There is no wrong time to perform competitive analysis. But when planning new content or preparing to launch marketing campaigns, a competitive analysis is likely to lead to more efficient spending. And after the campaign starts, analysis keeps marketing agencies honest by identifying and constructing meaningful, measurable metrics. Normal SEO reporting can help you see how your business is faring relative to itself, but SEO competitive analysis can help you see your business within an industry. Beyond that, if your business is experiencing a shock drop or sudden decline in results, competitive analysis may reveal process failures or changing trends in the landscape.