRO page at <URL> Attribution: utm_source=alt-page&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=<slug> KPI target: KPI-AAA (alt-page → trial signup conversion rate) Linked IDs: SCR-ALT-XXX (page), GTM-YYY (positioning), KPI-AAA
Anti-Patterns
| Pattern | Signal | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Trash the competitor | Page reads like a hit piece | Acknowledge where they win; credibility > short-term clicks |
| Same page, find/replace competitor name | 8 pages with identical structure | Each page tunes for the specific alternative's buyer profile |
| Stale comparison data | Comparison table is 18 months old | Quarterly refresh; date the page; cite version |
| Vaporware feature claims | Claiming features that don't ship | Every "we have" claim must trace to FEA- |
| Ignoring BR-POS-* | Page courts buyers positioning says aren't best-fit | Add "this might not be for you if..." section |
| No "when to pick each" | Pure us-favored framing | Buyers know it's biased; the "when to pick each" earns trust |
| No social proof | Empty assertion of superiority | Cite CFD- customer stories or migration data |
Quality Gates
Before pages go live:
- Each page traces to one CFD- competitor entry
- Each page traces to GTM- positioning + at least one BR-POS- constraint
- "Pick competitor if" section exists on every page (the credibility test)
- All feature claims trace to shipping FEA-
- Attribution plan (UTM + KPI- target) per page
- Date on page; refresh schedule documented
- (deep mode) A/B test plan documented
Downstream Connections
| Consumer | What it uses | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Launch Channels (ORB) | Pages = Owned channels; added to mix matrix | /x-vs-us → GTM- Owned entry |
| Launch Metrics | Per-page conversion rates roll up to KPI-acquisition | KPI-ALT-conversion-rate |
| Feedback Loop Setup | Page bounce/scroll signals feed CFD- | Bounce on a specific section → CFD-gap |
| AEO Audit (re-run) | Pages should resolve comparison gaps; re-test after 4–6 weeks | Gap closure verification |
| v1.0 Continuous Discovery | Page winners suggest positioning sharpenings | High-converting page → positioning hypothesis |
Detailed References
- jonathimer's
alternatives-pagesskill (devmarketing-skills) - Corey Haines's
competitorsandcompetitor-profilingskills (marketingskills) - (No bundled
references/— competitor data lives in CFD-, not here)
