Any Win-Win Opportunities Between Nearly Identical Competitors?

[enivid]

Hello all!

I have an established website about blue widgets. And there is a buddy who owns another established website about blue widgets. Both websites are based on product reviews but also feature large sections of educational content about blue widgets.

Are there any win-win opportunities I could cooperate on with him to beat other competitors but avoid giving him any advantage over me?

 

[Philip J. Fry]

Not directly. You two win by competing against each other. This creates a barrier to entry over the years and prevents others from entering the market. That keeps you two safe. If it’s just one company, there’s no reason to compete and that’s how you’d get swept by another company later on. It’s Carl’s von Clausewitz from On War.

 

[Ryuzaki]

I agree with @Philip J. Fry on the general way of thinking about this. The two of you improve together to block out anyone else trying to usurp the throne.

If you're concerned with SEO, one thing to consider is the two of you should could to each other once or twice in no obvious manner. Site A Page A can link to Site B Page B, and then Site B Page C can link to Site A Page D, etc. And stay away from hitting "money pages" and don't do exact match anchors. Make it natural. This should bolster the two of you with an additional referring domain each, and then don't link out to competitors, of course.

Beyond that, there's nothing to do but grow. Just don't get so focused on covering each other's topics that you aren't expanding the territory that you both cumulatively cover, leaving openings for competitors to gain ground.

 

[bernard]

That's an interesting way of thinking about it.

Quite similar to how Coca Cola and Pepsi do almost identical product design and branding.

or why you'll find districts with the same kind of business next to each other.

Pick one or the other, as long as you stay in Chinatown, so to speak.