MCP Tool Reference for Competitor Profiling

Quick reference for the Firecrawl and DataForSEO MCP tools used in competitor profiling.

Contents

• Firecrawl Tools (site scraping)
• DataForSEO Tools (SEO & market data)
• Recommended Execution Order
• Error Handling

Firecrawl Tools

firecrawl_map

Purpose: Discover all URLs on a competitor's site to identify key pages. When to use: First step for every competitor — before scraping individual pages. Key output: List of URLs with their page types/paths. Tip: Look for paths containing /pricing, /features, /about, /customers, /integrations, /blog, /changelog.

firecrawl_scrape

Purpose: Extract content from a single page as clean markdown. When to use: After mapping, scrape each key page individually. Key output: Page content in markdown format — headlines, body text, structured data. Tip: Scrape homepage first — it reveals positioning, audience, and social proof in one shot.

Structured data (JSON mode) Purpose: Extract structured data from a page using a schema — request the json format on the scrape call. When to use: When you need specific data points in a consistent format (e.g., pricing tier details, feature lists). Tip: Define a clear schema for what you want extracted — more reliable than parsing raw markdown.

firecrawl_search

Purpose: Search the web for specific content about a competitor. When to use: Finding review pages, press coverage, or competitor mentions not on their own site. Example queries:

• "[Competitor Name]" site:g2.com
• "[Competitor Name]" review
• "[Competitor Name]" funding OR raised

firecrawl_crawl

Purpose: Crawl multiple pages from a site in one operation. When to use: Deep profiles where you want to analyze many pages (e.g., all feature pages, all blog posts). More expensive — use selectively. Tip: Set page limits to avoid crawling entire sites. Target specific URL patterns.

DataForSEO MCP Tools

Domain-Level Intelligence

backlinks_summary

Purpose: Get domain authority, total backlinks, referring domains, spam score. Input: Target domain (e.g., competitor.com) Key metrics: domain_rank, total_backlinks, referring_domains, backlinks_spam_score

backlinks_referring_domains

Purpose: List top referring domains — shows where their link equity comes from. Input: Target domain + limit Key metrics: Per-domain: rank, backlinks, domain name

dataforseo_labs_google_domain_rank_overview

Purpose: Organic search overview — traffic, keywords, traffic value. Input: Target domain Key metrics: organic_count (keywords), organic_traffic (estimated monthly), organic_cost (traffic value in $)

dataforseo_labs_google_ranked_keywords

Purpose: What keywords a domain ranks for, with positions. Input: Target domain Key metrics: Per-keyword: keyword, position, search_volume, url (ranking page) Tip: Sort by traffic to find their highest-value keywords.

dataforseo_labs_google_keywords_for_site

Purpose: Keywords relevant to a domain — broader than ranked keywords, includes opportunities. Input: Target domain Key metrics: keyword, search_volume, competition, cpc

Competitive Analysis

dataforseo_labs_google_competitors_domain

Purpose: Find a domain's closest organic competitors by keyword overlap. Input: Target domain Key metrics: domain, avg_position, intersections (shared keywords), full_domain_rank Tip: May reveal competitors the user hasn't considered.

dataforseo_labs_google_domain_intersection

Purpose: Find keywords where two domains both rank — shows direct competition. Input: Two target domains Key metrics: keyword, position for each domain, search_volume Tip: Use this to compare the user's domain vs. each competitor.

dataforseo_labs_google_relevant_pages

Purpose: Find a domain's most important pages by organic traffic. Input: Target domain Key metrics: page, metrics (traffic, keywords per page) Tip: Reveals their content strategy — which pages drive the most value.

Technology Detection

domain_analytics_technologies_domain_technologies

Purpose: Detect the technology stack a domain uses. Input: Target domain Key metrics: Technologies grouped by category (CMS, analytics, marketing, payments, etc.)

Backlink Deep Dive

backlinks_backlinks

Purpose: List individual backlinks to a domain. Input: Target domain + limit Key metrics: url_from, url_to, anchor, domain_from_rank, is_new

backlinks_bulk_ranks

Purpose: Compare domain ranks across multiple domains at once. Input: Array of target domains Key metrics: domain_rank per domain Tip: Use this for the summary comparison table.

Recommended Execution Order

Quick Scan (per competitor)

1. firecrawl_map → get site URLs
2. In parallel:
   a. firecrawl_scrape → homepage
   b. firecrawl_scrape → pricing page
   c. dataforseo_labs_google_domain_rank_overview → organic metrics
   d. backlinks_summary → domain authority
3. Synthesize into abbreviated profile

Deep Profile (per competitor)

1. firecrawl_map → get site URLs
2. In parallel (batch 1 — scraping):
   a. firecrawl_scrape → homepage
   b. firecrawl_scrape → pricing page
   c. firecrawl_scrape → features page(s)
   d. firecrawl_scrape → about page
   e. firecrawl_scrape → customers/case studies page
   f. firecrawl_scrape → integrations page
3. In parallel (batch 2 — SEO data):
   a. dataforseo_labs_google_domain_rank_overview
   b. dataforseo_labs_google_ranked_keywords
   c. backlinks_summary
   d. backlinks_referring_domains
   e. dataforseo_labs_google_relevant_pages
   f. dataforseo_labs_google_competitors_domain
4. In parallel (batch 3 — optional extras):
   a. domain_analytics_technologies_domain_technologies
   b. firecrawl_search → G2/Capterra reviews
   c. dataforseo_labs_google_domain_intersection (vs. user's domain)
5. Synthesize into full profile

Multi-Competitor (3+ competitors)

1. Map all competitor sites in parallel
2. Scrape all homepages in parallel, then pricing pages in parallel
3. Pull domain_rank_overview for all in parallel
4. Pull backlinks_bulk_ranks for all at once
5. Build profiles in sequence (synthesis requires focus)
6. Build summary comparison last

Error Handling

Alternative Stack: Another SEO Data Source + WebFetch

If Firecrawl or DataForSEO are not available, use whichever SEO data source is connected (Ahrefs or Semrush MCP, Ubersuggest MCP, or similar) for SEO and market data, and WebFetch for page scraping. The tool mapping below uses Ubersuggest MCP as the worked example; the same fields map onto the others. Coverage is slightly less comprehensive — no site mapping, no structured extraction, no technology detection — but sufficient for quick scans and most competitive profiling needs.

When to use each stack

Check which MCPs are available at the start of each session and select the stack accordingly. If both are available, prefer the primary stack.

WebFetch (alternative to Firecrawl)

Purpose: Fetch and read any public web page as text. Built into: Claude Code — no MCP required. Limitation vs. Firecrawl: No site mapping (URL discovery); no structured extraction; may not render JavaScript-heavy pages well.

Since WebFetch does not map a site's URLs, probe common paths manually for each competitor:

Fetch the homepage first. Its nav links often reveal the actual paths for pricing, features, and about pages — use those instead of guessing.

Ubersuggest MCP Tools (alternative to DataForSEO)

Mapping from DataForSEO equivalents:

domain_overview

DataForSEO equivalent: dataforseo_labs_google_domain_rank_overview Purpose: Domain-level organic traffic estimate, keyword count, domain score, and backlink summary in one call. Input: root_domain (e.g. competitor.com), country (default: us) Key metrics: domain_score, organic_monthly_traffic, organic_keywords, paid_keywords

backlinks_overview

DataForSEO equivalent: backlinks_summary Purpose: Domain authority, total backlinks, referring domains count. Input: root_domain Key metrics: domain_authority, total_backlinks, referring_domains

linking_domains

DataForSEO equivalent: backlinks_referring_domains Purpose: List of top domains linking to the target — shows where link equity comes from. Input: root_domain

domain_keywords

DataForSEO equivalent: dataforseo_labs_google_ranked_keywords Purpose: Keywords the domain ranks for, with position and estimated search volume. Input: root_domain, country Tip: Sort by traffic to find their highest-value keywords.

domain_top_pages

DataForSEO equivalent: dataforseo_labs_google_relevant_pages Purpose: Pages driving the most organic traffic — reveals content strategy. Input: root_domain, country

competitors (Ubersuggest)

DataForSEO equivalent: dataforseo_labs_google_competitors_domain Purpose: Find organic competitors by keyword overlap — may surface rivals the user hasn't considered. Input: root_domain, country

Recommended Execution Order (Ubersuggest + WebFetch)

Quick Scan (per competitor)

1. WebFetch competitor homepage → extract nav links to find real page paths
2. In parallel:
   a. WebFetch pricing page (from nav or probe /pricing)
   b. domain_overview → traffic + keyword count + domain score
   c. backlinks_overview → domain authority
3. Synthesize into abbreviated profile

Deep Profile (per competitor)

1. WebFetch homepage → extract nav links
2. In parallel (scraping):
   a. WebFetch pricing page
   b. WebFetch features/product page
   c. WebFetch about page
   d. WebFetch customers/case studies page
   e. WebFetch blog index (content strategy signals)
3. In parallel (SEO data):
   a. domain_overview
   b. backlinks_overview
   c. domain_keywords
   d. domain_top_pages
   e. linking_domains
   f. competitors
4. Synthesize into full profile

Multi-Competitor (3+ competitors, alternative stack)

1. WebFetch all homepages in parallel
2. WebFetch pricing pages in parallel (use paths from homepage navs)
3. Pull domain_overview for all in parallel
4. Pull backlinks_overview for all in parallel
5. Build profiles in sequence; build summary last

Error Handling (alternative stack)