How to Research Your Competitors with Claude Code

Knowing what your competitors are doing shouldn’t require expensive monitoring tools or hours of manual Googling. Claude Code connected to AgentPatch can run a full competitive research pass using Google Search, Google News, and Google Trends in one session.

Why This Matters

Most small businesses and sales teams do competitive research the same way: open a browser, search for each competitor, click through results, copy notes into a doc. It works, but it’s slow and you only do it when you remember to.

An agent can do this on demand, any time. Search for competitors, check their latest news, compare their search trends against yours, and summarize the findings. The research that used to take an afternoon fits into one terminal command.

Setup

Install the AgentPatch CLI (zero dependencies, Python 3.10+):

pip install agentpatch

Set your API key:

export AGENTPATCH_API_KEY=your_api_key

Then use it:

ap search "web search"
ap run agentpatch google-search --input '{"query": "test"}'

Get your API key from the AgentPatch dashboard.

Run this command to add AgentPatch as an MCP server:

claude mcp add -s user --transport http agentpatch https://agentpatch.ai/mcp \
  --header "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"

Replace YOUR_API_KEY with your actual key from the AgentPatch dashboard. Claude Code discovers all AgentPatch tools automatically.

The Workflow

Step 1: Identify Competitor Activity

Start by telling Claude Code who your competitors are and what you want to know:

“Search Google for ‘Acme Plumbing Phoenix’ and ‘RotoRooter Phoenix’. Find their websites, check for recent blog posts or promotions, and summarize what each one is doing online right now.”

Claude Code calls Google Search for each competitor and compiles a side-by-side summary of their online presence.

Step 2: Check the News

See what’s been written about them recently:

“Search Google News for mentions of each competitor in the last 30 days. Are there any press releases, local news features, or customer complaints?”

Claude Code calls the Google News tool and surfaces recent coverage. You get a quick read on whether competitors are getting press, launching new services, or dealing with public issues.

See how search interest compares over time:

“Use Google Trends to compare search interest for ‘Acme Plumbing Phoenix’ vs ‘RotoRooter Phoenix’ over the past 12 months. Which one is growing faster?”

Claude Code calls the Trends tool and reports the trajectory. You can spot seasonal patterns, see if a competitor is gaining ground, or confirm that your marketing is working.

Putting It All Together

Run the whole thing in one prompt:

“Run a competitive analysis on my top 3 competitors: Acme Plumbing, RotoRooter, and DrainMaster, all in Phoenix. For each, search Google for their website and recent activity, check Google News for mentions in the last month, and compare all three on Google Trends for the past year. Give me a summary with strengths, weaknesses, and anything I should pay attention to.”

Searching Google for Acme Plumbing Phoenix...
  Website: acmeplumbingphx.com — last blog post June 2025, running a $50 off coupon.

Searching Google for RotoRooter Phoenix...
  Website: rotorooter.com/phoenix — active blog, posted 3 articles this month.

Searching Google for DrainMaster Phoenix...
  Website: drainmasteraz.com — site under construction, Yelp page is primary presence.

Checking Google News for each...
  Acme Plumbing: No recent news coverage.
  RotoRooter: Featured in AZ Central "best home services" roundup (Feb 2026).
  DrainMaster: BBB complaint filed January 2026.

Comparing on Google Trends (12 months)...
  RotoRooter: Steady, highest baseline volume.
  Acme Plumbing: Flat, slight uptick in December.
  DrainMaster: Declining since October 2025.

Summary:
- RotoRooter is the most active and visible. They're investing in content and getting press.
- Acme Plumbing is coasting — no fresh content since June, but the coupon suggests they're
  trying to drive short-term traffic.
- DrainMaster is losing ground. Website is down, trends are declining, and there's a recent
  BBB complaint. This could be an opportunity to capture their customers.

Three tools, one session, and you have a competitive landscape you can act on.

Wrapping Up

Competitive research doesn’t need a dedicated platform. Claude Code with AgentPatch gives you Search, News, and Trends through one connection. Run it weekly, run it before a sales call, or run it whenever you’re curious about what the other guys are up to. Start at agentpatch.ai.

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