If you want your site to expand and rank better on Google, keyword gap analysis can be an effective weapon. It enables you to find out which keywords your competitors rank for—but you don’t. With this gap filled, you can receive more traffic and enhance your SEO strategy.
In this blog, we’ll explain what keyword gap analysis is, why it matters, and how to do it step-by-step using simple language.
What Is Keyword Gap Analysis?
Keyword gap analysis, also referred to as content gap analysis, is the act of comparing your site’s keywords with those of your competitors to identify keywords that are generating traffic for their sites but not for yours. When you know these missing keywords, you can optimize existing pages or develop new content to bridge the gap.
Why Keyword Gap Analysis Matters
Here’s why keyword gap analysis is critical for SEO:
- Discover new traffic-driving opportunities
- Beat the competition in search engine rankings
- Know the user intent in your niche
- Enhance current content by incorporating useful keywords
Step-by-Step Keyword Gap Analysis
Step 1: Identify Your Competitors
Begin by discovering your primary online competition. These are not always necessarily your business competition. Search for sites listed on the first page of Google for your target keywords. Services such as Ahrefs, SEMrush, or Ubersuggest can be used to find them.
Step 2: Get Keyword Data
Utilize an SEO tool such as:
- SEMrush (Keyword Gap Tool)
- Ahrefs (Content Gap Tool)
- Moz
- Ubersuggest
Put in your domain and your competitors’ domains into the tool. It will show you a comparison of the keywords that each site is ranking for.
You’ll notice categories such as:
- Missing keywords – keywords your competitors rank for, but you don’t
- Shared keywords – keywords you both rank for
- Weak keywords – keywords you rank lower on
Pay attention to the missing keywords to look for content opportunities.
Step 3: Analyze Keyword Opportunities
Not every missing keyword is one that you should aim for. Review each keyword for:
- Search volume – How many individuals are looking for it?
- Keyword difficulty – How difficult is it to get top spot for?
- Relevance – Is it about your product, service, or blog?
Select keywords that have good volume, low competition, and high relevance.
Step 4: Create or Optimize Content
Now that you have your list of useful keywords, write new landing pages or blog posts based on them. If the keywords are a good fit for your current content, refresh those pages and incorporate the lacking keywords organically.
Remember to:
- Incorporate the keyword in the title, meta description, headers, and body
- Keep the content useful, relevant, and original
- Add internal linking to enhance SEO
Step 5: Monitor and Adjust
SEO never ends. Continue monitoring your performance. Utilize Google Search Console and your SEO tool to track keyword rankings and traffic fluctuations. Refresh your content from time to time to remain ahead.
Final Thoughts
Performing a keyword gap analysis is one of the easiest ways to grow your organic traffic and beat the competition. By understanding what your competitors are doing right—and what you’re missing—you can improve your SEO strategy and drive better results.