Looking to get more leads from your website?
Have a great product that stands above the competition for many use cases?
If you answered yes to both questions, you might want to create comparison pages.
After reading this article, you will know:
- What a comparison page is
- Benefits of comparison pages
- How to know if you should create comparison pages
- How to create a comparison page – with a free template!
Let’s get started!
What is a comparison page?
A comparison page – also known as a “vs. page” – is a page that provides a side-by-side analysis of two or more products, services, or solutions.
The goal is to offer visitors a direct comparison, highlighting similarities and differences. This can be especially useful if you’re in a competitive market and your product has specific advantages over others.
Benefits of comparison pages
Here are 5 benefits of comparison pages:
1. Position your product: you can highlight areas where your product excels, drawing attention to your strengths and unique selling points.
2. Build trust through transparency: by displaying how your product measures up against alternatives, you build trust with your audience. It shows you have nothing to hide.
3. Get leads from search engines: executives or consumers who are deciding between two products commonly Google “Company A vs. Company B.” By creating a comparison page, you can prevent them from landing on a third-party website – or worse, your competitor’s website!
4. Can be used as sales enablement content: a comparison page not only generates leads from search engines, but can also double as sales enablement content. Have a prospect who is openly considering your competitor? Send them the comparison page.
5. Simplify the customer’s decision-making process: your customers have a lot of options – and without comparison pages, it’s not easy to compare those options. A direct comparison might be the difference between a decision – and no decision.
Should you create comparison pages?
For many – possibly most – fintechs, it makes sense to create comparison pages.
But here’s the thing:
While a lot of fintechs should create comparison pages, not all fintechs should create them.
✅ Do create a comparison page if your product is better than your competitor’s for many use cases.
✅ Do create a comparison page if you are continually improving your product. If this is the case, you are more likely to maintain an edge over the competition – and be able to keep the page live.
✅ Do create a comparison page if you can find enough information on your competitor’s products.
✅ Do create a comparison page if you have the resources to create a good page – a poorly done page might send customers to your competitors!
❌ Don’t create a comparison page if your product isn’t good enough: if your product does not compare well to your competitor’s, it’s best to hold off on creating a comparison page until that’s no longer the case.
❌ Don’t create a comparison page if you – or your content team or agency – doesn’t plan to frequently update the page(s). The “frequently” can’t be emphasized enough – fintech solutions don’t stay the same! An out-of-date comparison page damages trust and credibility.
How to create a comparison page (with a free template!)
If you’re still reading, you’re probably convinced of the usefulness of comparison pages and want to create one of your own.
Great!
Now, you will learn how to create a comparison page.
First, you have to choose a product (if you have multiple) and a competitor. It’s best to choose a competitor that potential customers frequently compare you to.
Next, you should check the estimated search volume using an SEO tool such as Ahrefs or Semrush. If the tool shows search volume, that’s great! But don’t abandon the idea if the tool shows zero or low volume because:
- SEO tools don’t have access to real data, and use estimations. Actual traffic can be (much) higher.
- Even just a few leads per month can provide an outstanding return on your “investment.”
If you are seeing zero searches per month in the SEO tools, here’s a way to figure out if there’s a solid chance the actual traffic is much higher:
Search for the comparison on Google and look at the results. If there are a lot of SEO-optimized, great-looking pages, it means other creators and SEO teams are going after this keyword. This is a great indicator that there is traffic or the topic converts well – or both!
If there are no pages or they don’t look too good, you might want to compare your product to another company’s product instead.
At the same time, an empty SERP means it’s up for grabs. If you still think there’s some search volume, go for it!
Okay, so you’ve picked a comparison.
Which means it’s time to build the page.
Obviously, you have data on your pricing and features. But the form your page will take depends on the information you may – or may not – be able to find, such as:
- Competitor pricing and features (this might require a lot of research and digging)
- Testimonials about your product
- Testimonials from customers who have switched from your competitor’s product to your product (this is gold!)
With some – or ideally, all – of this information in hand, you can start building your comparison page.
Here is a free Google Docs template.
Keep the following in mind when building:
- Your audience knows you are biased towards your own product. So, stay factual – unless you have hard proof.
- ❌ Don’t say: “We are better than the competition.”
- ✅ Do say: “Here’s a poll from [industry heavyweight] where [people like you] say they overwhelmingly prefer our solution over [competitor’s].”
- If your competitor’s product is better for certain people, consider recommending the product in those situations – especially if they’re not your ideal audience. This is a huge credibility builder – and means you aren’t going after customers who are a poor fit.
- Emphasize certain industries your product is especially useful for, and include links to your industry pages that provide even more tailored information.
- Visuals can improve engagement – try to include images, infographics, comparison tables, or videos, if possible.
- Perfect is the enemy of good. There are stunning comparison pages on the internet, where companies leave little doubt of their superiority. But just because you don’t have access to a world-class designer or the ability to make your product a “no-brainer” over your competition, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t create a comparison page.
BONUS TIP: Include a concise paragraph of a few sentences that starts with “The main difference between…” and list the key differences between your product and your competitor’s. This increases your odds of winning featured snippet rankings. Credit to Steve Toth for sharing this tip on LinkedIn!
Comparison Page Examples
Here’s a few examples of great comparison pages that rank high in Google.
Square vs Stripe
This Square vs Stripe comparison page has a call to action button – “Start with Square” – visible immediately above the fold. This is a great way to steer potential buyers towards your solution before they start reading.
Other strong points of this comparison page:
- Direct fee comparisons between the two products.
- Lots of internal links that move the reader away from the comparison, and deeper into Square’s own product offering.
- Honest feature comparisons – the page highlights some strong points of Stripe too.
Salesforce vs HubSpot
In its Salesforce vs HubSpot comparison page, HubSpot presents readers with the options to get started for free or schedule a demo.
Other strong points of this comparison page:
- Good use of sales copy – “What Sets HubSpot Apart” – in key page elements, such as subheaders.
- Lots of comparison tables for features and pricing.
- A section on what customers are saying about HubSpot.
FreshBooks vs Xero
On the FreshBooks vs Xero comparison page, FreshBooks offers a 90% discount for 4 months, which is exclusive to this comparison page. This generous offer nudges readers towards at least trying FreshBooks – which is more than half the battle.
Other strong points of this comparison page:
- Live chat widget that encourages readers to talk to the team and ask questions.
- Extensive overview of FreshBooks features, including an FAQ section.
- A section listing negative user experiences with Xero.
The Bottom Line
A comparison page requires a substantial investment, but the payoff can be massive.
And not creating a comparison page doesn’t mean potential customers won’t make any comparisons – it just means you won’t be the one controlling the narrative!
Don’t want to create a comparison page yourself?
SERP Builders can help you out – learn more about our SEO and content services, or reach out for a tailored strategy that fits your site’s needs.
