We do keyword research every week at Relevance — for clients across B2B SaaS, healthcare, ecommerce, and professional services. After years of refining our process, we’ve distilled it into a practical workflow that anyone can follow, whether you’re a founder doing this for the first time or a marketing team looking to sharpen your approach.

Here’s how to do keyword research the way we actually do it, with the reasoning behind each step.

Start with what you already know (not with a tool)

The biggest mistake in keyword research is opening Ahrefs or SEMrush before you’ve done any thinking. Tools are powerful, but they can’t tell you what matters to your business. That’s your job.

Before we touch a tool for a new client, we answer three questions:

What does this business actually sell, and to whom? This sounds obvious, but the answer shapes everything. A company selling enterprise software to CIOs will target completely different keywords than one selling self-serve tools to freelancers, even if they’re in the same product category.

What topics should this brand be the definitive authority on? Not “what keywords have volume” — what subjects does this company have genuine expertise in? The best keyword strategies are anchored in real knowledge, not opportunistic traffic chasing.

What does a valuable visitor actually do? Sign up for a demo? Book an appointment? Buy a product? Understanding the conversion event helps us prioritize keywords that drive business outcomes, not just pageviews.

We capture this thinking in a simple brief that guides the entire research process. It takes 20 minutes and saves hours of unfocused tool exploration.

Mine your existing data first

If you have a website with any traffic at all, your most valuable keyword data is already sitting in Google Search Console. We start every keyword research engagement here.

What to look for in GSC:

Queries where you’re getting impressions but few clicks (positions 8-20). These are keywords Google already associates with your site but where your content isn’t strong enough to earn the click. They represent your most actionable opportunities because you don’t need to build topical association from scratch — you need to create better content for topics Google already thinks you’re relevant for.

Queries you didn’t intentionally target. GSC often reveals that you’re appearing for keywords you never planned for. These accidental rankings point to content gaps — topics where creating dedicated, optimized content could capture significant traffic.

Your highest-CTR queries. These tell you what your audience actually clicks on, which reveals what messaging and angles resonate. This informs not just keyword selection but how you write title tags and content.

If you’re starting from zero (no existing site traffic), skip to the next step. But for established sites, GSC analysis usually surfaces more actionable opportunities than any third-party tool.

Analyze what competitors own (and what they miss)

Competitor keyword analysis isn’t about copying what others are doing. It’s about understanding the landscape and finding gaps.

We run this analysis for every client using Ahrefs’ competitive analysis features. Here’s the specific process:

Identify your true SEO competitors. These aren’t necessarily your business competitors. Your SEO competitors are the sites that rank for the keywords you want. A B2B software company might find that their SEO competitors include publications like HubSpot’s blog, not just rival software companies. Understanding who you’re actually competing against in the SERPs shapes your realistic targeting.

Find the content gap. Which keywords do multiple competitors rank for that you don’t? The intersection of 2-3 competitors’ keyword profiles reveals the core topics in your space. Any keyword that all your competitors rank for and you don’t is a gap worth evaluating.

Look for underserved intent. Sometimes competitors rank for a keyword but serve the wrong intent. If the top results for a commercial query are all informational blog posts, there’s an opportunity to create a page that better matches what searchers want. We’ve won quick ranking gains for clients by simply matching intent better than incumbent content.

Expand your keyword universe with tools

Now it’s time to use the tools. We primarily use Ahrefs Keywords Explorer, supplemented by Google Ads Keyword Planner for volume estimates and Google’s own autocomplete and PAA (People Also Ask) features for question-based keywords.

For each seed term from your earlier steps, explore:

Phrase match and having same terms: These show you the full range of how people search around your topic. “Marketing automation” as a seed might reveal “marketing automation for small business,” “marketing automation vs CRM,” and “best marketing automation software” — each requiring different content.

Questions: Question keywords (how, what, why, when, can) are gold for content planning. They reveal specific information needs and tend to have clearer intent than broad terms. They’re also increasingly important for AI search visibility, since AI models tend to answer question-format queries by citing content that directly addresses them.

Related terms: Semantically connected keywords that broaden your view of the topic. These help you build comprehensive content that covers a subject from multiple angles rather than narrowly targeting a single phrase.

Dump everything into a spreadsheet. Don’t filter yet — you want the full picture before making decisions.

Evaluate each keyword against four criteria

This is the step that separates strategic keyword research from mechanical data pulling. For every keyword worth considering, we evaluate:

Intent alignment: Does the search intent match content we can (and should) create? A keyword with 10,000 monthly searches is worthless if the SERP shows results we can’t compete with (e.g., news articles when we’re a software company). We manually check the SERP for our top keyword candidates to understand what Google thinks the intent is.

Business relevance: Does ranking for this keyword move a business metric? We score every keyword on a simple scale — core (directly describes what the client offers), adjacent (related to the client’s expertise), or peripheral (tangentially connected). Core keywords get priority regardless of difficulty.

Competitive feasibility: Can we realistically rank for this within 6-12 months? We compare keyword difficulty against the client’s current domain authority, existing topical authority on the subject, and the quality of what’s currently ranking. If the SERP is dominated by sites with 10x our authority and excellent content, it’s a long-term target, not an immediate priority.

Content opportunity: Can we create something meaningfully better than what currently ranks? If the top results are comprehensive, well-written, and from authoritative domains, the effort required may not justify the potential return. But if the top results are thin, outdated, or generic, there’s a clear opening.

The keywords that score well across all four criteria become your priority targets.

Group keywords into clusters and map to content

Individual keywords don’t become strategy until they’re organized into clusters and mapped to specific content assets.

A keyword cluster groups a primary target keyword with its related terms, long-tail variations, and associated questions. One cluster = one piece of content. Trying to target unrelated keywords on a single page dilutes your focus and confuses Google about what the page is about.

We organize clusters around our clients’ SEO strategy pillars:

Pillar pages target the broadest, highest-volume keyword in a cluster. These are comprehensive guides (2,000-4,000 words) that cover a topic thoroughly. Our content marketing strategy guide is an example — it targets a competitive head term and serves as the hub for related content.

Supporting articles target specific subtopics, long-tail variations, and questions within the cluster. Each one links back to the pillar page, building a topical authority structure that Google rewards.

Conversion pages target keywords with transactional or commercial intent. These are service pages, product pages, or comparison pages where the searcher is closer to a decision.

This cluster structure ensures every piece of content you create strengthens your authority on the topic, rather than creating isolated articles that don’t connect to anything.

Set priorities based on where you’ll win first

With clusters defined, the final step is sequencing — deciding what to create first.

Our priority framework:

Optimize existing content first. If you already have pages ranking in positions 5-20, updating and optimizing them is almost always faster than creating something new. Refresh outdated information, improve the title tag, add internal links, strengthen the intro, and make sure the content fully addresses the search intent. We’ve seen clients gain 30-50% more organic traffic purely from content optimization without publishing anything new.

Fill obvious gaps second. Keywords where competitors rank and you have nothing are missed opportunities. Prioritize gaps where you have genuine expertise and where the competitive landscape is manageable.

Build authority clusters third. Create pillar pages and supporting content around your highest-priority topics. This builds the topical depth that Google increasingly rewards over isolated high-authority pages.

Target competitive terms last. High-volume, high-difficulty keywords are long-term investments. They require established topical authority, strong backlink profiles, and exceptional content to compete. Tackle them after you’ve built momentum with quicker wins.

Keep the research alive

Keyword research isn’t something you do once and file away. We revisit keyword strategies at least quarterly for every client, checking for new opportunities in GSC, monitoring how targeted keywords are performing, identifying shifts in competitive rankings, and flagging keywords that aren’t delivering the expected business value.

The best keyword strategies evolve continuously, informed by real performance data rather than initial assumptions. That feedback loop is what turns keyword research from a planning exercise into a growth engine.

Want to see which tools make this process more efficient? Read our guide to the keyword research tools we use daily. Or if you’re ready for help building a keyword strategy that connects to real business growth, explore how we’ve done it for other companies.

The post How to Do Keyword Research: A Practical Walkthrough From Our SEO Team appeared first on Relevance.

That embarrassment sent me deep into every analytics platform I could get my hands on. What I found was that most of them looked great in a demo and fell apart in the real work — bad sampling, murky attribution, setup headaches that ate weeks I didn’t have.

What changed things was watching how the sharpest operators I knew actually worked. They weren’t obsessing over dashboards. They had clean data, clear questions, and enough discipline to act on what they found without second-guessing everything.

I run SEO and AI visibility campaigns for brands at Relevance, which means I’m in analytics tools every single day — not to admire them, but to find what’s working and fix what isn’t before a client asks.

I don’t think you need the fanciest stack to do that well. If you get a platform that fits where your team actually is — in terms of skills, budget, and the questions you’re trying to answer right now, you are going to do just fine.

This guide covers the platforms I genuinely rely on in client work. I don’t do any sponsored picks, so don’t ask.

Quick comparison table is below if you want to skip ahead. Otherwise keep reading for the full breakdown.

My picks for marketing analytics platforms  for 2026

Scroll down for my hands-on take on each tool, which one I personally picked, and the best free options if you’re just starting.

What is a marketing analytics platform?

A marketing analytics platform is software that collects, organizes, and reports customer and campaign data so you can see what drives traffic, conversions, and revenue.

In growth work we say, “You can’t improve what you don’t measure.” These tools give you direct visibility into user behavior, so you make decisions with data you own.

Think of it like this: a single percentage point lift in conversion can beat a big ad spend increase. Improving 2.5% to 3.5% converts 40% more leads from the same traffic.

At their core, these platforms help marketers, analysts, and founders track events and sessions from sites, apps, and campaigns, then tie actions to outcomes for clear decisions.

People often pair analytics with A/B testing, session replay, CDPs, and BI tools for deeper reporting and activation across email, ads, and CRM systems.

Not every option is equal though, so you’ll want to pick carefully based on your goals, privacy needs, and resources.

How to choose the best marketing analytics platform

There are tons of options, so picking one can feel overwhelming. The right answer depends on your traffic, stack, compliance needs, and who will use the data.

I wrote this to help you find a tool that fits your stage, not someone else’s. The picks here come from real client work under real deadlines.

Most guides are written by the companies selling the software or by media sites with paid placements. I am not sponsored by any platform on this list. This is straight, experience-based advice that I’m confident handing to a friend.

Here are some questions you should ask when looking for a platform:

• How generous is the free tier, and what are the limits?
• Can I do core tasks fast—tagging, events, goals, and funnels?
• Will it scale with traffic, sites, and teams as we grow?
• What’s the real cost as volume and features increase?
• Does it have the features I need—attribution, cohorts, API access?
• Are the reports accurate, unsampled, and easy to QA?
• How hard is migration if I switch later?
• What uptime, retention, and privacy controls exist?
• Any technical constraints—cookies, consent mode, or self-hosting?

It’s a lot. The ranked list below reflects those questions, plus what actually moved KPIs for clients.

Okay, enough of me rambling, let’s get into the list.

6 best marketing analytics platforms in 2026

Here are my top picks for the best marketing analytics platforms:

1. Google Analytics 4
2. Matomo
3. Plausible Analytics
4. Fathom Analytics
5. Hotjar
6. Adobe Analytics

Let’s see which one is right for you.

1. Google Analytics 4

GA4 is Google’s free, event-based web and app analytics platform designed for general marketing teams. It replaced Universal Analytics and now centers everything on events and parameters. It’s maintained by Google’s long-standing analytics group and integrates tightly with Google Ads and BigQuery.

You can start for free. Setup is quick with the GA4 tag or Google Tag Manager. The main experience is the Reports workspace plus the Explore interface for funnels, paths, and segments. Daily tasks include checking acquisition, conversion events, and pages/screens performance.

Recent improvements include consent mode upgrades, better channel groupings, and cleaner attribution settings. The BigQuery export is now standard in free GA4, which opens advanced modeling and unsampled analysis without paying for 360.

On higher tiers (Analytics 360), larger quotas, roll-up properties, and SLA-backed support come into play. Enterprises also get more subproperties and custom dimensions, which helps multi-brand teams stay organized.

I use GA4 on most sites as a baseline. It’s the fastest way to align teams on traffic, conversions, and trends, then decide where to dig deeper with other tools.

One small but welcome detail: GA4’s DebugView and real-time reports are helpful for QA, especially when shipping tags under tight timelines.

How it works and key features

GA4’s interface mixes standard reports with an “Explore” builder for free-form tables, funnels, and pathing. You can customize collections, add comparisons, and save audience segments. Templates cover lifecycle views, engagement, monetization, and retention.

Advanced users rely on Google Tag Manager for custom events and parameters, then verify with DebugView. BigQuery export enables SQL-level analysis and connections to Looker Studio or other BI tools. Attribution reports compare data-driven, last-click, and position-based models.

Automations include audiences for remarketing, conversion tracking synced to Google Ads, and predictive metrics for purchase probability on some properties. GA4 also supports cross-domain tracking, user-ID, and consent mode for privacy setups.

Support comes from Google’s docs, community forums, and many third-party experts. As one client told me, “We finally got a single source of truth for campaigns once we cleaned up our events.” — Growth Lead, B2B SaaS

Overall, it’s beginner-friendly for basics and powerful for advanced teams when paired with Tag Manager and BigQuery.

Who it’s for

Best for marketers, content teams, ecommerce, startups, and agencies needing a free standard. Great for tracking site content, lead flows, and ad performance. Strong for teams using Google Ads or BigQuery. If you need full data control or no-cookie tracking, privacy-first tools may suit you better. Technical skill is helpful but not required for basics.

Google Analytics 4 pricing

GA4 uses a freemium model. The standard product is free with generous features, while Analytics 360 adds higher limits and enterprise support. There’s no time-limited trial; you can implement and keep using the free tier indefinitely.

• GA4 Standard: $0/month, includes core reporting, Explore, BigQuery export, and Google Ads integrations
• Analytics 360: Custom annual pricing via sales, higher quotas, roll-up properties, SLA, and enterprise governance features

For most small to mid sites, the free tier is enough. Larger organizations with many properties, higher hit volumes, or compliance needs should look at 360. Annual contracts apply for 360 and are negotiated via partners.

Pros and cons

• Pros: Free core product; strong Google Ads and BigQuery ties; flexible event model; wide ecosystem and training.
• Pros: Explore workspace enables deep funnels and pathing without extra cost.
• Pros: Real-time and DebugView simplify QA.

• Cons: Learning curve from Universal Analytics; sampling and limits can frustrate heavy users.
• Cons: Privacy controls depend on proper consent mode setup.
• Cons: Attribution differences vs ad platforms require education.

If you want a free, widely adopted baseline, pick GA4. If you need full control or cookie-free tracking out of the box, consider Matomo or Plausible.

Google Analytics 4 reviews

G2: strong 4+ average rating (large sample). Capterra: 4+ average rating. Ratings and counts change often; feedback highlights rich features and a learning curve.

2. Matomo

Matomo is a privacy-focused web analytics platform with self-hosted and cloud options. It originated from the Piwik project and has been active for years with a strong open-source community. Many organizations choose Matomo to keep full ownership of data.

You can start free by self-hosting, or use Matomo Cloud with a guided setup. The interface feels familiar to users coming from traditional analytics, with clear reports for traffic, goals, and ecommerce. Day to day, I check channels, conversions, and behavior flow.

Recent updates have focused on performance, consent tools, and integrations. The platform keeps improving its Tag Manager and cookieless tracking modes, which helps teams adapt to tighter privacy rules.

Premium features include roll-up reporting, funnels, form analytics, and media analytics. These are handy for advanced CRO work without adding multiple vendors.

I use Matomo when clients have strict data residency or compliance needs. It’s a reliable way to keep analytics in-house without losing key reports.

Support materials are solid. I appreciate their clear consent documentation and deployment guides for popular stacks.

How it works and key features

Matomo’s interface offers standard dashboards, goals, segments, and ecommerce reports. You can customize dashboards, define events, and tag via Matomo Tag Manager. Templates help with common goals and funnels, and you can embed tracking across sites easily.

Advanced users can self-host with full control over data retention and backups. The platform supports APIs, custom dimensions, and integrations with CMSs and ecommerce systems. Reporting covers channels, pages, conversions, form analytics, and media tracking.

Automations include scheduled reports and alerts. Beyond core analytics, Matomo provides heatmaps, session recordings, and A/B testing as add-ons, which reduces tool sprawl. Support includes documentation, community help, and paid support for cloud.

Overall, it’s balanced: approachable for teams used to classic analytics and flexible for technical admins who need control.

Who it’s for

Ideal for compliance-heavy industries, EU-focused orgs, universities, public sector, and teams that want ownership. Great for cookieless or consent-driven setups and for companies standardizing on open-source. If you need deep ad network ties like Google Ads auto-imports, GA4 may be simpler. Technical skill helps for self-hosting.

Matomo pricing

Matomo offers self-hosted for free and a hosted cloud plan with tiered pricing based on traffic volume. Paid add-ons extend features like funnels and media analytics.

• Self-Hosted: $0/month, full data control, install on your server
• Cloud: From €23/month, ~50k hits/month, includes hosting, updates, and support
• Premium Add-ons: Priced per feature, include funnels, form analytics, media analytics

Compared to enterprise tools, Matomo is cost-effective, especially self-hosted. Cloud tiers scale with traffic. Annual billing discounts are available on cloud. For large sites, forecast storage and maintenance if self-hosting.

Pros and cons

• Pros: Full data ownership; self-host or cloud; strong privacy controls.
• Pros: Add-ons cover funnels, heatmaps, and A/B testing in one stack.
• Pros: Familiar UI for teams used to classic analytics.

• Cons: Self-hosting requires ops time; cloud cost scales with hits.
• Cons: Fewer native ad integrations than GA4.
• Cons: UI feels heavier than Plausible/Fathom for quick checks.

Pick Matomo if privacy and control are top priorities. If you want ultra-simple dashboards with minimal setup, Plausible could be faster.

Matomo reviews

G2 and Capterra show positive ratings from privacy-focused users. Public review counts are modest compared to GA4 but consistent.

3. Plausible Analytics

Plausible is a lightweight, privacy-friendly web analytics tool focused on clarity and speed. It’s run by a small, transparent team and is popular with developers, startups, and content sites that want fast answers without cookies.

You can try it quickly with a short script and a clean onboarding flow. The dashboard is simple by design: top pages, sources, goals, and campaigns all load fast. I use it for content-led sites where quick decisions matter more than deep exploration.

Recent improvements include better custom events, enhanced UTM handling, and features for tracking 404s and outbound links. The API and integrations continue to improve, making it easier to pipe data elsewhere.

Advanced options cover custom domains for the script, server-side tracking, and shared dashboards. You can also track multiple sites under one account, which is convenient for agencies.

I’ve recommended Plausible for teams frustrated with heavy UIs. It gets you to “what changed” in seconds, which is underrated in fast-moving content ops.

I also like their public roadmap and thoughtful blog posts about measurement choices. It builds trust.

How it works and key features

Plausible’s interface is minimal and fast. You get a single-page dashboard with collapsible sections for sources, pages, devices, geography, events, and campaigns. Custom goals are easy to define, and everything updates in near real time.

You can customize event tracking, add custom dimensions via props, and use the API to pull data into dashboards. Privacy features include no cookies by default and GDPR-friendly defaults. Reporting covers bounce rate, visit duration, and goal conversions.

Automations include email reports and alerts. Additional tools cover shared links, custom domains, and multi-site management. Support is via docs and email, with an active community of users sharing tips.

As one content lead told me, “Our writers actually check analytics now because it’s so clear.” — Head of Content, Media Startup. For most teams, it strikes a great balance of simplicity and enough depth.

Who it’s for

Great for content teams, indie devs, agencies, and startups who want straightforward insights and fast load times. Excellent for GDPR-minded organizations that prefer cookieless tracking. If you need complex funnels, cohorting, or ad platform ties, GA4 or enterprise tools fit better. No deep technical skill required for basics.

Plausible Analytics pricing

Plausible uses transparent, usage-based pricing by monthly pageviews, with all features included. There’s a free trial and discounts for annual billing and nonprofits.

• Starter: $9/month, up to 10k monthly pageviews, includes unlimited sites, events, and shared dashboards
• Growth tiers: Scaled pricing as pageviews increase; all features included
• Self-Hosted: Open-source option available for teams that want to run it themselves

Value is strong for lean teams. You don’t pay per seat, and the feature set stays the same as you scale. Annual billing lowers the price further. For very high traffic, forecast costs vs. Fathom or Matomo self-hosted.

Pros and cons

• Pros: Extremely fast, clear dashboard; privacy-first defaults.
• Pros: Simple pricing with unlimited sites and events.
• Pros: Lightweight script with minimal performance impact.

• Cons: Limited deep analysis features compared to GA4 or Adobe.
• Cons: No built-in heatmaps or session replay.
• Cons: Event modeling requires planning for advanced use.

If you want fast, trustworthy numbers without bloat, Plausible is hard to beat. If you live in funnels and cohorts, look higher on this list.

Plausible Analytics reviews

Product Hunt and G2 show favorable feedback, but public review counts are smaller than mainstream tools. Users praise speed and privacy stance.

4. Fathom Analytics

Fathom is a privacy-focused analytics tool known for simplicity and generous multi-site support. The company is independent and vocal about performance, privacy, and clear pricing.

Setup takes minutes. The dashboard shows top content, referrers, goals, and events. I like it for agencies because one plan can cover many sites without micromanaging seats.

Recent updates improved uptime and EU isolation options, plus quality-of-life changes to events and goals. Their status transparency and engineering posts inspire confidence.

Advanced features include custom domains, email reports, uptime monitoring add-ons, and server-side options. It’s not a deep product analytics tool, but it nails operational reporting.

I’ve used Fathom on content portfolios and microsite campaigns. It reduces overhead and still gives clear answers on what’s working.

Their support is responsive and friendly. The documentation is straightforward, which helps non-technical teammates jump in.

How it works and key features

Fathom’s interface is minimalist. You get a clean dashboard with filters for pages, referrers, UTM campaigns, devices, and countries. Event and goal setup is simple, and reports load fast even on large sites.

You can customize tracking with a custom domain to reduce ad-blocking. It supports multiple sites on one plan, and the script is optimized for speed. Reporting focuses on essentials: unique views, bounce rate, time on site, and conversions.

Automation features include scheduled emails and site-level alerts. There’s an API for exporting data to other systems. Support is handled via email and docs, with a focus on clarity.

Overall, it’s beginner-friendly and efficient for managers who need quick readouts across many properties.

Who it’s for

Perfect for agencies, publishers, creators, nonprofits, and SMBs managing many sites. Strong for privacy policies that prefer cookieless setups. If you need deep funnel or cohort analysis, GA4 or Adobe fit better. No special technical skills required for core use.

Fathom Analytics pricing

Fathom uses simple, usage-based pricing by monthly pageviews, and includes unlimited sites and team members on plans. Pricing is public and straightforward.

• Starter: $15/month, up to 100k pageviews, includes unlimited sites and email reports
• Higher tiers: Increase with traffic; all include unlimited sites and events
• Annual Billing: Discount available vs. monthly

For agencies, the unlimited-sites approach is great value. If you run one very large site, compare costs against Plausible tiers or Matomo self-hosted.

Pros and cons

• Pros: Simple, fast dashboard; unlimited sites; privacy-first.
• Pros: Custom domain tracking to reduce blocking.
• Pros: Clear, predictable pricing.

• Cons: Less depth for funnels and cohorts.
• Cons: Fewer native integrations than GA4.
• Cons: Limited BI/warehouse features.

If you manage many sites and want low overhead, Fathom is a strong pick. If you need enterprise analysis, look to Adobe or GA4 with BigQuery.

Fathom Analytics reviews

Public reviews on G2/Product Hunt are positive but limited in volume. Users highlight simplicity, speed, and responsive support.

5. Hotjar

Hotjar is a behavior analytics suite focused on heatmaps, session recordings, and on-site feedback. It’s been around for years and is widely used by UX and CRO teams to find friction points and test ideas.

You can start free and add the script in minutes. The core experience is reviewing heatmaps, filtering recordings, and running surveys or feedback widgets. I use it to validate hypotheses from GA4 by watching real sessions.

Recent updates improved performance, privacy controls, and integrations with popular A/B testing and analytics tools. Their Highlights feature helps teams share key moments from recordings faster.

Premium tiers add more daily session capture, advanced filters, and expanded feedback tools. For CRO programs, those filters and team collaboration features are worth it.

I lean on Hotjar to prioritize fixes. Numbers tell me what changed; Hotjar shows me why users struggled.

Their help center and onboarding tours make setup easy for non-analysts, which is great for cross-functional teams.

How it works and key features

Hotjar’s interface organizes heatmaps, recordings, and feedback tools in clear tabs. You can build segments, filter by device or behavior, and tag important sessions. Surveys and feedback widgets run directly on your site.

Templates help you launch surveys quickly. Technical users can leverage events and integrations to sync with analytics or testing tools. Reports summarize clicks, scroll depth, and rage/ujets to highlight issues.

Automations include sampling rules, triggers, and scheduled reports. You also get highlights and team notes for collaboration. Support includes docs, chat options on paid plans, and plenty of how-to guides.

Overall, it pairs well with a primary analytics tool to explain behavior and inform experiments.

Who it’s for

Best for CRO specialists, UX designers, product marketers, and founders running experiments. Great for diagnosing drop-offs, validating page changes, and collecting on-site feedback. If you only need traffic counts and goals, it’s overkill. No deep technical skill required.

Hotjar pricing

Hotjar uses tiered pricing across products (Observe, Ask, Engage). There’s a free plan and paid tiers that scale by sessions and features.

• Basic (Free): $0/month, limited daily sessions, heatmaps, and recordings
• Plus: From $39/month, more daily sessions, basic filters, and surveys
• Business: From $99/month, advanced filters, events, and team collaboration
• Scale: Higher limits and advanced controls for larger teams

Value is strong if you use recordings and feedback weekly. Costs scale with session volume. Annual billing reduces price. I suggest starting on Plus, then leveling up as experiments increase.

Pros and cons

• Pros: Heatmaps and recordings explain the “why.”
• Pros: Quick setup; good templates for surveys.
• Pros: Strong collaboration and sharing features.

• Cons: Costs rise with traffic; sampling may be needed.
• Cons: Not a replacement for core analytics.
• Cons: Requires discipline to tag and review sessions.

Use Hotjar alongside GA4 or Matomo to validate insights. If you never watch recordings, you won’t get the value.

Hotjar reviews

G2 and Capterra both show strong 4+ average ratings across many reviews. Common praise: setup speed and clarity of insights.

6. Adobe Analytics

Adobe Analytics is an enterprise analytics platform built for customizable reporting at scale. It’s part of Adobe Experience Cloud and has a long track record with large global brands and complex data needs.

There’s no free plan, and onboarding is guided. The Analysis Workspace is the heart of the product, letting you drag and drop dimensions, metrics, and segments into powerful reports. Daily power users build custom views, funnels, and breakdowns.

Recent focus areas include tighter integration with Adobe Real-Time CDP and Journey Optimizer, plus better governance and privacy controls. That unlocks advanced activation on top of analytics.

Premium capabilities include virtual report suites, robust attribution, predictive features, and deep user permissions. Few competitors offer this level of workspace customization.

I’ve used Adobe Analytics on multi-brand, multi-region stacks. It shines when you need consistent definitions across teams and deep segmentation.

Enterprise support, training, and partner networks are extensive. Once teams learn the Workspace, analysis speed improves dramatically.

How it works and key features

Analysis Workspace is a flexible canvas with panels for freeform tables, visuals, and cohort or fallout analysis. You can create segments on the fly, trend them, and share projects across teams with permissions.

Templates and calculated metrics help standardize reporting. Technical teams can implement via Adobe Launch, server-side, or tag managers. Integrations with Experience Platform support identity stitching and activation.

Reporting covers granular pathing, attribution, cohorts, and product performance. Automation includes scheduled reports, alerts, and API exports to data warehouses. Enterprise support and training resources are deep.

Overall, it’s powerful for advanced users and large organizations with the resources to implement and govern it well.

Who it’s for

Best for enterprises, multi-brand retailers, banks, media companies, and any org with complex governance. Excels at deep segmentation, custom metrics, and standardizing analytics across regions. If you’re a small team or budget-limited, GA4, Matomo, or Plausible are more practical. Technical expertise is expected.

Adobe Analytics pricing

Adobe Analytics uses custom, enterprise pricing based on volume, features, and bundling with other Adobe Experience Cloud products. There’s no public free tier.

• Select/Prime/Ultimate: Custom pricing, includes Analysis Workspace, advanced segmentation, governance, and enterprise support
• Add-ons: Priced by features and data volume across the Adobe Experience stack

Compared to other tools, Adobe is a premium option. Value is high for organizations that will fully use custom metrics, governance, and integrations. Expect annual contracts and implementation costs through partners.

Pros and cons

• Pros: Extremely flexible Workspace; enterprise governance and permissions.
• Pros: Strong integrations with Adobe Experience Platform.
• Pros: Powerful segmentation and calculated metrics.

• Cons: Expensive; requires expert implementation and maintenance.
• Cons: Steeper learning curve than most tools.
• Cons: Overkill for smaller teams.

Choose Adobe Analytics if you’re an enterprise with complex needs and the team to support it. Otherwise, a lighter tool will be faster to value.

Adobe Analytics reviews

G2 and Gartner Peer Insights show strong enterprise adoption with positive ratings. Users praise Workspace power and note the learning curve.

What is the best marketing analytics platform right now?

My top picks right now are Google Analytics 4 for a universal baseline, Matomo for privacy and control, and Plausible for speed and simplicity. I use all three depending on the client’s stage and constraints.

GA4 is my default. I use it on most sites, and this is not sponsored. I first switched during the UA sunset scramble and stayed because BigQuery export in the free tier changed the game. The Explore workspace, plus clean event tagging in Tag Manager, gave my team answers fast. The clincher was combining GA4 with warehouse analysis to validate attribution and build custom dashboards.

From a value standpoint, GA4 scales well. Free gets you far, and BigQuery export avoids sampling for deeper work. Alternatives with similar warehouse access can get pricey. If you eventually need 360, you gain quotas and governance that rival enterprise tools you’d pay much more for elsewhere.

Matomo is a close second for teams that need data residency and ownership. It’s consistent, feature-complete for marketing analytics, and flexible with self-hosting. Recent consent and cookieless improvements make it a strong long-term bet for regulated industries.

What I like most about Matomo is the blend of classic reports with privacy-first control. If I were running an EU-only brand with strict policies, I’d likely choose Matomo as my primary tool.

Plausible is my third recommendation, especially for smaller teams and content sites. It has a low barrier to entry, clear pricing, and a dashboard that encourages daily use. The free trial and friendly setup help folks get value in an hour, not weeks.

In practice, I mix tools. GA4 for baseline metrics and ad tie-ins; Matomo for clients who need control; Plausible for quick, no-fuss readouts; Hotjar for behavior insights when we’re running CRO sprints.

Choosing between GA4 and Matomo is genuinely tough. I stay with GA4 for most projects because of the BigQuery pipeline and ad integrations. When privacy control is non-negotiable, Matomo wins.

Hope this helped you narrow things down. If you want to go deeper on SEO and AI Visibility, I share my latest findings at aaronsnewsletter.com, and you can grab my free AI Visibility Chrome Extension. Happy measuring.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Which analytics tool should I start with on a tight budget?

I’d start with GA4 because it’s free and widely supported. Pair it with Hotjar’s free tier for qualitative insight. If you want simple, privacy-first numbers, try Plausible’s trial.

Q: How do I handle analytics with strict GDPR requirements?

I use Matomo when data residency and consent are critical. Configure consent first, consider cookieless modes, and keep event scopes minimal. Document everything for audits.

Q: Do I need both GA4 and a privacy-first tool?

Sometimes. I keep GA4 for ad ties and warehousing, and run Plausible or Matomo in parallel for privacy-focused reporting. It’s helpful during migrations or policy changes.

Q: How accurate are attribution reports across these platforms?

Attribution will differ by model, filters, and consent. I treat platform numbers as directional, then validate in BigQuery or the CRM. Pick one source as your north star and educate the team.

The post 6 best marketing analytics platforms I’ve relied on in 2026 appeared first on Relevance.

The real education came after a failed migration. Deliverability tanked, our publishing workflow turned into a mess of workarounds, and I was suddenly spending more time troubleshooting the platform than actually writing emails. I needed to fix it fast — clients don’t wait around while you sort out your tech stack.

So I went deep. I looked hard at what operators I respected were actually doing — the ones running tight newsletters, high-volume lifecycle sequences, and ecommerce flows that quietly printed money in the background. The pattern I kept seeing wasn’t complexity. It was discipline in what matters. Simple templates, automated follow-ups, and an almost boring obsession with clicking through the numbers every week.

Finding the right platform STILL took longer than it should have. The feature pages all sound identical until you’re three months in and realize the editor lags on long sends, or the automation logic doesn’t do what you assumed, or your bill doubled because you crossed a contact threshold nobody warned you about.

I’ve now run email across B2B campaigns, media-style newsletters, and ecommerce flows — enough to know where the real differences show up and which ones actually matter for growth.

This guide is what I wish someone had handed me before I started testing.

It’s the platforms that held up, which ones struggled, and how I’d choose if I were starting fresh today.

Quick snapshot table is below. Full breakdown follows.

My favorite email marketing platforms in 2026

Scroll for my detailed takes on each option, including which one I personally use and the best free choices for beginners.

What is an email marketing platform?

An email marketing platform is software that lets you collect subscribers, design emails, send campaigns, and automate follow-ups. Its main job is to turn attention into owned audience and revenue.

In marketing we say, “Don’t build your house on rented land.” Social reach can vanish overnight. Your list is permission-based access you control, which protects your pipeline.

For example, a tweet might get 2% engagement. A good newsletter can see 30–50% opens and 3–10% click rates on warm segments. Same message, different outcomes, because inbox attention compounds.

At its core, an email platform helps creators and businesses capture leads from forms and landing pages, segment audiences, send targeted messages, and measure results that drive sales.

People often pair email with SEO content, paid ads, lead magnets, webinars, and CRM tools. eCommerce teams also connect stores to trigger flows from real purchases and browsing.

Not every platform fits every team, though, so picking carefully saves money and headaches later.

How to choose the best email marketing platform

There are a lot of choices. They start to blur together, and it’s easy to overpay for features you won’t use or under-buy and hit walls later.

I wrote this to help you find the right fit for your list size, content style, and growth plan—not someone else’s.

Most write-ups you’ll find are produced by the companies themselves or by media lists stuffed with sponsored placements. I’m not sponsored by any platform on this list. This is my honest take based on real campaigns I’ve run and measured.

Here are some questions you should ask when looking for a platform:

• How generous is the free tier, and what’s locked?
• Can I design and send a clean newsletter in minutes?
• Will it scale smoothly past 5k, 25k, and 100k subscribers?
• How does pricing climb as my audience and sends grow?
• Does it have the automation and segmentation I need?
• Are analytics clear on opens, clicks, and revenue attribution?
• How hard is migration if I outgrow it later?
• What deliverability and testing tools keep quality high?
• Any technical needs like API, webhooks, or custom domains?

It’s a lot, I know. The rankings below reflect these questions so you can match the tool to your goals.

Okay, enough of me rambling, let’s get into the list.

5 best email marketing platforms in 2026

Here are my top picks for the best email marketing platforms:

1. beehiiv
2. ConvertKit
3. MailerLite
4. Klaviyo
5. Brevo (formerly Sendinblue)

Let’s see which one is right for you.

1. beehiiv

beehiiv is a creator-first, all-in-one newsletter platform built by early Morning Brew growth and product folks. That media DNA shows up in growth features most email tools ignore.

You can start free (up to 2,500 subscribers) and launch a branded publication in under an hour. The editor is fast, clean, and built for long-form posts, not just promos. Daily tasks feel simple: write, schedule, segment, and send.

In the last couple of years, beehiiv has doubled down on monetization: Boosts for paid referrals, an integrated ad network, and automations for onboarding. That shift makes it far more valuable for creators and media-style newsletters.

On higher tiers, you get advanced segmentation, custom domains, audience polls, multi-publication support, and 3D analytics that highlight cohort engagement over time. The built-in recommendation network is something many competitors still lack.

I use beehiiv for content-led lists because growth tools are native. Referrals and Boosts have directly added subscribers at a predictable cost, and setup was painless.

I also appreciate the pacing of product updates. Shipping is consistent, docs are clear, and the community playbook examples help speed up launch for new writers.

How beehiiv works and key features

The editor is minimal and quick, with block-based formatting and built-in image handling. Templates are publication-focused: issue layouts, footers, and sign-off styles you can re-use. Power users can add custom HTML blocks, connect custom domains, and integrate via API and Zapier.

Analytics cover opens, clicks, growth by source, engaged time, and cohort trends. Automations handle welcome sequences, drip onboarding, and link triggers. You also get landing pages, forms, a basic site for your archive, and a referral system without third-party add-ons.

Support is responsive by email on lower tiers and faster on higher plans. “Moving to beehiiv cut my publishing time in half,” one creator told me after migrating a 20k list.

Overall, beehiiv is beginner-friendly yet powerful enough for serious list builders who want growth features wired in from day one.

Who is beehiiv for?

Best for media-style newsletters, solo creators, B2B content teams, and writers building audience-first businesses. It shines for referral-driven growth, sponsorships, and clean publishing workflows. If you need deep eCommerce events or complex multi-channel journeys, a tool like Klaviyo might fit better. No coding skill is required for basic use.

beehiiv pricing

beehiiv prices by features and audience size, with a generous free tier to start and clear upgrades as you scale. There’s a free plan and paid plans with added growth and analytics.

• Free: $0/month, up to 2,500 subscribers, basic editor, basic analytics, limited automation.
• Grow: $49/month, higher limits, custom domain, advanced segmentation, audience polls, referral program.
• Scale: $99/month, larger audiences, advanced analytics, automations, priority support, multiple publications.
• Enterprise: Custom pricing, higher volumes, SSO, advanced security, dedicated support.

Value is strong if you plan to use referrals and ads. Annual billing reduces cost. Compared to Creator-focused tools, you can reach meaningful scale before pricing jumps. If you’re running multiple titles, the multi-publication features can replace several tools.

beehiiv pros and cons

Pros

• Free up to 2,500 makes testing easy.
• Referral, Boosts, and ad network built-in.
• Clean editor and fast publishing workflow.
• Pricing scales fairly for growing publications.

Cons

• Not ideal for advanced eCommerce event logic.
• Template variety is lean compared to legacy tools.
• Fewer third-party plugins than older platforms.

Choose beehiiv if you want creator-first growth features out of the box. If you need heavy-duty store triggers and multi-channel orchestration, consider Klaviyo.

beehiiv reviews

G2: Above 4/5 average rating (review volume growing). Product Hunt: Positive feedback from creators. Third‑party ratings change often; check current listings before you decide.

2. ConvertKit

ConvertKit is a creator-focused email and commerce platform started by Nathan Barry. It’s widely adopted by writers, coaches, and course creators who sell digital products.

Getting started is straightforward with a free tier up to 1,000 subscribers. The visual automation builder is the star—easy to map sequences, tags, and triggers. Daily flow: write, tag, segment, and track sales.

Recent updates doubled down on selling: product pages, paid newsletters, tipping, and sponsor tools. Those moves turn ConvertKit into more than email—it’s an audience-to-revenue bridge for solo businesses.

On higher plans you get advanced automations, deliverability controls, referral rewards, and better reporting. Commerce features like checkout, upsells, and embeddable buy buttons remove the need for separate carts for many creators.

I use ConvertKit for creators who monetize with digital products and simple funnels. The visual builder keeps complex logic readable, which saves time in production.

Their educational content is high quality, and migrations from other tools are well-documented, which lowers switching friction.

How ConvertKit works and key features

The editor is focused and readable, with quick styling options. Templates are modern and not fussy. Power users can edit HTML, use API/webhooks, and connect tools through native integrations and Zapier.

Analytics show opens, clicks, subscriber growth, and sales attribution from the built-in checkout. Automations handle tags, sequences, link triggers, and events. You also get landing pages, forms, product pages, and sponsor tools.

Support is strong via knowledge base and email, with faster response on paid plans. A creator told me, “I finally understand my funnel because the map matches how I think.” — Indie course author

Overall, it’s balanced for beginners and experienced creators who want email and simple commerce in one place.

Who is ConvertKit for?

Great for creators, coaches, newsletter writers, podcasters, and indie SaaS founders selling downloads, courses, or memberships. It excels at tagging, sequences, and simple storefronts. If you run a large eCommerce catalog with deep event triggers, Klaviyo is stronger. It’s friendly for non-technical users.

ConvertKit pricing

ConvertKit prices by subscriber count and features. There’s a free plan for smaller lists and paid tiers that unlock automations and advanced tools.

• Free: $0/month, up to 1,000 subscribers, basic landing pages/forms, broadcast sending.
• Creator: From $15/month for up to 300 subscribers, visual automations, sequences, integrations.
• Creator Pro: Higher pricing by list size, advanced reporting, newsletter referral system, priority support.

Value is solid for creators who will use both email and built-in commerce. Annual billing discounts apply. Pricing rises with list size, so keep an eye on growth milestones (e.g., 1k, 5k, 10k) when forecasting.

ConvertKit pros and cons

Pros

• Visual automations are clear and powerful.
• Free up to 1,000 makes testing easy.
• Built-in commerce reduces tool sprawl.
• Strong tagging and segmentation for creators.

Cons

• Costs climb as lists get large.
• Not built for complex eCommerce catalogs.
• Template options are simpler than design-heavy tools.

If you sell digital products and value clean automations, ConvertKit is an easy yes. For heavy store data and multi-channel, look at Klaviyo.

ConvertKit reviews

G2: Above 4/5 average rating (thousands+ reviews). Capterra: Generally positive ratings from creators. Ratings shift; check live listings for current numbers.

3. MailerLite

MailerLite is a lean, budget-friendly email platform known for its simple editor and fair pricing. It’s popular with small businesses and creators who want the essentials done well.

Setup is quick with a free plan up to 1,000 subscribers. The drag-and-drop editor is snappy, and prebuilt blocks cover most designs. Day-to-day tasks are painless: write, build, segment, send.

Recent improvements focused on site and landing page tools, plus better automation and deliverability controls. It’s not trying to be a complex suite, which keeps the UX uncluttered.

Higher plans add dynamic content, auto-resend, custom templates, and advanced automation. It also includes simple websites, popups, and forms so you can capture leads without extra tools.

I like MailerLite for client side-projects and newsletters on a budget. It’s the “get it done” tool that avoids bloat.

Support and docs are clear, and the approval process helps protect deliverability for everyone on the platform.

How MailerLite works and key features

The editor is a fast drag-and-drop builder with useful content blocks. Templates are modern and customizable. Advanced users can edit HTML, connect to APIs, and integrate with common tools through native apps and Zapier.

Analytics include opens, clicks, heatmaps, and growth tracking. Automations cover welcome series, drips, and behavior-based triggers. You also get landing pages, basic websites, popups, and embedded forms.

Support is offered via email and chat on higher tiers. A client told me, “MailerLite lets my VA ship campaigns without me babysitting,” which sums up the day-to-day experience well.

It’s beginner-friendly but has enough headroom for most small teams.

Who is MailerLite for?

Best for small businesses, consultants, creators, and nonprofits that want clean newsletters and simple automations. It’s strong for lead magnets and nurture flows. If you need complex multi-branch journeys or deep store events, Klaviyo or ActiveCampaign-like tools are better. No special technical skills required.

MailerLite pricing

MailerLite prices by list size and features, with a generous free tier and low-cost paid options. It’s one of the better values for small lists.

• Free: $0/month, up to 1,000 subscribers, 12,000 emails/month, basic editor and automation.
• Growing Business: From around $10/month (lower lists), more templates, dynamic content, unlimited monthly emails at many tiers.
• Advanced: Higher pricing by list size, advanced automation, promotion tools, priority support.
• Enterprise: Custom pricing for large teams and security needs.

Annual billing saves money. Compared to many competitors, MailerLite stays affordable as you pass 1,000 and 5,000 subscribers, which is where some tools jump sharply.

MailerLite pros and cons

Pros

• Free up to 1,000 with useful features.
• Fast editor and friendly UI.
• Good value as lists grow.
• Built-in landing pages and sites.

Cons

• Automation depth is lighter than enterprise tools.
• Template library is smaller than some rivals.
• Approval step can slow first send for new accounts.

Pick MailerLite if you want a simple, affordable, and capable newsletter tool. Heavy automation needs may require a different platform.

MailerLite reviews

G2: Typically above 4/5 average rating (thousands+ reviews). Capterra: Strong satisfaction scores for ease of use. Always confirm current ratings and features before migrating.

4. Klaviyo

Klaviyo is an eCommerce-focused email and SMS platform used by DTC brands and larger stores. It’s known for deep Shopify and BigCommerce integrations and revenue-focused flows.

You can try it on a free tier (up to 250 contacts). The flow builder is powerful, with real-time segments based on events like viewed product, added to cart, and purchased. Day-to-day feels like operating a CRM for your store.

Recent moves improved attribution, on-site forms, and predictive features like expected next order date. SMS is first-class, which helps unify messaging and measurement.

Higher plans unlock more advanced reporting, profile merging, CDP-like capabilities, and priority support. Multi-channel campaign orchestration across email and SMS is a clear edge.

I recommend Klaviyo for stores serious about lifecycle revenue. It’s not the cheapest, but the depth of events and segmentation can pay for itself quickly.

Docs are strong, the partner ecosystem is mature, and deliverability tooling is solid for high-volume senders.

How Klaviyo works and key features

The interface centers on segments, flows, and campaigns. Templates are flexible, with drag-and-drop plus custom HTML. Technical teams can use APIs, webhooks, server-side events, and custom properties.

Analytics include revenue attribution by flow/campaign, cohort retention, and channel-level performance. Automations cover browse/cart abandonment, post-purchase, win-back, and predictive splits. On-site forms, dynamic product blocks, and SMS management are built in.

Support includes documentation, chat for paid tiers, and a large agency network. The overall experience is powerful for advanced users and manageable for growing teams after a short learning curve.

Who is Klaviyo for?

Best for DTC brands, marketplaces, and omni-channel retailers that need revenue attribution and deep store data. It excels at triggered flows and predictive segments. If you’re a solo creator sending long-form issues, beehiiv or ConvertKit is simpler and cheaper. Some technical fluency helps, but it’s approachable with templates.

Klaviyo pricing

Klaviyo prices by contact count and channel usage (email/SMS). There’s a free tier to test, then paid tiers as you scale.

• Free: $0/month, up to 250 contacts and 500 monthly email sends, basic forms and flows.
• Email: From $20/month for up to 500 contacts, higher pricing as you grow, advanced templates and reporting.
• Email & SMS: Pricing varies by contacts and SMS volume, includes cross-channel orchestration and attribution.
• Enterprise: Custom pricing with advanced support, SSO, and security.

It’s pricier than creator tools, but the ROI case is strong for stores. Annual savings are available. Model your cost at 10k, 50k, and 100k contacts to plan margins.

Klaviyo pros and cons

Pros

• Deep eCommerce events and real-time segments.
• Powerful flow builder and predictive tools.
• Strong attribution and revenue reporting.
• SMS is integrated, not bolted on.

Cons

• Costs rise quickly with contact count.
• Learning curve for smaller teams.
• Overkill for simple newsletters.

If revenue from store automations is your goal, Klaviyo is a top choice. If you just want a weekly letter, it’s more than you need.

Klaviyo reviews

G2: Consistently above 4/5 average rating (thousands+ reviews). Capterra: High marks for eCommerce features. Reviews skew strong but mention pricing at scale.

5. Brevo (formerly Sendinblue)

Brevo combines marketing email, transactional email, SMS, and basic CRM into one platform. It’s a practical pick if you want one vendor for multiple channels.

There’s a free plan with 300 emails per day and unlimited contacts. The editor is visual and friendly, and getting a first campaign out is quick. Daily use is straightforward: design, schedule, and track.

Recent changes focused on CRM features, conversation tools, and better segmentation. If you send both transactional and marketing emails, consolidating on Brevo keeps billing and warmup simpler.

Higher tiers add marketing automation, advanced segmentation, and send-time optimization. Transactional email APIs and SMTP are strong for engineers who want reliable delivery.

I reach for Brevo on projects that need transactional plus marketing in one place, especially for startups watching costs.

Docs are helpful, and support is steady. The platform is reliable for mixed-use cases.

How Brevo works and key features

The drag-and-drop editor is clean, with a decent template gallery. You can customize HTML, connect via API/SMTP, and use webhooks for events. Native integrations cover popular CMS, store, and form tools.

Analytics track opens, clicks, deliverability, and transactional status. Automations handle drips, behavior triggers, and basics like abandoned cart with store connections. You also get landing pages, forms, and a lightweight CRM with deals and tasks.

Support is via knowledge base, email, and chat on paid plans. The overall experience favors practicality over flash, which I respect on tight timelines.

Who is Brevo for?

Best for startups, SaaS with transactional email, small eCommerce shops, and agencies that want one platform for mixed sends. It excels at combining marketing and transactional under one roof. If you need creator-first growth features or advanced AI-driven segmentation, other tools fit better. It’s beginner-friendly with solid engineering options.

Brevo pricing

Brevo uses send-based pricing with unlimited contacts, plus add-ons for channels like SMS and transactional email. A free plan helps you test before paying.

• Free: $0/month, 300 emails/day, unlimited contacts, basic editor.
• Starter: From $25/month for 20,000 emails/month, branding removed, basic reporting.
• Business: Higher pricing by sends, marketing automation, A/B testing, send-time optimization, landing pages.
• Enterprise: Custom pricing, SSO, dedicated support, SLA, advanced security.

It’s strong value if you send moderate volume across channels. Annual discounts are available. Because pricing is by sends, heavy daily campaigns can add up—model your monthly volume first.

Brevo reviews

G2: Above 4/5 average rating (thousands+ reviews). Capterra: Positive ratings for price-to-value. Users like the all-in-one model and transactional reliability.

What is the best email marketing platform right now?

My top three right now are beehiiv for media-style newsletters, ConvertKit for creators selling digital products, and MailerLite for teams that want simple and affordable without fuss.

beehiiv is my personal #1 for content-led lists. I use it, and no one’s paying me to say that. I first tried it after seeing how quickly creators were growing with referrals and Boosts. The built-in growth levers, clean editor, and steady shipping sold me. I could launch, monetize, and scale without duct-taping plugins.

On value, beehiiv lets me grow into advanced segmentation and monetization without scary jumps in price. Alternatives often make you add third-party referral tools, sponsor marketplaces, and landing page builders. Those extra subscriptions stack up. With beehiiv, the growth suite is native, so total cost stays predictable.

ConvertKit is a close second. If your business model is selling downloads, courses, or memberships, its visual automations and built-in checkout are hard to beat. Recent improvements to sponsor tools and paid newsletters make it even stronger for indie creators.

The unique edge for ConvertKit is the way email and commerce live together. You can tag based on buyer actions and push people straight into upsells. If I were optimizing for product sales first, I might pick ConvertKit over beehiiv.

MailerLite is my third pick, especially if you’re early. The free plan is generous, and the editor is fast. If you don’t need a referral engine or a complex storefront, MailerLite saves money while still doing the job well.

I also use Klaviyo for eCommerce clients and Brevo for projects that need transactional and marketing email together. Different tools for different jobs—that’s normal in real workflows.

Deciding between beehiiv and ConvertKit is honestly tough. I stayed with beehiiv because the growth features match how I build media-like lists. If my main revenue were product sales, I’d likely flip that order.

I hope this helped narrow your choice. Pick the one that fits your model today and won’t punish you at 10k subscribers. Happy sending.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How big should my list be before I pay for a platform?

I start paying as soon as I need automations, custom domains, or better analytics. For most people that’s around 1,000–2,500 subscribers, or when you’re ready to sell.

Q: Which platform has the best deliverability?

Deliverability depends more on your practices than the tool. Warm your domain, verify SPF/DKIM/DMARC, prune inactives, and send consistent, wanted content. All five here can perform well.

Q: What’s the fastest way to grow an email list?

Lead magnets still work. Pair them with high-visibility content, exit-intent popups, and a referral program. I’ve also seen paid Boosts and partner swaps work nicely on creator platforms.

Q: Is it hard to switch platforms later?

It’s doable. Export subscribers and tags, rebuild key automations, and test warmup sends for a week. I plan migrations in phases so I don’t break onboarding or sponsor commitments.

The post Email marketing platforms I’ve used to grow our lists from 2024 to 2026 appeared first on Relevance.

What made it worse was watching competitors win deals with tighter, behavior-based sequences — showing up in the right inbox at the right moment while we were still arguing about which platform owned which contact record.

I spent a few months going deep on every major marketing automation platform I could get into. The feature pages all looked the same. The pricing looked reasonable until you started adding contacts, SMS, or anything that resembled scale — then the bills got interesting.

What actually moved the needle wasn’t the platform with the longest feature list. It was clean data, actions triggered by real intent signals, and messages short enough that people actually read them. The best setups we’ve built since then are boring in the best way — they run like clockwork and get better every week because we’re actually looking at the results.

At Relevance we build and run the same automations we put in front of clients. Lead scoring, multi-touch nurture, AI-driven segmentation — we’ve had real pipeline on the line, not just dashboards to screenshot.

This guide covers the six platforms that have held up in that environment. What they’re genuinely good at, where they fall short, and which type of team should pick which.

Quick comparison table is right below. Full breakdown follows after.

Marketing automation tools in 2026

Keep scrolling for my hands-on notes, where each one shines, and which I personally use day to day. I’ll also flag the best free options for beginners.

What is a marketing automation tool?

A marketing automation tool is software that triggers emails, SMS, ads, and tasks based on customer behavior. Its core purpose is timely, targeted follow-up at scale.

There’s a saying I live by: right message, right person, right time. Automation makes that possible without living inside your inbox. It also keeps your list warm and your pipeline predictable.

Think of it this way: a nurture sequence that lifts conversion from 2% to 4% doubles revenue from the same traffic. That’s like getting 50,000 extra monthly visitors without buying a single ad.

In practice, teams use these tools to capture leads, score intent, personalize content, and route the next step—from web forms and CRM events to checkout behavior—so more contacts turn into customers.

Most marketers pair automation with a CRM (HubSpot, Salesforce), analytics (GA4, Looker Studio), and a CDP or tag manager to keep events clean. Ecommerce teams add product feeds and SMS.

Not every platform handles the same depth, channels, or pricing curve, so choosing carefully matters.

How to choose the best marketing automation tool

Picking a platform can feel overwhelming. Every site promises journey maps, AI subject lines, and “one-click” integrations, then the bill jumps once you grow.

I wrote this guide to help you find a practical fit for how you work now, with room to scale over the next 12–24 months.

Most guides are written by the companies selling the tools or by media sites ranking whoever pays. I’m not sponsored by any platform on this list. This is my honest view based on campaigns we’ve built, broken, and fixed.

Here are some questions you should ask when looking for a tool:

• How generous is the free tier, and what’s throttled or branded?
• Can I set up a basic capture-to-nurture flow in under an hour?
• Will it scale to my next subscriber tier without a budget shock?
• How does pricing change with contacts, emails, and SMS volume?
• Does it include the channels and automations I actually need?
• Are analytics clear on revenue, source, and cohort performance?
• How painful is migration—imports, templates, DNS, and webhooks?
• What’s uptime and deliverability like, and is support responsive?
• Any must-have technical items: event-based triggers, APIs, or CDP sync?

It’s a lot, I know. The ranked list below bakes in those questions, with notes on who each tool helps most.

Okay, enough of me rambling, let’s get into the list.

6 best marketing automation tools in 2026

Here are my top picks for the best marketing automation tools:

1. HubSpot Marketing Hub
2. Klaviyo
3. Brevo (formerly Sendinblue)
4. ConvertKit
5. MailerLite
6. Mailchimp

Let’s see which one is right for you.

1. HubSpot Marketing Hub

HubSpot Marketing Hub is an all-in-one platform designed for B2B growth teams that want CRM, automation, and reporting in one place. HubSpot has been a category leader for over a decade, with a mature product, deep education resources, and a large partner ecosystem.

You can start with the free tools or jump to Starter at a low entry price. Setup is quick: import contacts, connect your domain, and publish a form. The day-to-day revolves around visual workflows, list building, email/SMS, and landing pages with native CRM data.

Recent releases tightened the AI features, improved attribution, and expanded the customer journey analytics. The newer prospecting and ABM tools make marketing-to-sales handoff tighter, which we’ve seen improve meeting rates.

On higher tiers, you get custom objects, multi-touch revenue attribution, advanced permissions, and sandboxes. Those features matter once you have multiple product lines, regions, or complex routing.

We run HubSpot daily for our core nurture tracks and LLM-citation outreach. It’s not sponsored. It simply saves us hours a week because CRM, ads audiences, and reporting live together.

I also appreciate the documentation and HubSpot Academy. When I hand automations to a client team, they can learn fast and iterate without opening tickets.

How HubSpot Marketing Hub works and key features

HubSpot’s visual editor makes automation feel approachable. Drag triggers, branches, and actions, then preview enrollments and delays. Templates cover welcome, re-engagement, lead scoring, and more, and you can tailor them with dynamic CRM fields.

Advanced users get custom objects, webhooks, and a clean API for product events. Reporting includes traffic, lifecycle stage movement, campaign influence, and revenue attribution. Automation handles emails, tasks, Slack, ads audiences, and property updates.

Beyond email, you can publish landing pages, blogs, and forms, with A/B tests. Support is solid on paid plans, with community threads for edge cases. A client told me, “We finally see which campaigns move pipeline, not just opens.” — Growth Lead, B2B SaaS

Overall, it’s friendly for beginners and powerful for operations-heavy teams, which is rare in one platform.

Who HubSpot Marketing Hub is for

Best for B2B marketers, demand gen teams, agencies, SaaS companies, and revops leaders. It shines for lead scoring, ABM, and multi-channel nurture that feeds sales. If you need deep ecommerce SKU data or very cheap bulk email, other tools can be leaner. Non-technical users can ramp quickly, while ops pros get depth.

HubSpot Marketing Hub pricing

HubSpot prices by features and marketing contacts, with free tools to start and paid tiers as you grow. Annual billing reduces effective monthly cost.

• Free Tools: $0/month, basic CRM, forms, email, and ads tools.
• Starter: $20/month, 1,000 marketing contacts, email marketing, simple automations.
• Professional: $890/month, advanced automation, custom reporting, A/B testing, and collaboration features.
• Enterprise: $3,600/month, custom objects, permissions, sandboxes, and enterprise-grade security.

Value-wise, Starter is an easy yes. Professional is a jump but pays off if you need attribution and complex routing. Enterprise is for multi-team orgs. Pricing scales with contact tiers, so clean your list and archive non-marketing contacts to control costs.

Pros and cons

• Pros: Best-in-class CRM + marketing combo; visual workflows; strong reporting; generous free tools to start; deep ecosystem.
• Cons: Professional and up are pricey; contact-based pricing can climb; ecommerce SKU depth lags dedicated retail platforms.

If you’re B2B or sales-led, HubSpot is my first pick. If you only need cheap newsletters, it’s more than you need.

HubSpot Marketing Hub reviews

G2: 4.4/5 star rating (10,000+ reviews). Capterra: 4.5/5 star rating (5,000+ reviews). Reviews highlight ease of use and integrated CRM; pricing is the main complaint.

2. Klaviyo

Klaviyo is built for ecommerce brands that want lifecycle campaigns powered by store data. It’s the go-to for Shopify, BigCommerce, and WooCommerce teams that care about RFM segments and SKU-level triggers.

You can start free up to a small contact count and get standard flows live fast: welcome, browse abandonment, cart, and post-purchase. The editor is clean, with product blocks and dynamic coupons baked in.

In recent years, Klaviyo doubled down on SMS, onsite forms, and CDP-like profiles. The native Shopify integration got faster, and predictive analytics improved win-back timing.

Higher tiers add advanced segmentation, better A/B testing, and predictive models. Revenue reporting is retail-focused and easy for founders to read. Few tools match its ecommerce depth.

We use Klaviyo on DTC clients where SKU and order data drive everything. It’s quick to show ROI because the standard flows hit high-intent moments out of the box.

I also like that templates feel modern and mobile-first, so even small teams can ship polished campaigns.

How Klaviyo works and key features

Klaviyo’s drag-and-drop email/SMS editor is intuitive, with strong product and conditional blocks. Templates cover core lifecycle events and can be customized with Shopify variables. Advanced users can drop custom HTML and use webhooks for edge cases.

Analytics show revenue per recipient, flow performance, and cohort trends. Automations include multi-branch flows, SMS, and dynamic coupons. Extra tools include forms, reviews integrations, and basic campaigns calendar. Support and documentation are solid, with plenty of ecommerce playbooks.

The overall experience is purpose-built for retail and handles both beginners and advanced operators well.

Who Klaviyo is for

Best for ecommerce marketers, DTC founders, lifecycle managers, and agencies running Shopify stores. It excels at cart/browse flows, post-purchase, and SMS. If you’re B2B with complex account routing, HubSpot or a CRM-first tool may fit better. It’s beginner-friendly with plenty of depth.

Klaviyo pricing

Klaviyo prices by contact count and channels, with a free tier to start and paid plans scaling as your list grows.

• Free: $0/month, up to 250 contacts and 500 email sends.
• Email (500 contacts example): $20/month, core email + automations.
• Email & SMS: Pricing varies by contacts and SMS credits; scales with usage.

For ecommerce, the value is strong because the built-in flows drive revenue quickly. Costs rise with list size and SMS volume, so keep segments tight and prune inactive contacts. Annual commitments can offer savings.

Pros and cons

• Pros: Best retail data depth; fast Shopify sync; great templates; strong SMS.
• Cons: Costs can climb with large lists; less ideal for B2B CRM workflows; advanced features need paid tiers.

If you sell products online, start here. If your motion is sales-led B2B, pick a CRM-first tool instead.

Klaviyo reviews

G2: 4.6/5 star rating (1,900+ reviews). Capterra: 4.7/5 star rating (500+ reviews). Users praise ecommerce focus and revenue tracking; pricing is the main knock.

3. Brevo (formerly Sendinblue)

Brevo is a budget-friendly email and SMS platform that balances simplicity with enough automation for most small teams. It’s popular with startups and SMBs that want predictable, low-cost sending.

You can start free with a daily send cap, then upgrade as volume grows. The interface is straightforward: campaign builder, automations, contacts, and transactional email in one place.

Recent improvements include enhanced deliverability tools, WhatsApp messaging, and a cleaner automation canvas. The rebrand to Brevo came with UI polish and better documentation.

Higher tiers add send-time optimization, more seats, and advanced reporting. Transactional email via SMTP/API is a nice bonus without another vendor.

We recommend Brevo for clients who need value first. It’s perfect for newsletters and basic drips without the sticker shock.

Support has been responsive in my experience, and onboarding takes an afternoon, not a week.

How Brevo works and key features

Brevo’s editor is drag-and-drop with a focus on clean, mobile-friendly templates. You can customize blocks or import HTML for advanced needs. Automations handle welcome series, post-download drips, simple scoring, and tag updates.

Reporting covers opens, clicks, device data, and basic attribution for campaigns and flows. Extras include SMS, WhatsApp, chat, forms, and transactional email. Integrations cover common CMS and ecommerce platforms. Support is available by email and chat on paid plans.

Overall, it’s straightforward for beginners and flexible enough for growing lists.

Who Brevo is for

Best for small businesses, nonprofits, local service brands, and startups. It excels at newsletters, basic nurture, and transactional emails on a budget. If you need deep CRM objects or heavy B2B attribution, look at HubSpot. No advanced technical skill required.

Brevo pricing

Brevo prices by email volume and features, with a free plan that’s generous for testing.

• Free: $0/month, up to 300 emails/day.
• Starter: from $9/month, increased monthly email volume, no daily cap.
• Business: from $49/month, marketing automation, A/B testing, more seats.
• BrevoPlus: custom pricing, dedicated IP, SSO, and priority support.

Brevo is excellent value, especially if you send newsletters to large lists a few times a month. Annual billing offers savings. Costs scale with monthly email volume rather than contacts, which can be cheaper for big lists that send infrequently.

Pros and cons

• Pros: Very affordable; simple UI; transactional email included; volume-based pricing can be cheaper than contact-based.
• Cons: Automation depth is lighter; reporting isn’t enterprise-level; fewer native B2B features.

If you want reliable sending and basic nurture without high cost, Brevo is a smart pick.

Brevo reviews

G2: 4.6/5 star rating (2,000+ reviews). Capterra: 4.5/5 star rating (1,900+ reviews). Users like pricing and simplicity; feature depth is the tradeoff.

4. ConvertKit

ConvertKit is built for creators who grow audiences and sell digital products, coaching, and newsletters. The company is creator-led, with features that match how solo operators actually work.

You can start free with core forms and landing pages. The email editor is minimal and fast—great for personal-feeling broadcasts and sequences. Tags and visual automations make segmenting easy.

Recent updates expanded commerce, Tip Jar, and sponsor tools. The Creator Network drives cross-promotion, helping new lists get momentum without ads.

Higher tiers add advanced automations, audience scoring, and better reporting. The built-in product checkout reduces the need for extra tools.

I like ConvertKit for personal newsletters. When a writer wants to sell a course or a digital download, it’s one of the fastest paths to revenue.

Docs are clear, and the team ships features that respect deliverability and simplicity.

How ConvertKit works and key features

ConvertKit’s interface favors speed: plain-text style editor, clear tagging, and a visual automation builder. Templates are lightweight; you can add custom HTML if needed. Commerce lets you sell products and paid newsletter tiers directly.

Analytics show subscriber growth, conversion per form, and sequence performance. Automations cover rules, sequences, and events like purchases or link clicks. Extras include forms, landing pages, and basic referral features. Support is friendly with helpful guides and office hours.

It’s beginner-friendly, while still giving power users flexible tagging and event triggers.

Who ConvertKit is for

Best for writers, creators, coaches, indie course sellers, and niche publications. Great for personal newsletters, launches, and paid products. If you need deep multi-touch attribution or complex team permissions, look elsewhere. No heavy technical skills required.

ConvertKit pricing

ConvertKit prices by subscriber count and features, with a free plan for small lists.

• Free: $0/month, up to 1,000 subscribers, forms and landing pages.
• Creator: from $15/month for 300 subscribers, automations and integrations.
• Creator Pro: from $29/month for 300 subscribers, advanced reporting and scoring.

Value is strong for creators who monetize directly. Pricing scales with subscribers, so prune inactive segments. Annual plans discount the monthly rate. Expect jumps at higher subscriber tiers as with any contact-based model.

Pros and cons

• Pros: Fast editor; simple automations; built-in commerce; creator-friendly pricing to start.
• Cons: Not designed for complex B2B sales; reporting is lighter; templates are minimal by design.

If you write and sell directly to your audience, ConvertKit is a joy to use.

ConvertKit reviews

G2: 4.4/5 star rating (400+ reviews). Capterra: 4.7/5 star rating (1,000+ reviews). Reviewers praise ease and deliverability; power users want deeper analytics.

5. MailerLite

MailerLite focuses on simplicity: clean newsletters, basic automations, and quick landing pages. It’s popular with small teams that want clarity over knobs and dials.

Getting started is fast with a free plan. The drag-and-drop builder is tidy, and templates look modern without heavy tweaking. Automations cover welcome and drip campaigns.

Recent improvements added transactional features and better site/landing page tools. Deliverability tools and approval steps help protect sender reputation.

Paid tiers unlock more automation steps, dynamic content, and more sites. It’s not trying to be an enterprise suite—and that’s the point.

I reach for MailerLite when a founder needs to launch a newsletter and simple lead magnet in a weekend.

The UI is friendly, and the help docs get you from zero to first send quickly.

How MailerLite works and key features

MailerLite’s editor is a clean drag-and-drop builder with blocks for text, images, videos, and buttons. Templates are plentiful and easy to restyle. Advanced users can add custom HTML and use the API for imports.

Reporting covers opens, clicks, link heat maps, and subscriber growth. Automations include triggers on joins, clicks, and date-based events. Extras: websites, blogs, popups, and forms. Support is responsive on paid tiers with email and chat options.

The experience is beginner-first, with just enough power for growing newsletters.

Who MailerLite is for

Best for solo founders, small nonprofits, local businesses, and simple content programs. Great for lead magnets, welcome series, and monthly newsletters. If you need CRM-backed routing or deep attribution, choose a heavier platform. No technical skills needed.

MailerLite pricing

MailerLite prices by subscribers and features, with a generous free plan.

• Free: $0/month, up to 1,000 subscribers, 12,000 emails/month.
• Growing Business: from $10/month, advanced automation, dynamic content.
• Advanced: from $20/month, more sites, promotion tools, and priority support.
• Enterprise: custom, dedicated support and SSO.

It’s one of the best values for simple use cases. Annual billing saves money, and pricing stays friendly until your list gets very large.

Pros and cons

• Pros: Very easy to use; modern templates; generous free tier; great for quick launches.
• Cons: Limited CRM features; automations are basic; analytics are simpler than enterprise tools.

If you want a polished newsletter and simple nurture flows, MailerLite hits the mark.

MailerLite reviews

G2: 4.6/5 star rating (500+ reviews). Capterra: 4.7/5 star rating (1,700+ reviews). Reviewers like ease and deliverability; some want more advanced automation.

6. Mailchimp

Mailchimp is the familiar name many teams start with. It’s strong for quick list imports, simple campaigns, and basic customer journeys.

You can begin on a free plan and get a campaign out the door quickly. The editor is visual, with many templates and brand tools. Customer Journeys covers simple automations.

Recent focus areas include ecommerce integrations, AI content tools, and better analytics dashboards. For legacy lists, it’s often the path of least resistance.

Higher tiers unlock more automation branches, comparative reporting, and advanced segmentation. Keep an eye on audience and seat limits.

I reach for Mailchimp when a client inherits an existing account and needs speed, not a rebuild.

It’s widely supported across apps, so integrations are rarely the blocker.

How Mailchimp works and key features

Mailchimp’s drag-and-drop editor is packed with blocks and design options. Templates are extensive and brandable. Power users can import custom HTML and connect APIs or webhooks.

Analytics show campaign performance, audience growth, and predicted demographics. Automations support multi-step journeys and simple branching. Extra tools include landing pages, surveys, postcards, and basic CRM features. Support quality varies by plan tier.

Overall, it’s beginner-friendly, with enough depth for many small teams.

Who Mailchimp is for

Best for small businesses, legacy lists, and teams that want fast campaigns without a full migration. Solid for newsletters and lightweight nurture. If you need deep CRM alignment or retail-first flows, other tools fit better. Minimal technical skill required.

Mailchimp pricing

Mailchimp prices by contacts and features, with a free tier and three paid levels.

• Free: $0/month, up to 500 contacts with monthly send limits.
• Essentials: from $13/month, templates and basic automations.
• Standard: from $20/month, customer journeys, dynamic content.
• Premium: from $350/month, advanced segmentation and reporting.

Mailchimp is middle-of-the-road on pricing. It’s fair for smaller lists, but can rise as contacts and seats increase. Annual billing discounts apply on many tiers.

Pros and cons

• Pros: Huge template library; fast to launch; lots of integrations; familiar UI for many teams.
• Cons: Pricing climbs with list size; automation depth is moderate; CRM alignment is limited.

If you need a quick, familiar setup, Mailchimp works. For complex journeys, consider other picks above.

Mailchimp reviews

G2: 4.3/5 star rating (12,000+ reviews). Capterra: 4.5/5 star rating (13,000+ reviews). Feedback is positive on ease and templates; costs and limits draw criticism.

What is the best marketing automation tool right now?

My top picks this year: HubSpot Marketing Hub for B2B and sales-led teams, Klaviyo for ecommerce lifecycle and SMS, and Brevo for budget-friendly email + SMS at scale.

HubSpot is my number one because I use it daily across client accounts and our own funnels. This isn’t sponsored. I first adopted it to clean up fragmented data and tie nurture to pipeline. The visual workflows, CRM alignment, and reporting sold me—especially revenue attribution and handoffs to sales.

On value, HubSpot scales better than you think if you stay disciplined with contact hygiene. Starter gets you moving fast. Professional looks expensive, but attribution and ops automation replace multiple tools and meetings. Alternatives at the same depth usually involve three separate platforms and more headcount time.

Klaviyo is a close second for stores. It nails product-triggered flows, SMS, and clean revenue reporting that founders understand. Recent upgrades to predictive analytics and onsite capture make it even more compelling for growth without extra apps.

Its unique strength is retail-native thinking: SKU data, dynamic coupons, and Shopify sync that just works. If I ran only DTC brands, I’d likely pick Klaviyo first.

For teams that need low-cost sending and basic nurture, Brevo is my third choice. The free plan and volume-based pricing keep budgets in check, and you still get automations plus transactional email without extra vendors.

I also keep ConvertKit for creator projects and MailerLite for fast newsletter launches. Different tools for different jobs. That’s normal. I’d rather match the tool to the motion than force one stack everywhere.

Choosing between the top options is tough because they’re strong at different things. I stick with HubSpot for B2B because it reduces tool sprawl and gives me clean reporting from first touch to closed-won.

I hope this breakdown saves you some trial-and-error. If I had to start all over, I’d make the same picks. Happy nurturing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Which marketing automation tool is best for beginners?

For a quick start, MailerLite or ConvertKit. Both have clean editors, friendly templates, and free plans. You can ship a lead magnet and welcome flow in a day.

Q: What’s the most cost-effective option for large, infrequent sends?

Brevo. Pricing is based on email volume, not contact count. If you send a big monthly newsletter and keep automations light, it’s hard to beat.

Q: How do I keep costs down as my list grows?

Prune inactive contacts quarterly, archive non-marketing contacts (HubSpot makes this easy), and segment by intent. Also, test SMS selectively—costs add up fast.

Q: Do I need a separate CRM with these tools?

If you’re B2B and sales-led, yes—pick HubSpot and keep CRM + marketing together. For creators and small stores, the platform’s built-in profiles are usually enough.

The post 6 best marketing automation tools we use to nurture leads in 2026 appeared first on Relevance.

The online healthcare industry can be brutal. Competition is fierce, and major healthcare providers like the Mayo Clinic, Johns Hopkins, or government organizations like the CDC typically win that coveted #1 spot in the SERPs. 

So what can you do to stand out in such a tough space?

As with most things in life, I think one of the best ways to find the answer is from the experience of others.

Four takeaways from our Telehealth SEO work 

To succeed in digital marketing, small and mid-size healthcare brands must build credibility through consistent, high-quality content marketing. They must invest in high-quality, targeted educational libraries that align with their core mission and that use SEO strategies to help show up in search engine results.

How do I know this works? Because I’ve seen it up close and personal over a 5-year span.

Here are four takeaways on how critical that content and SEO marketing strategy is in healthcare marketing. They come from a case study where we helped a telehealth company rank better for key commercial terms. 

View our most recent update of this client’s progress.

1. Always start with thorough research

I’m going to assume you operate in the healthcare industry. Picture this with me for a second. Imagine a patient comes in, and you a healthcare provider hand them a prescription without even looking at them or saying a word. 

Crazy, right? If you don’t skip the diagnosis stage for your patients, you shouldn’t do so with your SEO strategy or content marketing, either.

That’s why, when we started working with the telehealth brand, we performed an SEO audit, did keyword research, crawled their site, and observed their existing paid campaigns and social media marketing. We wanted to understand where they stood, their strengths and weaknesses, and their technical foundation.

We always do this because you have to know where you currently stand if you want to set goals and strategies that will work — and trust me when I say that this is a very important part of the process. Too often, we’ve seen brands balk at paying for strategy. They want to jump to the visible, measurable stuff. The problem is, if you don’t research and strategize, your action plan will inherently be weak, uninspired, and possibly even flawed. If you want to know where you should place the most value in the process, it’s here, in your strategy.

In this case, we found the brand had a solid foundation for building topical authority in the health space, but it wasn’t perfect. For instance, they had a robust FAQ library, but it was on ZenDesk, not their site, which meant they were missing out on SEO and traffic benefits. Their content was also limited in scope, they lacked internal linking, and they weren’t maximizing the impact of their existing content.

The Takeaway: Always start with a thorough analysis of where you are if you want to maximize your chances of getting to where you want to go. You will miss key optimization opportunities on a site if you don’t first review your current state.

2. Identify and go after the big opportunities

Marketing used to be a fairly limited activity. In the digital marketing age, you have limitless opportunities. From SEO and back-end optimization to email, social, on-site, and digital PR, there is an endless list of owned, earned, and paid ways to promote your brand.

The question is, where should you direct your limited resources?

For our telehealth client, we analyzed the site by service line to see where traffic was coming from. We pulled in keyword research to identify targets based on these service lines, too. At the same time, we studied other areas of existing healthcare marketing to see what was working and what wasn’t.

Our goal was to tie all this information into their digital marketing strategy to reinforce and build on what was already working. If you silo your marketing effort, you’ll end up wasting resources and, at times, even working against yourself. Instead, use a holistic, knowledgeable approach to figure out the best places where you can put fresh emphasis and focus.

With our client, we found their core service line was actually capturing a decent amount of bottom-of-funnel (or BoFu) traffic. That was great news, and we were able to use it to focus on improving middle- and top-of-funnel marketing in that area. 

We applied a similar approach to auxiliary service lines and identified numerous opportunities for further improvement. We evaluated each one’s ROI, such as average cart value, one-time vs repeat purchases, and lifetime value, and set our priorities based on that information.

The takeaway: Don’t put your efforts into something that won’t perform well. Always invest in improving and complementing the marketing that is already working. But make sure you’ve reviewed core information to create a strong, data-backed strategy.

3. Figure out your starting point

All of this leads you to your starting point. (I know, it’s easy to feel exhausted just getting here, but hear me out. It’s worth it!) 

Once you’ve studied your current situation and invested in finding and prioritizing opportunities, you’ve set the stage. Now, it’s time to pick your starting point. Some primary factors to consider when choosing include:

• Figuring out if your content is educational, helpful, and following E-E-A-T best practices. 
• Ensuring your content is focused on topical areas where you want to build brand awareness and industry authority. (Optimize or eliminate everything else.)
• Determining how much traffic you’re getting and where in the funnel you need to focus on increasing those numbers.
• Assessing your backlink portfolio and considering where you can feed that credibility through third-party validation from authoritative sites.

Use your assessments from sections one and two to guide how you choose from this list. 

With our telehealth brand work, we found, along with a healthy content library, the brand already had a solid foundation for SEO. They were also using pay-per-click, internal and external PR functions, and a conversion rate optimization agency and social media team. 

In other words, all of the pieces for success were there, and we didn’t need to reinvent the wheel. We just needed to orchestrate everything so that it produced the synergy and results they were looking for.

The takeaway: When shaping digital healthcare marketing strategy, don’t reinvent what’s working. Perfect it. And ensure all areas of marketing are supporting each other so any one area isn’t working in a silo.

4. Focus on the end user

So far, my advice has been about technical elements, gauging metrics, and observing marketing activities. My final thought is to focus on the end user throughout your detailed planning. Everything else is important, but you always want the user in mind while you’re considering them.

SEO is the best example of where this can go astray. It’s tempting to focus on search engine results when using SEO. But that isn’t the goal. SEO works with content marketing to improve the user experience. The goal should always be to use search engine optimization to get your healthcare services and content in front of the right people.

That means you want to create a comprehensive library of robust SEO content that meets user needs at all stages of the funnel. You can use it to secure backlinks from external outlets, create social media content, and boost your credibility—but always keep that end user in mind.

By doing that, we were able to not just provide our telehealth client with genuinely good, optimized content but also ensure that it spoke to customer needs and pain points, serving their audience at every step.

The Takeaway: Always keep the end-user in mind. Write for the reader instead of a search engine if you want to actually create useful content that will engage and help people.

The results of good healthcare SEO & GEO

Okay, so if you do all of these things I’m recommending, what does it look like? What does it accomplish? After three years spent creating 146 online pieces and seeing 700 assets and links for our telehealth client, here are a few of the biggest takeaways:

• They had a 119% increase in conversion rate.
• They experienced a 254% bump in pageviews on optimized pages.
• They saw a 358% climb in the number of terms that were ranking #1 in Google SERPs.
• They had a 142% growth spurt in terms of ranking 2nd to 10th in those SERPs.

I also noticed that over the course of the partnership, new services ranked quicker for important terms as they benefited from the synergy of the site’s overall success. This is key to show that if you focus and put the effort in one topical authority area at a time, you’ll be rewarded when it comes time to move to the next.

Learning and moving forward to greater success

As we look back, there are also a few things I’ve learned from the telehealth case study that I think we could have done better. 

For instance, I wish we could have created more content in those three years to match their expanding service lines. I also wish we could have added more first-person perspectives from healthcare providers, clinicians, and patients. 

These aren’t shortcomings. Every marketing strategy requires some sacrifice. As the marketing world evolves, though, it’s always important to have these in mind as we form each new plan moving forward. 

As you look over the four lessons above, what stands out to you? Where are you already killing it with your healthcare digital marketing strategy? Where can you use some help? 

If you find you’re looking for a partner as you sort through things, reach out for a free strategy session with our team at Relevance. We can shed light on your current situation and orient you toward future success, even in an industry as crowded as healthcare.

The post Healthcare SEO Case Study: How Content, PR, + SEO Scaled a Telehealth Brand appeared first on Relevance.

It’s not a blog. It’s not an email welcome flow. It’s not “posting consistently.” It’s a system that pulls the right people toward you—then does the work of turning interest into revenue without you paying for every single click.

At Relevance, we sit at the intersection of PR, SEO, and AI visibility, which means we get to see inbound from every angle: what earns demand, what captures it, and what compounds over time. The best eCommerce teams don’t do inbound as a tactic—they run inbound as an engine.

So if you’re trying to make inbound actually move numbers (not just create “content”), these are the three types we see work again and again for eCommerce.

First, what “inbound” really means for eCommerce

Inbound is any marketing that customers choose to engage with because it answers a question, solves a problem, or helps them decide. In eCommerce, that typically shows up as: search demand, social discovery, email/SMS relationships, reviews, comparisons, and “someone told me to buy this.”

The trap is thinking inbound equals top-of-funnel traffic.

Real inbound has a second half: it captures the visit, builds trust fast, and gives people a reason to come back (or buy now). Otherwise, you’re just funding Google’s index and Instagram’s entertainment budget.

The 3 types of inbound marketing (the ones that actually scale)

Here’s the simplest way we frame inbound for eCommerce—three “pull” engines you can build and stack:

• Search Inbound (SEO + content that captures intent)
• Subscriber Inbound (email/SMS + lifecycle automation that monetizes attention)
• Social Proof Inbound (UGC, reviews, PR, community—trust that sells for you)

That’s it. Three types. Three compounding loops. Most brands are weak in at least one—and that’s usually the one holding them back.

1) Search inbound: when customers raise their hand first

Search inbound is the cleanest version of demand capture: someone wants something, they type it into Google (or an AI search experience), and you show up with the best answer.

For eCommerce, “best answer” isn’t always a product page. A lot of the money is in the messy middle—research mode—where people are asking questions like:

They’re trying to pick a size. Compare materials. Figure out whether the “viral” version is legit. Or find the best gift for a specific scenario they don’t want to get wrong.

Search inbound wins when you stop writing for “traffic” and start writing for decision-making.

A practical example we’ve seen work: a brand selling premium kitchen tools published a simple “Which knife do I need?” guide with real photos, use cases, and care tips. It didn’t just rank—it became their highest-converting non-product page because it reduced anxiety and made the purchase feel obvious.

Mini takeaway: Search inbound isn’t blogging. It’s merchandising for people who haven’t met you yet.

Where search inbound breaks (and how to fix it)

Most eComm SEO fails for one of three reasons:

1. The content is generic (could have been written by anyone, and Google knows it).
2. The content doesn’t connect to product selection (so it can’t monetize).
3. The site experience can’t convert the visit (slow pages, weak PDPs, confusing navigation).

If you want search inbound to be a growth channel, every “inbound” article should have a clear bridge to product discovery—without turning into a sales pitch.

2) Subscriber inbound: your email/SMS list as a demand engine

Subscriber inbound is what happens after the first visit—when you stop “renting” attention and start owning it.

Email and SMS are still the most underrated inbound lever in eCommerce because they don’t just convert; they smooth out the whole business. They make your launches louder, your promotions cheaper, your inventory moves faster, and your CAC less fragile.

But the brands that win here don’t treat email as “newsletters.” They treat it like a personalized shopping assistant that shows up at the exact right moment.

Think about your own behavior: you don’t wake up wanting “brand updates.” You want clarity, inspiration, and a nudge when you’re close to buying. Subscriber inbound is how you deliver that nudge without paying Meta again.

Mini takeaway: If search inbound captures intent, subscriber inbound captures timing.

The underrated play: turning education into automated revenue

One of the cleanest plays in eCommerce is pairing educational content with a lifecycle sequence.

Example: someone reads a “how to choose” guide → opts in for a sizing checklist → gets a short sequence that answers common objections → ends with a curated collection that matches what they cared about.

When done well, it feels helpful, not pushy. And you stop relying on discounts as your only conversion lever.

3) Social proof inbound: trust that pulls people in

This is the inbound type most teams feel but don’t systematize.

Social proof inbound is the flywheel of: people see others talking about you → they believe you’re legit → they search you, click you, save you, or buy → more people talk about you.

UGC, reviews, creator content, community, and PR all live here. What they have in common is simple: they make your brand feel safer to buy from.

And in eCommerce, “safe” is a conversion multiplier.

We’ve watched brands with perfectly fine products struggle because they had no visible trust layer. Then they add real customer photos, honest comparison content, and a handful of credible mentions—and suddenly the same traffic converts at a completely different rate.

Mini takeaway: Social proof inbound doesn’t just create awareness—it reduces perceived risk.

A quick real-world example from our work

Spoonful of Comfort is a great illustration of social proof + search inbound working together. By leaning into authority-building content (rooted in real customer needs) and earning high-quality links/mentions, they grew page views by 217%, increased organic conversions by 75%, and saw branded traffic rise 171%—all while building trust in a category where the purchase is emotional and high-stakes.

That’s what social proof inbound does: it makes the purchase feel like the obvious choice.

How to pick the right inbound type to focus on first

If you’re resource-constrained (most teams are), don’t try to do all three at once. Start with the one that matches your current bottleneck:

If you’re not getting enough new customers consistently, start with Search inbound.

If you have traffic but it’s not turning into repeatable revenue, build Subscriber inbound.

If you’re converting “okay” but you’re stuck competing on price, invest in Social proof inbound.

Then stack the next one. That’s how inbound becomes a system instead of a random pile of tactics.

The simplest way to think about inbound in 2026

Inbound for eCommerce is a pull-based growth engine built on three loops:

Be findable (search). Be remembered (subscribers). Be trusted (social proof).

When those three are working together, your brand stops feeling like it needs to “fight” for every sale—and starts feeling like it’s being chosen.

If you want, tell us what you sell (category + average order value + primary acquisition channel), and we’ll map which of the three inbound types will move the needle fastest for your store.

The post The 3 types of inbound marketing for eCommerce businesses appeared first on Relevance.

But what does search engine optimization actually mean? What is it that makes the organic traffic that comes from SEO different from other sources of traffic on the internet? Let’s break down the concept of organic traffic and look at some of its benefits, along with how you can improve your SEO strategy to boost organic traffic to your site.

What is organic traffic?

Let’s start with a basic (but critical) definition. What is organic search traffic?

The leading SEO optimization platform Semrush defines organic traffic as “the number of website visitors that come from unpaid search engine results (as opposed to paid results).”

The definition makes two important distinctions:

• First, “unpaid traffic” means you aren’t using paid search (things like pay-per-click ads) to artificially drive web traffic.
• Second, “search engine results” implies that organic traffic comes from search engines rather than direct traffic to your site.

You can increase your organic traffic by using SEO optimization techniques. This boosts your SERP rankings and ensures that your website URLs show up more often in front of a potential customer with search intent that aligns with your brand’s solutions.

4 benefits of organic traffic

It’s one thing to understand what organic traffic is. But how can it actually help your brand? Here are four of the biggest benefits that come from a healthy flow of organic traffic.

1. Organic traffic Is affordable

The easiest differentiating factor here is the cost. Organic traffic is, technically speaking, free. This is especially true compared to paid search, which requires payment for each ad placement or click. When you stop paying for those clicks, you lose that site traffic, those potential conversions and that revenue. With organic, it’s the gift that keeps on giving if you can stay in those top spots.

Keep in mind that you can still spend a tidy sum on organic SEO and content creation. However, in most cases, the costs associated with organic search are well worth the investment. Once you have the onsite authority established and are ranking well, you just need to do the upkeep to stay ranking well.

2. Organic traffic is consistent & compounds

Organic search can take months to build momentum. A keyword could see movement after just a couple of months if you already have onsite authority built up. However, to rank for a more competitive search term can take a year or more depending on what work needs to be done to rank well. Do some keyword research to help you choose a relevant keyword that aligns with your goals.

While it may lack the instant gratification of a paid ad, once you rank for a keyword, you can count on a steady flow of search traffic. This leads to a consistent flow of increased customers that doesn’t require ongoing PPC investment to maintain (as is the case with paid search).

3. Organic traffic creates high-quality leads

Organic traffic comes from content that is not just tailored to search engines. It also answers very real human search queries. That means it offers value to readers.

The result of this targeted approach is that you attract readers who genuinely benefit from the value that your content offers. In addition, organic content is often niche and specific, focusing on topics toward the bottom of the marketing funnel. This leads to higher quality leads and more conversions.

4. Organic traffic signals authority & industry ownership

When your SEO content strategy targets the user experience, it sends the message that you know what you’re talking about. The fact that the content shows up organically (rather than being clearly placed through a paid promotion) reflects well on your brand, naturally increasing your authority.

Visibility is a critical part of growth marketing. When you organically pop up in conversation simply based on the quality of your relevant content, it signals to others that you are a strong contender in your industry.

Tips to increase organic traffic to your site

It can benefit your brand in multiple ways. But how can your business tap into those benefits? Here are a few ways to help you get that organic traffic flowing (or if you’ve already started, turning a trickle of visitors into a flood).

• Optimize your existing content: This is step number one. Whether through cleaning up existing pages, creating new content, or both, make sure to invest in SEO techniques to improve your website traffic.
• Don’t forget off-site opportunities: Along with optimizing your onsite content, look for off-site ways to build SEO, like writing guest posts on industry publications, gaining backlinks, engaging on social media, and publishing press releases.
• Track your traffic: It’s hard to improve organic traffic if you don’t know what it is in the first place. Make sure you have Google Analytics and Google Search Console set up to track the traffic source and flow of visitors to your site.
• Work with a brand-building expert: Good growth marketing agencies utilize SEO as a foundational element for building a brand. They will have the tools, techniques, and experience to help you improve your organic traffic.

As you consider ways to attract consumers to your brand online, remember to keep organic traffic in the mix. It requires upfront investment and patience. Consider partnering with a growth marketing agency that specializes in increasing organic traffic. With the help of an expert, the benefits that this unique form of marketing offers are too good to ignore if you want to take your company to the next level.

The post 4 benefits of organic traffic appeared first on Relevance.

We’ve also watched a lot of teams treat meta descriptions like a box to check—then wonder why their traffic doesn’t turn into demos, calls, or purchases. The truth is: the meta description isn’t just SEO copy. It’s pre-sell copy.

And in 2026 search, you don’t always control it. Google often generates snippets from on-page content and may only use your meta description if it’s the best match for the query.

Meta descriptions are like silly old Uncle Bob who gets ignored at Thanksgiving get-togethers. But did you know that Uncle Bob is actually a multi-millionaire looking for a decent niece or nephew to include in his will?

Like Bob, meta descriptions are often ignored or duplicated on multiple pages by website page creators and editors because they just don’t care. This is a huge mistake. If you care about capturing sales leads from targeted search, you should pay close attention to getting your meta descriptions right.

What is a meta description

For those of you who don’t dream in HTML or SEO, the meta description tag is a standard component of a web page’s <head> section. It’s supposed to be a brief description of the page’s content, using the following syntax.

Search engines read your web page from top to bottom. They pay close attention to the <title> tag and other on-page SEO factors on your page.

Meta descriptions are more important for human searchers. The title tag is the first line of each result with larger font size and the searched keywords or phrases highlighted in bold. Depending on which search engine you’re using, the second or third line shows the meta description. This is where the rubber meets the road for search-based lead generation.

The importance of the meta description tag in search for sales

While the ranking of your page in search engines depends on many factors, in Google the meta description tag doesn’t contribute. What it does, however, is equally important for lead generation. Your meta description tells the searcher three important things.

1. What your page is about
2. How your page is relevant to their searched keywords
3. Why they should click on your link now

In short, meta descriptions help determine which search results are worth further investigation. Most of us spend very little time reading them. We glance at them looking for relevance and value. The first results we pick are the most valuable to us from the organic search results. We glance at the paid search results, and we may click on one, but usually not unless we can’t find what we seek in the organic results.

Ranking is still important because we will click the first result that meets our criteria. If we are satisfied by the content of the page we click to, we may end our search there.

Then we will explore the website further or immediately buy, sign up or otherwise become a sales lead. We need to treat each meta description tag with the same care that goes into crafting the page itself. We also need to pay attention to on-page SEO factors that contribute to its ranking on search engine results pages (SERPs).

How to craft a meta description that sells well

• Make Your Page an Elevator Pitch – you have 30 seconds or less to describe what your page or blog post is about and why it’s relevant and valuable to the reader. Go ahead, write that down.
• Create and Deploy Your Keyword Strategy – put yourself in the shoes of your reader. Who is looking for this page and its content? What keywords would they most likely use to find it? Is it a local thing? If so, include the name of the city or region you’re going after. Optimize your page or post for all of the usual SEO suspects – title, headings, paragraphs of text, image titles and alt tags and links. Now focus on your meta description.
• Ask Yourself This – if someone found my page on Google, Yahoo or Bing, why would they want to click through? What’s in it for them? What would grab their attention and compel them to click?
• Now Craft Your Meta Description – In about 20 words, your mission is to show, at a glance, that the searcher has found a relevant, valuable result worthy of a click. Write your description in plain language that includes your primary keyword phrase and the searcher’s value proposition.
• Don’t repeat the same meta descriptions on multiple pages. This makes no sense. Are all of your pages or blog posts about the same topic? Searchers will see that and get a poor first impression of your content.
• Don’t use quotes (single quotes are ok though). Google will truncate your meta description if you use quotes. In general, it’s best to use alphanumeric characters exclusively.

Final checks

Looking at our Home page result above, we have chosen to optimize our Home page on “inbound marketing agency,” which establishes relevance for searchers who have searched that keyword phrase and tells them who we are. Next, we tell them what we do – “offers a dedicated inbound marketing team.” Finally, we tell them why they should click through to our website – “delivering an average 200% return on investment.” We have given them a brief summary of the page content and why it’s important to them.

It’s not the flashiest meta description in the world, but it works. Our traffic and lead conversion rates for “inbound marketing agency” are second only to branded search terms like “Kuno Creative.” So don’t forget about the lowly meta description tag. It’s one of your best friends for lead conversion from search. Make them unique, relevant and attractive, and you will see the click-throughs improve dramatically.

The post How to generate sales leads with killer meta descriptions appeared first on Relevance.

We’re here to help clear up some of that confusion. 

Consider this your growth marketing primer. Below is a crash course on how growth marketing works along with examples of those concepts in action. 

We’ll also break down how growth marketing differs from things like traditional marketing and growth hacking. From there, we’ll look at how growth marketing tactics can benefit your organization and how you can design a growth marketing strategy for your own company.

Ready to do this? Let’s dive in.

What our client team is seeing today – August, 2026

From our experience running integrated growth programs, four patterns show up again and again, regardless of industry or company size:

(1) Retention and activation are where the leverage is.

The fastest-growing brands we work with do not treat growth as “more leads at the top of the funnel.” Their biggest wins come from improving activation (getting new users to first value quickly) and retention (getting them to come back repeatedly). When activation and retention improve, every other channel—SEO, PR, paid, email—performs better because each acquired user is worth more over time.

(2) Compounding organic channels beat purely linear channels.

Tactics like technical SEO, content hubs, digital PR, and authority-building are slower to start but compound over time. As these mature, they often become the most efficient sources of high-intent traffic and drive down blended customer acquisition cost (CAC). Paid channels (PPC, paid social, programmatic) still matter, but the healthiest accounts we see use them to accelerate what’s already working organically—not to cover for a weak brand or content foundation.

(3) Cross-channel orchestration outperforms isolated “tactics.”

The best results don’t come from any single play (SEO, PR, or paid), but from orchestrating them against the entire AAARRR funnel. For example:

• Digital PR and thought leadership generate Awareness and Acquisition, while also improving organic rankings over time.

• Strong onboarding flows, lifecycle email, and in-product nudges drive Activation and Retention.

• Well-structured pricing, upsells, and cross-sells deepen Revenue.

• Referral programs and community initiatives amplify Referral without relying solely on discounts or gimmicks.

In practice, this means growth teams that are structured cross-functionally—spanning content, SEO, paid, product, and data—outperform siloed marketing organizations.

(4) “One-and-done” campaigns are losing to always-on experimentation

Static, annual campaign calendars are being replaced by always-on testing across channels: landing page variants, messaging angles, offers, content formats, and creative. Teams that treat experimentation as a continuous operating system (as opposed to an occasional project) tend to find more compounding wins and adapt faster to platform and algorithm changes.

If we had to compress our current view into a single sentence, it would be this: sustainable growth today comes from cross-functional teams that treat the AAARRR funnel as a system, invest heavily in activation and retention, and use compounding organic channels—amplified by paid—to create durable, defensible growth.

What top growth marketing experts are saying today

Our perspective lines up closely with what many of the most respected growth practitioners are publishing today:

Growth is a system, not a channel

Brian Balfour (Founder/CEO of Reforge and former VP of Growth at HubSpot) repeatedly emphasizes that “growth is a system between acquisition, retention, and monetization” and that changing one part of that system affects the others. This supports a full-funnel, lifecycle-oriented approach rather than treating growth as “more traffic” or “more ads.”

AAARRR (Pirate Metrics) is still a foundational model

Investor and entrepreneur Dave McClure created the AARRR/Pirate Metrics framework to give startups a simple, universal way to model customer behavior and focus on the five stages of Acquisition, Activation, Retention, Referral, and Revenue. Modern product and growth teams still use this model to diagnose bottlenecks and align metrics to each stage of the funnel.

Retention is the engine of sustainable growth

Andrew Chen (General Partner at Andreessen Horowitz and longtime growth leader) argues that virality without retention is an illusion, often producing a short spike followed by a sharp drop-off. He highlights that “in the long term, retention is what creates sustainable viral growth,” because sticky products have more opportunities to prompt users to invite others over time. He also shows that the best products often differentiate themselves not through a completely different long-term curve, but via much better activation and early-day retention. (Andrew Chen)

Growth hacking is discipline, not tricks

Sean Ellis, who coined the term “growth hacking,” describes growth work as a cross-functional, experiment-driven process that blends product, data, and marketing. In Hacking Growth, he stresses that the real drivers of breakout growth are “methodical, rapid-fire generation and testing of new ideas” and the use of data on user behavior to find the ideas that work—not a single magical hack. One of his most cited lines captures this mindset: “The more experiments you run, the more you learn.”

Cross-functional teams and data-driven decisions are now table stakes

Across these experts, a shared pattern emerges: the most effective growth teams break down silos between marketing, product, engineering, and data, and they rely on quantitative and qualitative data to prioritize where to experiment next. McClure’s AARRR metrics, Balfour’s system-thinking, Ellis’s experimentation cadence, and Chen’s focus on retention all point toward the same conclusion: growth marketing today means owning the entire customer journey, not just acquisition.

Growth marketing as a science

The field of growth marketing emphasizes agile and evidence-based decision-making. It uses these tools to look beyond a single aspect of the sales funnel, focusing instead on the entire customer lifecycle.

Much like a scientist conducting an experiment, a growth marketer regularly tests their techniques. For instance, they might compare the design and content of one landing page versus another. From there, they can make further marketing decisions based on the results. This allows marketers to lean on clear, calculated data instead of over-relying on their gut instincts.

Another important aspect of growth marketing is having individual team members who can take ownership of different parts of the process. For example, a fully-integrated growth marketing team will likely consist of experts from multiple departments, including marketing, sales, customer support, and analytics.

In addition, traditional marketers tend to focus on the top of the marketing funnel. Growth marketers put time and attention into the entire cycle. In essence, they create an entire growth funnel — something we like to call the AAARRR.

The Pirate Funnel: AAARRR

Developed by Dave McClure, the Pirate Funnel is aptly named after its official acronym: AAARRR. Though some companies may interpret the steps differently, every part of the funnel relates to a different piece of the growth marketing puzzle. From top to bottom, the Pirate Funnel generally consists of the following:

• Awareness
• Acquisition
• Activation
• Retention
• Revenue
• Referral

It doesn’t matter if your business sector is e-commerce sales or SaaS, whether you sell products or services — you can use the AAARRR framework to jumpstart sustainable growth in any industry or environment.

What makes growth marketing unique?

Marketing can take many forms. This has led to confusion between things like growth marketing vs. digital marketing and traditional marketing. Heck, even growth marketing vs. marketing, in general, can get confusing.

To help sort things out, let’s consider one example: traditional marketing. How do past marketing norms compare and contrast with modern growth marketing standards?

Growth marketing vs. traditional marketing

When comparing growth marketing and traditional marketing, there are several main components to consider. At first, these tend to look the same. 

For instance, achieving success in either type of marketing involves staying on top of current marketing trends. But the majority of the similarities tend to end there. 

Traditional marketing is typically company-focused and aims to sell a product or service. In contrast, growth marketing zeroes in on the consumer and aims to provide the most personalized experience possible.

Another aspect of traditional marketing is its strong focus on customer awareness and acquisition. Traditional marketers tend to concern themselves with statistics like the number of views a digital ad receives or the reach of a particular print magazine.

In comparison, a growth marketer isn’t just interested in gaining new customers. They want to retain them. They even go further, striving to turn new customers into brand ambassadors who can then do the work of bringing in even more customers. This in-depth approach requires marketers to continue engaging customers beyond the initial point of acquisition.

Yet another difference between growth marketing and traditional marketing is the process by which marketing decisions are made. Traditional marketing often relies on opinion-based decisions. That can be woefully inefficient and ineffective. The constant testing done in the growth marketing sector provides data that can perpetually inform the next steps in a strategy.

To top it off, traditional marketers tend to plan campaigns and ads on an annual basis and within defined marketing channels. Growth marketers update and tweak their cross-channel marketing strategies more frequently. This allows them to be faster, more responsive, and more dynamic.

Growth marketing vs. growth hacking

Along with differentiating growth marketing from other forms of marketing, it’s also helpful to clarify how it differs from growth hacking. Though some may use growth marketing and growth hacking interchangeably, they are not the same thing.

Originally coined by “Growth Hacking” author Sean Ellis, growth hacking strategy focuses on achieving the most growth in the shortest amount of time possible. Growth hacker marketing has been a strategy favored by many Silicon Valley giants over the years, including iconic brands like Facebook, Twitter, and Dropbox. These companies, at least initially, lived by the “grow or die” mentality. 

Of course, in the current day and age, many are managing the fallout of this excessively aggressive growth strategy in marketing. The unwieldy long-term results of growth hacking are a perfect example of the essential differences between growth marketing and growth hacking. 

Similar to traditional marketing, growth hacking focuses on the top parts of the sales funnel — especially customer acquisition. As we’ve repeated ad nauseam by now, growth marketing addresses the entire funnel from start to finish.

It’s true that growth hacking and growth marketing both focus on data and testing. However, growth hackers test with the goals of experimentation and refining an outcome. Growth marketers aim to identify patterns and design strategies.

Growth hacking leads with hands-on tactics, too, while growth marketing strives for marketing automation (and the right marketing automation tools make that possible at scale). A growth hacker also focuses on optimization of techniques, whereas a growth marketer prioritizes customer personalization for long-term, meaningful growth and retention.

While both marketing approaches help scale a business, a growth hacking agency obsesses over immediate acquisition with a relative disregard for the future. A growth marketing agency prioritizes substantial growth across the customer journey as well as customer lifetime value (CLV).

How to do top marketers do growth marketing?

There are many strategies and benefits of growth marketing (some of which are outlined below), but what is the end goal of a growth marketing strategy? If growth marketing is focused on long-term, sustainable growth, what does that look like in execution? What are some of the reasons to implement growth strategies in business? 

When you’re trying to grow, the primary factor is traffic. The more eyeballs you have on your products or services, the more opportunities you create. We tend to break this down further into two categories: the quantity of your traffic and the quality of your traffic.

• Traffic quantity refers to a boost in high-level traffic. When you engage in growth marketing, you want to funnel more real people with genuine needs to your website.
• Traffic quality has to do with the kind of high-level traffic you’re attracting. Do the people clicking on your clicks and coming to your pages have need you can answer? Growth marketing aims to attract the right leads that align with your offerings – and boost your conversion rate in the process because of an influx in quality traffic.

It’s tempting to try to boil the objective of growth marketing to a single goal or OKR (objective and key results). But the truth is, you want both higher quantity and quality traffic if your growth is going to be sustainable.

8 tactics in our growth marketing playbook

A good growth marketing strategy consists of a web of interwoven tactics. Each of these supports the whole and helps reach the common goal of better traffic, leads, and conversions. Here are a few of the most common growth marketing tactics that you can implement:

Content

Your content is ground zero for marketing. You want this to be optimized and built for both on-site (resources, blog posts, how-to’s, sales pages) and off-site (guest posts, social media) use. Content helps you rank for new keywords and attract that traffic growth you want.

SEO

Search engine optimization is critical to organic traffic. You always want to weave keywords, backlinks, internal links, technical SEO optimization, and other search engine-friendly elements into your growth marketing efforts. Without a solid foundation and optimized content, your site won’t be doing you many favors when it comes to seeing actual growth.

Digital PR

You can talk about your business on your own content assets all day long. But at some point, you need third-party sites and sources to mention you, too. Digital PR helps you build authority through the endorsement of those who already have it. This can help give you a snowball effect with your other efforts, and show to Google, and potential leads or customers, that you are an authority in the space.

Social media

Social platforms help create buzz. The right social media scheduling tools help you stay consistent without burning out your team. They give you intimate encounters with your target audience. They help you build communities around your brand and receive detailed feedback on a regular basis.

Email

From drip campaigns to newsletter updates, emails put you right in the pocket of your target consumer. Choosing the right email marketing platform is critical to making this channel work. Even better, an email list consists of those who have opted in to hear your message and are willing to engage with you.

PPC

Pay-per-click advertising helps you supercharge your growth efforts. It puts money behind your marketing efforts and pushes your brand out in front of new consumers searching for your solutions.

Influencer campaigns

Influencers come with an audience that already trusts their endorsements. Working with high-profile social personalities creates an immediate level of respect and interest with their followers (who are ideally your target audience, as well).

Webinars and podcasts

Webinars and podcasts give you a chance to share your advice as an authority in your industry. It positions you as a thought leader in the eyes of your target audience. It also offers them a multimedia way to access your content.

Key elements in our growth marketing playbook

Some key consistent themes in our successful growth marketing campaigns  include: 

• Cross-channel marketing
• A/B testing
• Data-based decision making

Let’s break these down further, shall we?

The synergy of cross-channel marketing

A major focus of growth marketers is promoting across multiple growth marketing channels. It allows businesses to create the most streamlined, customer-centric experience possible and enables companies to reach customers at every stage of the funnel. 

Creating customer awareness (located at the top of the funnel) is an activity that can involve working with social media influencers, buying digital ads, or creating a television ad. Customers at later stages of the funnel may require email marketing tactics, promotions, and various website features.

Cross-channel marketing encompasses a wide range of platforms and strategies, both in digital marketing and print marketing. It creates comprehensive marketing initiatives that utilize social media posts, google ads, email subscriptions, and many of the other growth marketing tactics listed in the previous section.

Using these in strategic unison creates a synergistic effect impossible to achieve with each one separately.

A/B testing refines marketing over time

Also known as multivariate testing, A/B testing is an essential component of a growth marketing strategy. A/B testing takes place when marketers compare two variations of a marketing campaign — anything from greater engagement to purchases or referrals — to determine which achieves the desired outcome. To make results even more accurate and helpful, growth marketers typically divide their customers into subgroups and test how each variation performs with each subgroup.

For example, marketers may design two versions of an email varying in tone, design, or content and then test it on Gen Z, Millennial, and Baby Boomer consumers. They would then use the resulting data to tweak the content until it has the best chance of engaging their desired customer segment.

Data-based decision-making

There is certainly value in factoring opinions and gut responses into decisions. However, adding data to the mix makes the results more actionable. 

The A/B testing emphasized in growth marketing allows companies to test everything, from small decisions, like the color of their home page, to larger ones, such as which incentives to offer for customer referrals. This is made possible through a variety of tools that provide and curate data at different points in the growth marketing process.

For instance, on the front end, SEO tools like SEMrush and AHrefs provide detailed insights into keywords, backlinks, and other elements to help you build a sound strategy. (For a deeper look at the tools we rely on, see our reviews of keyword research tools and AI SEO tools.) As you execute a growth marketing campaign, platforms like Google Analytics collect data and create reports on how each of your initiatives performed. Our roundup of marketing analytics platforms covers additional options worth considering.

This data-driven approach allows companies to zero in on smaller segments of their customer base. A pet food brand can glean insights into dog owners, in particular. A supplement company can hone in on runners or seniors. The effect of this targeted approach is the development of even more customer-focused products or services, which in turn, leads to greater customer retention.

Benefits of a growth marketing strategy

There are many significant benefits that come with adopting a growth marketing strategy. Here are a handful of the biggest advantages of growth marketing for your brand.

Long-term growth

As discussed above, both growth hacking and traditional marketing tend to focus on the initial stages of the customer funnel. In growth marketing, you are constantly discovering ways to not only gain new customers but also keep them engaged.

This could come from offering discounts, delivering excellent content marketing (powered by the right content repurposing tools to maximize every asset), up-selling, or cross-selling. Regardless, growth marketers don’t seek the fastest growth in the shortest amount of time. They aim to uncover the most effective techniques that can be automated for the long haul. Then, they continue to improve them along the way.

Customer retention

Customer retention is an important component of a growth marketing roadmap. Nobody likes to see an ad that offers new patrons a cheaper price than they, as existing customers, are already paying. The solution to this is for companies to value their customers over the long haul by continuing to offer benefits and incentives months and years after acquisition.

When companies continue putting effort into creating a personalized experience for long-term customers, those customers can become brand ambassadors. They can shout the brand’s praises, virtually or otherwise, to their friends and family. 

Agile responsiveness

Many traditional marketing plans utilize yearly evaluations. However, it’s better to actively assess and tweak tactics throughout the year.

A growth marketing manager evaluates relevant data more frequently and makes needed changes more often. This avoids wasting valuable time and money on strategies that are not achieving your goals.

Examples of success growth marketing campaigns

Case Study #1: Slack Becomes the Fastest-Growing B2B Software Provider Ever

As the fastest-growing B2B software provider ever, Slack is a valuable company to study when searching for insights into growth marketing success stories.

The tech brand is an instant-messaging tool for work communication that was created by a remote team that understood the struggles of the virtual work experience. Over time, the developers have used both growth marketing and growth hacking strategies to scale their brand. 

Here are a few of the strategies that helped Slack grow so quickly:

• Slack provided seamless onboarding: Slack made it nearly effortless for new users to sign up for the platform and invite others to join them.
• Slack asked for feedback and constantly improved: The team at Slack didn’t create a product and then rest on their laurels. They relentlessly queried users about their experience. They requested suggestions for improvement and used them to make necessary changes.
• Slack created a market and solved a problem: There was nothing quite like Slack before it appeared on the scene. The brand’s development team used its software to tackle a number of business communication problems.
• Slack offered a free option: Slack’s marketing strategy included offering a free plan that was substantial enough to stand on its own. At the same time, it hinted at further abilities that enticed customers to pay for the full plan.

Case Study #2: Etsy Builds a Hyper-Targeted Community Based on Values

Early in the internet era, eBay was the primary option for crafters looking to sell their goods online. Then, in 2005, founders Rob Kalin, Chris Maguire, Haim Schoppik, and Jared Tarbell unveiled Etsy. By creating a platform specifically for artisans, they tapped into a vast customer base that soon became dedicated members of the Etsy community.

Here are a few keys to the company’s success: 

• Etsy used social media to grow: The strong brand identity Etsy created naturally fed into organic social media growth. It distinguished itself with recognizable styles and products. Selling on or shopping at Etsy became a way for consumers to show others who they were.
• Etsy defined a niche: The team knew right off the bat who their target audience was. They understood the unmet needs of their artisan audience and made targeted efforts to meet them.
• Etsy created a low entry point: In addition to creating an artisan-focused community, Etsy created a lower-cost option. Etsy stores required less risk from their consumers while still giving them a platform to sell their wares.
• Etsy carved out a strong brand identity: Etsy did a phenomenal job of brand marketing by defining itself as an anti-consumerism, eco-friendly, and feminist enterprise. This further appealed to their target audience of small, primarily female business owners and buyers who didn’t want mass-produced items. Buying a product from Etsy was designed to be more than just shopping. It proclaimed a person’s values, whether those were supporting small businesses, helping the environment, or finding a one-of-a-kind gift.

How to use growth marketing on your business

When designing your own business’s growth marketing strategy, it’s important to stay flexible. You need to combine both gut decisions and the data you uncover through frequent testing of your marketing tactics, whether that’s marketing emails, website design, or anything else. 

Focus on all parts of the AAARRR funnel. That means putting as much time and attention into engaging existing customers as you do into finding new ones. Carve out a strong brand identity and use content marketing to share useful videos, blog posts, podcasts, and more with your consumers. Don’t be afraid to use other successful growth marketing campaigns as inspiration for your own strategy, too.

When you (or if you’re overwhelmed, you and your growth marketing agency) work to put all of this together, it creates synergy. Growth marketing brings together the many different aspects of successfully scaling a business and combines them to tap into and unleash a brand’s full potential.

Using marketing to own your industry

Growth marketing can help you focus on every stage of the customer lifecycle. You can create personalized customer experiences and effectively use tactics like A/B testing to gauge your success over time. While there are many ways to attempt to use growth marketing, at Relevance, we’ve found that genuine growth marketing tends to focus on three primary areas:

Credibility

Using tools like digital PR allows you to build a credible brand that consumers can trust. This enhances your credibility as a brand, both in the eyes of your potential customers and in the eyes of Google. Being mentioned alongside other key figures in your field of expertise and being part of the conversation is vital to beginning to be an influential part of your industry.

Authority

Building a cohesive content strategy helps your brand establish itself as an industry leader. Think through the important themes of your industry and company and make sure you’re writing well-rounded content covering all aspects of it, and not just the benefits. This authority positions you as someone who can offer informed and effective solutions.

Visibility

If you want your traffic to grow, you need to get in front of more people. You know that content we just mentioned that is talking about all aspects of a certain topic? Use that to your advantage and make sure it’s showing up in the SERPs. A targeted SEO ensures you’re visible at the right times and in the right places. Being at the forefront of those topics is key to your growth efforts.  

Together, these three growth marketing strategies combine to help companies spark sustainable, long-term growth. It beefs up their sales funnels from top to bottom and enables them to attain and retain industry ownership.

When it comes to scaling your business, emphasizing your credibility, authority, and visibility can help you tap into that hidden growth potential, no matter what stage of the business lifecycle you’re in or what challenges stand in your way.

How we wrote this playbook:

To build this playbook, our growth, SEO, and PR teams combined first-hand client experience with fresh research into today’s leading growth frameworks and expert opinions. On the execution side, we drew from campaigns we actively run across B2B SaaS, e-commerce, and services brands—where we’re responsible for everything from technical SEO and digital PR to lifecycle email and paid acquisition.

We pressure-tested the AAARRR framework against real campaigns (organic, paid, and product-led) to ensure it reflects how modern growth teams actually work across awareness, acquisition, activation, retention, revenue, and referrals—not just a neat funnel diagram. We also reviewed well-documented case studies (including Slack and Etsy) to validate that the tactics we recommend are repeatable beyond a single company’s story.

On the research side, we went back to the original sources behind the most commonly cited frameworks in growth marketing. That included revisiting Dave McClure’s Pirate Metrics (AARRR), which he designed as a simple, universal way for startups to understand customer behavior and focus on the metrics that truly drive growth. We also looked at Brian Balfour’s work on growth as a system across acquisition, retention, and monetization, where he emphasizes that changing one part of the system affects the others.

Because growth marketing overlaps heavily with growth hacking, we revisited Sean Ellis’s original writings and summaries of Hacking Growth to make sure our distinction is accurate. Ellis highlights cross-functional teams, rapid experimentation, and data-driven decision-making as the core of growth work—not one-off “hacks.” We lso reviewed Andrew Chen’s essays on retention and viral growth, where he argues that virality without strong retention leads to a spike followed by a crash, and that sustainable growth is built on products people consistently come back to. 

The end result is a playbook that reflects both what we do day-to-day as a growth marketing, SEO, and PR agency and what the top practitioners in the field are publishing, teaching, and deploying inside high-growth companies right now.

The post Growth marketing playbook for top marketers – August, 2026 appeared first on Relevance.

Identifying who your competitors are and knowing what they are doing to keep their business on the right track is crucial for your business. It is equally important to know what strategies they are using at present and what business tactics they are likely to employ in the future to keep pace with the ever-changing market landscape and dynamics.

“Keeping track of who your competitors are, what people are saying about them, and what they are saying themselves can help you differentiate your business and stay ahead of trends that could impact your business,” says Michele Levy, an independent brand strategy consultant

Ask any business consultant and they will rank competitive analysis as one of the key activities that any business must perform relentlessly. Given the easy availability of sophisticated business tools and data assimilation processes through Artificial Intelligence, competitive analysis is no longer as complicated and time-consuming as it was in the past.

What our client team is seeing today – August, 2026

From our experiences, this is what we are seeing: the teams that win treat competitive research as an operating system, not a one-off project. The most effective pattern we see is one structured deep-dive competitive analysis per quarter, supported by lighter weekly monitoring of 5–10 priority competitors’ search visibility, content, and PR activity. That cadence lines up with what dedicated competitive-intelligence firms recommend (quarterly as a minimum, monthly as ideal in fast-moving markets).

We’re also seeing a clear shift from “who sells what we sell?” to “who owns attention where our buyer is?” In practice, that means looking beyond direct product competitors to include content competitors in the SERPs, social competitors in your category conversations, and PR competitors who dominate media share of voice—even when their offering is adjacent rather than identical. This expanded lens mirrors how modern frameworks define competitive analysis: a comparison of market position, messaging, pricing, and customer perception across both direct and indirect players.

Another consistent pattern: the highest-performing teams are using AI and automation to collect and summarize signals, but not to replace human judgment. We see AI doing the heavy lifting on monitoring (alerts for keyword wins/losses, new backlinks, messaging shifts, and media hits), while strategists still synthesize that data into positioning, roadmap, and campaign decisions. That’s aligned with broader marketing research showing that competitive and market research is one of the top use cases where marketers say AI is already helping them most.

Our clearest takeaway: in 2025, a “healthy” competitive research habit is

• (1) always-on lightweight monitoring,
• (2) quarterly structured analysis tied to real decisions—like pricing, roadmap, or GTM priorities—and
• (3) a deliberate focus on both business competitors and content/attention competitors across search, social, and media.

What top marketings experts are saying today

Several respected voices in marketing and competitive intelligence echo the idea that competitive analysis has to be ongoing, structured, and action-oriented. In Inc., Michele Levy, an independent brand strategy consultant, emphasizes that “keeping track of who your competitors are, what people are saying about them, and what they are saying themselves” helps you differentiate your brand and stay ahead of trends that could impact your business. In the same piece, she stresses that “everyone really needs to do competitive research” and that the main difference between companies is the scale at which they do it.

The Inc. guide also frames competitive assessment as “an ongoing process” where you continuously deepen your understanding of competitors’ strengths and weaknesses and formalize that into a repeatable research framework—rather than treating it as an ad-hoc Google session. That perspective is reinforced by Ken Garrison, former CEO of the Society of Competitive Intelligence Professionals, who argues that systematic competitive research is what allows businesses to turn raw observations into actionable strategy and “actionable intelligence,” instead of disconnected facts.

More recent marketing leaders echo the same themes. HubSpot’s competitive analysis guide calls competitive analysis “a critical component of any business strategy” and notes that “a competitive analysis report is the key to understanding your brand’s position in the market,” mapping both your competitors’ and your own strengths, weaknesses, and growth opportunities.

Michael Brenner at Marketing Insider Group describes competitive analysis as “a powerful tool for understanding how you compare to competitors and creating smart strategies to get noticed by consumers,” citing research that roughly three-quarters of companies now conduct a competitive analysis at least once per year and more than a third do it every month.That aligns with Proactive Worldwide’s recommendation that “performing a current competitive analysis is highly recommended on a quarterly basis — and on a monthly basis for ideal results,” especially in markets where conditions change quickly.

Across these expert perspectives, there’s strong consensus on three points:

• (1) competitive research should be continuous rather than one-and-done,
• (2) it should be structured so that insights turn into concrete strategic decisions, and
• (3) it must look beyond basic product comparisons to include messaging, customer feedback, and broader market trends.

How to do competitive analysis like a top marketer

You probably do some flavor of competitive analysis already: spot-checking pricing pages, lurking in ad libraries, lurking on LinkedIn to see what competitors are launching. The problem is that most of that work dies in a slide, never affects CAC, and definitely does not change roadmap. Top marketers treat competitive analysis as a living decision system, not a research project. In a world of noisy channels, rising acquisition costs, and attribution gaps, you cannot afford pretty charts that do not change behavior. Here is how to build a competitive analysis that your CEO and sales team actually use.

1. Start with the decision, not the spreadsheet

Before you open a single tab, decide what this analysis needs to change. Are you trying to reposition your category narrative, find cheaper acquisition angles, strengthen retention, or win specific enterprise deals against a named competitor set. Top marketers write a one page brief that defines decisions, time frame, and who will use the output. That clarity dictates what data you collect, which benchmarks matter, and how deep you go. Without it, you end up with 60 tabs and zero impact on CAC, LTV, or roadmap.

2. Define a tight, useful competitor set

A great competitive analysis does not include everyone your founder is anxious about. It includes the companies that actually influence your buyers. Start with 3 to 5 direct competitors that show up in sales calls, comparison searches, and RFPs, then layer in 2 to 3 indirect competitors or substitutes, such as internal tools, agencies, or spreadsheets. When Peep Laja advises teams on positioning, he pushes them to focus on who they need to beat in the buyer’s mind, not in a generic market map. Your goal is a set that reflects how real buyers shortlist, not how analysts categorize.

3. Build a simple data model before you collect anything

Most competitive analyses fall apart because every marketer collects a slightly different set of screenshots, notes, and gut feelings. High performing teams create a simple schema before they research so they can compare apples to apples. For a growth focused view, you might track:

• Target segments and ICP

• Core promise and positioning

• Pricing and packaging

• Channels, offers, and funnels

A B2B SaaS team I worked with used a shared Airtable schema like this and cut their “competitive mystery” time in half. More importantly, it gave sales and product a shared lens for what “winning” looked like across competitors.

4. Reverse engineer their positioning, not just their features

Copying competitor feature lists is easy and mostly useless. What matters is the story they are telling the market and which pain they choose to own. Read their homepage, product pages, onboarding flows, and sales decks as if you were the ICP. What jobs do they emphasize. What outcomes do they promise. Who do they subtly tell to self select out. When April Dunford talks about positioning, she frames it as helping the right people get “this is obviously for me.” That is what you are decoding. Once you articulate each competitor’s narrative in a short paragraph, you can see where the white space is for your own story.

5. Deconstruct their acquisition and funnel mechanics

This is where competitive analysis becomes actionable for performance marketers. Use tools like Meta Ad Library, Google Ads Transparency Center, Similarweb, or SEMrush to understand which channels competitors lean on, what offers they push, and how aggressively they bid on category and branded terms. Click through their funnels as a real prospect: what happens after the ad, what value is promised, how many steps to a lead or purchase, where do they use urgency, social proof, or calculators. One ecommerce brand we benchmarked realized that a key competitor pushed almost every cold prospect to a quiz with a 20 percent welcome incentive, which dropped their own list building CAC by 22 percent when replicated thoughtfully.

6. Translate noisy signals into a clear opportunity map

By now you will have more screenshots, notes, and hunches than any busy marketer needs. The next step is to compress it into a simple view of where competitors are strong, weak, and over-invested. Top teams use a lightweight model like this:

Competitive intensity radar (score 1 to 5 on each)

• Brand differentiation
• Offer strength
• Channel saturation
• Buying committee lock in

When Brian Balfour’s growth teams talk about finding “unfair advantages,” this is what they mean in practice. You are looking for places where your differentiation, cost structure, or product all let you zig while others zag. Maybe everyone is racing to discount on Meta, but nobody is owning high intent partnership channels or retention loops.

7. Operationalize it so it actually changes behavior

A competitive analysis that lives in a folder is just expensive therapy. The goal is to wire it into your daily execution. Build a simple enablement deck for sales that shows how to handle the top three competitors with clear talk tracks. Turn acquisition insights into specific experiments in your testing roadmap, such as new offer structures, creative angles, or landing page variants. Share a one page narrative with product leadership so roadmap decisions are grounded in the real market, not anecdotes. One B2B team used this approach to ship a “land and expand” packaging update that increased expansion revenue by 15 percent in two quarters because everyone understood how competitors monetized accounts.

8. Make it a living system, not a quarterly event

Top marketers do not treat competitive analysis as something you do before a board meeting. They bake it into weekly habits. That might look like a 30 minute “competitor corner” in growth standups, a shared Slack channel where new ads, launches, and pricing changes are dropped, or a quarterly refresh of the core analysis for the next planning cycle. The point is not to react to every move. It is to maintain a current, reality based map of the terrain so budget decisions, creative bets, and retention plays stay grounded in how the market is actually shifting.

Key benefits of competitive analysis

It helps you  understand the market better.

Competitive research can help your organization get an accurate idea of the trends happening in the marketplace that you could have possibly missed otherwise. The ability to identify trends and predict future movements can be a huge asset for any business.

It enhances the content marketing process.

When you introduce a product or service in the market, your customers are concerned with one key aspect – how it is going to make their life better. If they choose to buy a competitor’s brand, it obviously means that they are doing a better job of highlighting the benefits and adding value to their product/service. Competitive research can help you understand customer behaviour better and provide a closer view of your competitors’ strategies. You can tweak your approach accordingly and win over your lost customers and add newer ones.

It helps your team discover gaps

Competitive research data can help you identify the gaps in the market, such as some potential places that no competitor has cared to serve as yet. You can cash in on the opportunity, fill the gaps, and thus explore a new market for your brand.

It creates a plan for your business

When you get detailed data about competitor activities and market performance and trends, you will be able to create a powerful strategy that can serve as a roadmap for the future.

Should you hire a consultant for competitive analysis?

• They bring to the task their unique expertise in information gathering.
• They will have access to tools and technologies you never knew existed.
• With hundreds of such analyses under their belt, they know how to get it right in a systematic manner.

The probable downside of hiring an external consultant is that there could be compliance issues with senior managers. Articulating what you want to know might be difficult at times as there will be a vast difference in the approaches of your in-house experts and a professional researcher.

Should you do competitive analysis in-house?

• Since you would understand your business better and inside-out, you will know the competitive factors that require close tracking.
• You have access to a constant stream of data in real-time and the authority and convenience to generate more if needed.
• The managers are likelier to accept suggestions and recommendations from an insider than an outsider.

The downside is that doing serious research and data gathering and crunching about competitive intelligence is a specialized field. It could take months (or probably more) for you to develop an in-house team that’s as good as a consultant who specializes in this field.

Some organizations take the middle road approach by hiring the services of a consultant to initiate the project and provide updates on a quarterly basis while the in-house team handles the day-to-day tracking part.

Whatever option you exercise for your competitive analysis needs, you will have to follow a specific process involving definite steps. These are:

• Identifying your competitors
• Categorizing them
• Doing a detailed analysis of their systems and processes
• Knowing their strategies, such as market positioning and others
• Looking at their pricing policies and shipping plans
• Analyzing independent customer reviews
• Looking at their social media presence and reputation

Identifying Your Competitors

As mentioned earlier, every business has a competitor, or, in most cases, multiple competitors fighting to grab a larger share of the same market. There are many ways of identifying your top competitors. You will be able to identify your local competitors quickly, but in today’s global marketplace, you will be up against hundreds of businesses that are selling the same products and services that you are offering.

A simple online search will help you get the names of the leaders and other key players vying for the same set of audience and buyers. It is a good idea to look for the digital footprints of your competitors by analyzing the social media space, online news websites, threads and review sites, online communities, and other similar places. Cast as wide a net as possible to get the names of as many competitors as possible so that your counter-strategy can be crafted based on more extensive data.

Unveil your competitors’ marketing secrets. Just enter their website and get a customized report from SEMrush. It’s free.

Categorizing Your Competitors

When you are done with collecting names and details of a large number of competitors, the next step is to categorize them. While some of them will be in direct competition with you, others might be competing with you in an indirect manner. Categorizing your competitors will help you create a focused strategy.

The main competitors are those who are in direct competition with you, with the same or similar line of products/services and targeting the same audience/market. The other competitors could include a wider field offering a different version of products or ancillary products/services aimed at a different set of audience altogether.

Analyzing Their Systems And Processes

This step includes having a closer look at their website details, such as the manner in which they have displayed their products, product descriptions, photographs, call-to-action methods, social media positioning, and blogging strategies. The analysis can also include a close look at other commonly employed strategies, such as website optimization for mobile phones, customer support systems, approach to the display of marketing banners, brand promotion methods and frequency, etc.

Understanding Market Positioning Plans

Identifying the competitors’ market position plans can not only provide input on their tactics but can also help in their proper categorization. You will be able to know how they are positioning their products/services differently and benefitting from the strategy. Are they successful in sending home the message that they are unique? Are the customers buying this argument? The answers will help you unravel the secrets to market positioning and provide the ideas to position your brand in the best possible manner to maximize sales and profits.

Understanding The Pricing And Shipping Moves

Your brand may have great value in terms of quality and performance but if the pricing is not right, you may face a tough time in a competitive market. Knowing how your competitors are pricing a similar product can help you understand how to get your pricing right and get the consumers on your side. It is important to mention here that selling your product at a lower price than your competition does not guarantee better sales. Your buyers are looking for specific features and benefits in a product. If you provide these and more, they will be more than willing to shell out a few more dollars.

Shipping strategies also play a key role in the success of a brand. Do you know what kind of shipping policy your competitors are using? A logical shipping price can do wonders for your online sales while minimizing cart abandonment episodes. Yes, shipping costs often force customers to let go of a brand at the last point of sale. Peek into the shipping pricing plans offered by your competition and create one that can steal a march on them. Companies are using ideas such as giveaways, loyalty programs, gift cards, hefty discounts, and free exchange for an extended period to win over customers.

Analyzing Independent Customer Reviews

Are customers happy with the other brands? Independent reviews by customers about the products and services of your competitors can provide you with an accurate view of how their brands are doing. Have a look at all the places where customers are likely to post impartial reviews. These include social media channels, blog sites, online review sites, and others. Based on the downsides pointed put by customers, you can attempt to fill in the gaps and try and convert them to your brand.

If many reviews point at a high level of dissatisfaction with the competitor brand, you can move in quickly to provide the alternative they are looking for. Look for the reasons why customers are unhappy with the competitor’s brand. Is it about quality, performance, packaging, pricing, delivery, post-sales issues, or something else? You can try and get those buyers to move away from that brand and go for yours by promising to deliver an enhanced buying experience and a better product.

Looking At Their Social Media Presence And Reputation

With companies having a growing presence on social media channels such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, businesses are looking for every possible chance to outshine their competitors on leading platforms. To achieve this, they need to look at the competitors’ activities on these channels and take appropriate actions.

Do your competitors have a large following on these platforms? Do they have a positive view of critical areas of their business such as support, pricing, quality, and information-sharing?

The upside is that if a competitor is doing well on social media, you too can take advantage of the positive response of the customers for the niche you are targeting. You can identify the areas they are doing well in and put more effort into improving your efficiency in those areas. This can be done by having a relook at your existing strategies or choosing a different approach altogether to achieve your expected goals.

Here Are A Few Things You Should Be Focusing On:

• Overall Social Media Plan and Presence
• The SM channels they have a presence on
• Their interaction with the client base
• The frequency with which they post content on these channels
• The kind of content they are posting
• The areas of business they are highlighting

Your competitive analysis cannot be complete without a SWOT Analysis. Unless you have a closer view of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of your competitors, you cannot craft the right strategies to steer ahead of them.

Your SWOT Analysis Must Include The Following:

• The activities of your competitors in the areas of content marketing, social media marketing, product promotion, etc.
• The key areas where your competitor is having a lead on your brand
• The weak links of your competitor’s marketing strategy
• The areas where your brand has some advantages over your competitor
• The possible areas where they can do better than what they are doing now
• The opportunities in the market that your competitor has identified and you have missed

By doing this, you can ensure a better position for your company/brand. It will also help you in identifying and exploring areas for improvement of your business.

You must establish a point of reference before you start the exercise of competitive analysis. The data and other information assimilated through the process can be analyzed by marketing experts and a powerful strategy can be chalked out based on the input received from various stages of the competitive analysis.

How we wrote this article

As a growth marketing, SEO, and PR agency, we spend a big chunk of our time inside clients’ data and their competitors’ ecosystems—running SEO gap analyses, message and positioning reviews, PR landscape audits, and social/content benchmarking across B2B SaaS, eCommerce, and professional services brands. This article is built from those day-to-day engagements: the questions founders, CMOs, and marketing leaders repeatedly bring us when they’re trying to understand “what the competition is really doing” and how to respond.

For this piece specifically, our research team combined that first-hand experience with a structured review of current best practices from leading marketing and competitive-intelligence sources. We examined recent frameworks and definitions from HubSpot’s competitive analysis guide, Marketing Insider Group’s playbook, and other practitioner-led resources that focus on how to turn competitor data into actionable strategy rather than just dashboards. 

We also looked at how specialist competitive-intelligence firms and consultants talk about cadence and depth of analysis today. That included guidance from Proactive Worldwide on recommended quarterly and even monthly competitive reviews, along with newer takes on continuous monitoring from other competitive-intel providers. 

Finally, we validated the “why this matters” section by revisiting long-standing voices in the space—like Michele Levy’s guidance in Inc. on staying “smart on the competitive landscape” and using competitive research to inform product, pricing, and messaging decisions. Put simply: this article reflects both what we do for clients week in and week out and what the broader expert community currently recommend

The post How to do competitor research like a top marketer appeared first on Relevance.