How to Perform Keyword Gap Analysis Between Competitors

Keyword gap analysis finds search terms competitors rank for that you do not. Here is a practical method for prioritising them by intent, difficulty and fit.

A keyword gap analysis compares the keywords your competitors rank for with the ones you rank for, to reveal topics you are missing. Done thoughtfully it produces a prioritised content plan; done mechanically it produces a long list of irrelevant terms.

Step 1: Choose competitors

Use three to five real search competitors. See how to identify your real SEO competitors.

Step 2: Collect keyword data

Sources:

A keyword research tool with competitor data.
Google Search Console for your own queries.
Manual research on the competitors' top pages.

Note that each source estimates; none is complete.

Step 3: Find the gaps

Three kinds of gap:

Gap type	Meaning	Opportunity
Missing	Competitors rank; you have no page	New content
Weak	You rank, but far below competitors	Improve the page
Shared	Everyone ranks	Compete if the term is core

Step 4: Classify by intent

Label each keyword: informational, commercial investigation, transactional or navigational. Match it to the right page type. Do not target a transactional term with a blog post.

Step 5: Prioritise

Factor	Higher priority
Relevance to what you sell	Strong
Intent	Commercial or transactional
Difficulty	Achievable for your site
Volume	Meaningful, not just high
Competitor strength	A smaller site ranks, suggesting it is winnable
Effort	You have expertise and assets

A simple score of relevance times achievability, weighted by intent, is enough.

Step 6: Map to pages

Assign each chosen keyword to one page using the keyword mapping template. Avoid two pages for the same keyword.

Step 7: Examine the pages that rank

For each target, read the top results. What format do they use? How deep? What do they answer that you do not? Plan to be genuinely better.

Step 8: Track and review

Add the targets to your rank tracker, then re-check after publishing.

Example

A boiler installer finds competitors rank for "boiler grants", "how long does a boiler last" and "combi vs system boiler". They already have service pages but no informational content. They plan three guides, each linking to the relevant service page, and track the terms.

Pitfalls

Chasing high-volume terms outside your business.
Copying competitor pages instead of improving them.
Ignoring search intent.
Treating volume estimates as exact.

A scoring sheet for gaps

Keyword	Relevance	Intent value	Achievability	Priority
boiler grants	3	3	3	27
combi vs system boiler	5	4	4	80
boiler brands uk	2	2	1	4

Use a 1 to 5 scale for each factor and multiply. Do the high scores first.

Turning gaps into briefs

For each chosen keyword write a brief: the question, the target page, the direct answer, supporting sections, evidence needed, internal links and the owner. A good brief makes the writer's job clear and speeds review.

Revisit after publishing

Track the keyword and review at four and eight weeks. If it is not moving, check intent match, depth, links to the page and whether another page competes with it.

FAQs

How many gaps should I act on? A prioritised ten to twenty per quarter.

Is keyword difficulty reliable? It is a vendor estimate; use it comparatively.

Does Bizsenti AutoSEO do keyword gap analysis? It provides keyword analysis and competitor ranking comparison; large-scale gap exports are better done with a research dataset tool.