# How to Build a Competitive Intelligence Dashboard
In the fast-paced Australian digital landscape, knowing what your competitors are doing is just as important as knowing your own numbers. A Competitive Intelligence (CI) dashboard allows you to stop guessing and start making data-backed decisions by monitoring your rivals' SEO, social media, and advertising strategies in real-time.
By centralising this data, you can identify gaps in their strategy, capitalise on their weaknesses, and ensure your Brisbane-based business remains the first choice for local customers. This guide will show you how to build a professional-grade dashboard using Looker Studio (formerly Google Data Studio) and various data connectors.
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Prerequisites
Before we begin, ensure you have the following:- A Google Account: To access Looker Studio.
- A List of 3-5 Competitors: Any more than this and the data becomes noisy. Focus on your direct local or national rivals.
- A Digital Marketing Tool: You will need a source for competitive data. Tools like SEMrush, Ahrefs, or SimilarWeb are excellent, but even free tools like Google Alerts and manual social tracking can work.
- A Spreadsheet (Google Sheets): To act as the bridge for manual data points.
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Step 1: Define Your Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Before opening any software, decide what actually matters. For most Australian small businesses, you should track:- Estimated Monthly Traffic: How many visitors are they getting compared to you?
- Keyword Rankings: Which high-value terms are they outranking you for?
- Backlink Profile: Are they getting mentions on local news sites or Brisbane business directories?
- Social Share of Voice: How often are they posting and what is their engagement rate?
- Ad Spend & Creative: Are they running Google Ads or Meta Ads?
Step 2: Set Up Your Looker Studio Canvas
Navigate to Looker Studio and click on Blank Report. What you should see: A white grid canvas with a panel on the right titled "Add data to report". For now, close that panel so you can name your report (e.g., "Competitor Intelligence Hub - [Your Business Name]") and set your theme to a professional dark or light mode.Step 3: Connect Your Competitive Data Source
To get the "good" data, you’ll likely need a connector. If you use SEMrush or Ahrefs, they have native Looker Studio connectors.- Click Add Data.
- Search for your tool (e.g., "SEMrush").
- Authorise the connection and select the "Domain Overview" option for your first competitor.
Pro Tip: If you are on a budget, you can manually export data from free versions of these tools into a Google Sheet and connect that sheet to Looker Studio instead.
Step 4: Create a "Traffic Comparison" Time Series
Your first chart should show how your traffic stacks up against the competition over time.- Click Add a chart > Time Series.
- In the data source, ensure you have included both your domain and your competitors' domains.
- Set the Dimension to "Date" and the Metric to "Organic Traffic".
- Use the "Style" tab to give each competitor a distinct colour (e.g., your brand is blue, Competitor A is red, Competitor B is green).
Step 5: Build a Keyword Gap Table
This is the most actionable part of your dashboard. You want to see keywords where your competitors rank on Page 1 but you don't.- Add a Table chart.
- Set the Dimension to "Keyword".
- Set the Metrics to "Competitor Rank" and "Search Volume".
- Apply a filter where "Your Rank" is greater than 10 (meaning you aren't on page 1).
Step 6: Set Up Meta (Facebook/Instagram) Ad Monitoring
While you can't get exact spend figures for competitors easily, you can track their activity.- Visit the Meta Ad Library.
- Search for your competitor’s business name.
- Since there isn't a direct API for small businesses to pull this into Looker Studio for free, create a "Link" column in your Google Sheet.
- Paste the URL of their active ads library into the sheet and add it as a "URL" field in your dashboard. This allows you to click directly from your dashboard to see their current live offers.
Step 7: Monitor Local SEO (Google Maps) Presence
For Brisbane businesses, the "Local Pack" is king. Create a section in your dashboard for Local Rankings.- Use a tool like BrightLocal or Whitespark, or manually check your top 5 keywords on Google Maps once a month.
- Input these rankings into your Google Sheet: Date | Keyword | Our Rank | Competitor A Rank.
- In Looker Studio, create a Scorecard for each competitor showing their average local map position.
Step 8: Add Website Change Detection
Use a free tool like Visualping to monitor your competitors' pricing pages or "Special Offers" pages.- Set up an alert in Visualping to email you when they change their site.
- In your dashboard, add a simple text box or a "Notes" section where you can manually log these changes (e.g., "Competitor A started a 20% EOFY Sale on June 1st").
Step 9: Use Google Alerts for PR Tracking
Stay informed when a competitor is mentioned in the media (like the Courier Mail or Brisbane Times).- Go to Google Alerts.
- Create alerts for "Competitor Name".
- Set the delivery to "As-it-happens".
- In your dashboard, you can embed a Google Sheets list that updates whenever you manually log a new PR win for a rival.
Step 10: Finalise Formatting and Filters
To make the dashboard useful, add a Date Range Control at the top right. This allows you to see how competitors performed during specific Australian retail periods, like Black Friday or Boxing Day. What you should see: A clean, multi-page report. Page 1 should be a high-level overview (Traffic and Share of Voice), and Page 2 should be "Deep Dive" (Keyword gaps and Ad links).---
Pro Tips for Better Intelligence
- Don't Obsess Daily: Competitive data fluctuates. Review your dashboard once a month to spot trends rather than daily spikes.
- Focus on the "Why": If a competitor's traffic spikes, look at their social media. Did they run a giveaway? Did they get a backlink from a major Australian blog?
- Check ABNs: Use the ABN Lookup to see if your competitors have registered new business names—this often signals they are launching a new product line or expanding into a new Brisbane suburb.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Copying Strategy: Just because a competitor is bidding on a keyword doesn't mean it's profitable for them. Use the data to inform, not to copy blindly.
- Data Overload: Including 20 competitors will make the dashboard unreadable. Stick to the "Big Three" who actually take business away from you.
- Ignoring Local Nuance: A national competitor might have more traffic, but a local Brisbane competitor might have better conversion rates because they mention local landmarks or suburbs. Track both.
Troubleshooting
- Data is showing "No Data": Check your date range. Competitive tools often have a 2-4 week lag in reporting.
- Connectors breaking: API connections to third-party tools sometimes expire. If a chart shows an error, click the "Resource" menu > "Manage added data sources" and re-authenticate your connection.
- Google Sheets not updating: Ensure you have "Refresh Data" enabled in Looker Studio, or manually click the "Refresh Data" icon in the top toolbar.
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Next Steps
Now that your dashboard is live, it’s time to put that data to work.- Identify the top 5 keywords your competitors rank for that you don't.
- Create a content plan to target those specific terms.
- Audit your pricing if the dashboard shows you are consistently being undercut on Google Ads.
Need help setting up advanced tracking or interpreting what your competitors are up to? The team at Local Marketing Group can help you build a bespoke intelligence system tailored to the Australian market. Contact us today to get started.