Why do they rank above you?
Stop guessing why competitors outrank you. Paste both URLs and get an instant, line-by-line breakdown of SEO, technical issues, content gaps, and AI search optimization.
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Priority fixes
Every gap that needs action, collected in one place.
⚡ Page Speed & Core Web Vitals
Real Google PageSpeed Insights data (mobile), the same signals Google uses for its Core Web Vitals ranking factor.
Google runs a full browser-based audit for each page, so this takes a little longer than the checks above, the rest of your report is already complete and ready to read.
llms.txt file? It helps AI engines like ChatGPT Search and Perplexity understand and correctly cite your site.
Generate one free →
Next: don't stop at on-page
The fixes above close the on-page gap, but Google also weighs how many quality, relevant sites link back to your page. No amount of on-page polish fully replaces that. Once you've worked through Priority Fixes, backlinks are the next lever to pull.
Purchase backlinks
Guest post placements on real, active sites across multiple niches.
On-page + backlinks is where real ranking jumps happen
Work through at least 3 items from Priority Fixes above, and add at least 3 quality backlinks below, this combination is consistently where we see the biggest ranking improvements. On-page fixes alone rarely move the needle without link authority behind them.
Full breakdown
Who it's for
Built for anyone chasing a ranking
Whether you're auditing one page or managing dozens, WhyTheyRank turns a vague "why are they ahead?" into a clear, prioritized to-do list.
SEO freelancers
Show clients exactly why a competitor outranks them, backed by a factor-by-factor diff instead of a gut feeling.
Indie site & tool owners
Find the specific gaps holding your page back, no agency retainer needed.
Content marketers
Turn technical SEO into a plain-English, numbered action list your team can actually execute.
Agencies
Run competitor audits at scale and hand clients a branded, easy-to-follow report for every landing page.
Ecommerce & SaaS teams
Benchmark your product and category pages against the competitors already ranking above you.
Bloggers & publishers
See what a top-ranking article does differently, structure, schema, keywords, and close the gap on your own posts.
How it works
Three steps, one sitting
Each step depends on the one before it.
Paste both URLs
Your page and the competitor's. Add your target keyword too, so the diff can check for it directly.
Get the full diff
100+ factors compared instantly, an AI reviewer's judgment call on content and intent, and a live Core Web Vitals check running in the background.
Work the Priority Fixes
Every gap, written as a concrete, numbered fix. Start at the top of the list and close the gap one item at a time.
Early feedback
What people are saying
A few notes from early testers.
"I'd been staring at a competitor's page for weeks trying to figure out why they outranked me on my main keyword. WhyTheyRank found it in about a minute, they had FAQ schema and a tighter title tag, and I didn't. Fixed both and I'm now sitting at position 3."
"What sold me is that the fixes are actually written out step by step. Most tools just throw a red X at you and say 'add schema.' This one told me exactly which schema, where to put it, and why it mattered. Saved me a couple hours of Googling."
"I run SEO for a small agency and I use this on every new client audit now. Being able to show a client the exact side-by-side gap against their top competitor makes the whole conversation so much easier. Would love a white-label PDF option down the road."
"Honestly didn't expect much from a free tool, but the Core Web Vitals comparison alone was worth it. Turns out my page was three seconds slower to load than the competitor's. That was the whole ballgame. Fixed my images and jumped two spots."
"The GEO and AEO checks are what keep me coming back. I write a lot of content and everyone's worried about showing up in ChatGPT and AI Overviews now. This is the first free tool I've found that actually flags whether my headings and schema are set up for it."
"Simple, fast, no signup wall, exactly what I want. I compared my blog post against the article ranking above me and it laid out the differences in plain English. My only wish is that it also pulled backlink data, but they're upfront that it doesn't, so no complaints."
FAQ
Before you start
Is this actually free?
Yes. Compare as many pairs of pages as you want, no account, no credit card, no locked results.
Does it check backlinks or Domain Authority?
No, on purpose. Backlink and DA data needs paid third-party APIs, and mixing "free" with "actually accurate" backlink numbers rarely works. This tool checks the 100+ on-page and technical factors that are fully derivable from the page itself, and tells you clearly where backlinks are the next lever to pull instead.
How does the AI write the fixes?
Counting words, links, and headings is done directly and exactly, no AI guessing on arithmetic. The AI's job is judgment: content quality, search intent match, and writing a specific fix for each gap you're behind on.
What if the competitor's site is built with React or another JS framework?
The scan flags this directly with a heads-up, since a JavaScript-rendered page can look thinner than it really is to a basic fetch. You'll see the note right on the comparison so you know to read those specific numbers with a pinch of salt.
Does it include Google PageSpeed and Core Web Vitals?
Yes, real, live PageSpeed Insights data for both pages (mobile), including LCP, INP, and CLS, with plain-language explanations of what's failing and what to fix first.
What are "GEO" and "AEO"?
GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) and AEO (Answer Engine Optimization) are the factors that help a page get cited by AI tools like ChatGPT Search and Google AI Overviews, or win featured snippets and voice answers, not just rank in classic blue-link search.
See exactly what's different, free, right now.
Paste your page and a competitor's. Get the full diff in seconds.
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