How to Run a Competitor Keyword Gap Analysis
A keyword gap analysis compares your site's ranking keywords against one or more competitors to surface terms they rank for that you don't. It's one of the fastest ways to build a content list grounded in proven demand rather than guesswork, because if a competitor is capturing traffic from a term, you already know the audience and intent exist.
Choosing the right competitors
Don't default to the biggest names in your industry - a site ten times your domain authority will surface mostly unrealistic targets. Instead pick two or three competitors that are close to your current size and organic visibility, plus one aspirational competitor to identify longer-term targets.
Running the comparison
Most SEO platforms (Ahrefs' Content Gap, Semrush's Keyword Gap tool, or similar) let you enter your domain plus up to four competitor domains and instantly see keywords where they rank in the top 10-20 and you rank poorly or not at all. Export this list rather than trying to review it inside the tool.
Filtering the raw export
- Remove branded keywords (competitor's own brand name plus modifiers)
- Remove keywords with search intent that doesn't match anything your business actually offers
- Sort by estimated traffic value or volume to prioritize impact over sheer keyword count
- Flag keywords where multiple competitors overlap - these represent validated, durable demand
Deciding what to build vs. skip
Not every gap keyword deserves a new page. If you already have a relevant page that's simply under-optimized or thin, updating that existing page often outperforms building a new one, since it inherits whatever authority the page has already accumulated. For a deeper look at this, see our guide, How to Find Low-Competition Keyword Gaps Competitors Are Ignoring.
Turning gaps into a content calendar
Group the surviving keyword list by topic cluster, estimate effort per page, and slot the highest-value, lowest-effort opportunities first. Revisit the gap analysis quarterly - competitor keyword profiles shift constantly, and yesterday's gap list goes stale faster than most teams expect. For a deeper look at this, see our guide, Tracking Rankings with Search Console.