Keyword Gap Analysis: What It Is & How to Do It Right

Search engines are modern-day battlefields for websites, and I am not kidding. 

Ranking higher than your competitors requires more than just quality writing. 

You’ll need to cover topics that are relevant to your niche, used by competitors and actually being searched by users. 

And the way to identify such topics is through keyword gap analysis.

But how do you actually perform a keyword gap analysis?

This guide walks you through the process, step by step (demo screenshots included).

Let’s first understand what is keyword gap analysis and why it matters.

What Is Keyword Gap Analysis?

Keyword gap analysis is the process of comparing your website’s keywords with those of your competitors to spot opportunities you’re missing. 

Perhaps they dominate a certain niche topic, while your content only scratches the surface.

The purpose is to find keywords they rank for that you don’t and use that insight to close the gap or, better yet, overtake them.

For example, say you run a fitness blog. A competitor ranks for “best pre-workout meals,” but you don’t have content targeting that phrase.

By addressing that gap with a detailed guide, you create an opportunity to rank and possibly steal your competitor’s traffic.

In one sentence, keyword gap analysis exposes keyword opportunities that could bring in more organic traffic.

How It Helps You Outrank Competitors

Keyword gap analysis identifies everything that’s missing keyword-wise on your website.

Your job is to leverage those insights to build a smarter SEO strategy.

For example, the insights can include long-tail keywords that your competitors rank for but aren’t optimizing well.

These types of keywords are opportunities that are just waiting to be grabbed. 

Gap analysis can also reveal keywords that trigger featured snippets, local packs, and image results.

If competitors dominate these, it’s worth considering how you can break in.

In short, keyword gap analysis helps you outrank competitors by turning their strengths into your own opportunities.

How to Perform a Keyword Gap Analysis (Step-by-Step Guide)

Having understood what is a keyword gap analysis, let me walk you through the process. 

I’ll be using Semrush, a keyword research tool, to demonstrate the steps.

Step 1: Identify Your Main Competitors

Not all competitors are the exact copy of your business model. 

Some are direct rivals who sell the same products or services as you. Others are indirect competitors that target a similar audience but with a different offering.

And then there are SERP competitors, which are sites that rank for the same keywords as you, even if their business isn’t identical to yours.

To simplify, let’s say you run an online store that sells eco-friendly yoga mats.

Your competitors based on the three types mentioned can hypothetically include:

• Direct Competitors: A company like EcoYogaMats.com that also sells eco-friendly yoga mats made from sustainable materials. They target the same audience (eco-conscious yogis) and offer the same core product.

• Indirect Competitors: A company, let’s call it GreenYogaWear.com, that sells eco-friendly yoga clothing and accessories. While they don’t sell yoga mats, they cater to the same eco-conscious yoga community, which makes them an indirect competitor.

• SERP Competitors: A supposed blog like SustainableLivingTips.com that ranks for keywords like “best eco-friendly yoga mats” or “sustainable yoga products”. Even though they don’t sell yoga mats, they compete with you in search engine results for those keywords.

In keyword gap analysis, we analyze all these competitors with an appropriate level of focus to get a complete picture of keyword opportunities.

Here’s how you can use Semrush’s Organic Research tool to discover competitors from a search engine standpoint:

1. Go to the Organic Research tool in Semrush.

2. Enter your website domain and hit “Search.” For this demo, I’ll pretend I run Nike’s website.

3. Click on the “Competitors” tab to see a list of websites ranking for similar keywords.

4. You’ll now see a map and a list of competitors. The list will show you the number of keywords you commonly rank with competitors, along with other details. 

But wait, where are the obvious Nike competitors like Puma and Adidas? If you also don’t see your most obvious competitors, you can use the Market Explorer tool on Semrush.

Here’s how to do it:

1. Open Market Explorer in Semrush’s Trends section.

2. Select “Find Competitors”, enter your website’s domain, and click “Research a Market”.

3. You will get a detailed competitor overview, including traffic data across various acquisition channels. 

From both these methods, choose the competitors—both known and newly discovered—that make the most sense for your analysis. 

Step 2: Gather Keyword Data from Your Site & Competitors

Now that you know who your real search competitors are, let’s find gaps between your website and theirs.

Using Semrush’s Keyword Gap tool, you’ll compare your site’s keyword profile against up to four competitors.

Here’s how to do it:

1. Open the Keyword Gap tool in Semrush.

2. Enter your website’s domain, along with up to four competitor domains. Choose the correct location (if applicable) and click “Compare.”

Once the report is generated, you’ll see a breakdown of keyword overlap. The most important sections include:

• Shared Keywords: Keywords both you and your competitors rank for. If they outrank you, this is an opportunity for content optimization.
• Missing Keywords: Keywords your competitors rank for, but you don’t. These are your biggest content gaps and prime areas for new content.
• Weak Keywords: Keywords where you rank lower than competitors. These can often be improved with better on-page SEO or updated content.
• Untapped Keywords: Keywords at least one competitor ranks for, but you don’t. These often reveal hidden opportunities to target overlooked terms.

Step 3: Compare Keyword Rankings

The Keyword Gap tool has already mapped out which keywords your competitors rank for that you don’t in the missing keywords column. 

From this column, you need to identify meaningful keyword opportunities by filtering and prioritizing the right terms.

Semrush lets you filter the list of keywords by their Position, Volume, ranking difficulty, and more to focus on high-impact opportunities. 

For instance, if you want to prioritize keywords with strong traffic potential, use the Position. This filter will find terms where competitors rank in the top 10, 20, or 50 search results. 

However, if your site is newer or has a lower domain authority, going head-to-head with well-established competitors on highly competitive keywords may not be the best approach.

Instead, use the KD (Keyword Difficulty) filter to focus on terms with lower competition. Set the Keyword Difficulty (KD) range between 0-49, and click Apply to narrow your list to keywords that are easier to rank for.

Now, you’ll only see keywords with KD between 0 and 49%.

Step 4: Identify High-Opportunity Keywords

We’re almost near the end of the keyword gap analysis. 

In this step, you’ll select the keywords that align best with your industry, audience, and content focus from the table that you have after applying your required filters. 

You select keywords by checking the button next to each keyword. 

Aside from keyword difficulty percentage, search intent and monthly search volume matter just as much. 

A keyword with high search volume but transactional intent (T) won’t be optimal for informational blog content. 

For that, you need a good informational intent keyword (I). Similarly, ranking for a keyword with low volume might not generate enough traffic to justify targeting it.

Once you have selected enough keywords, click + Add to list button at the top of the table and give your list a clear name, such as “SEO Priority Keywords” or “Content Expansion Keywords.” 

This list will be saved on Semrush, and you and your team can easily revisit and implement it later.

You can also consider exporting the list for further analysis locally. Click the “Export” button and choose the format that works best for your workflow, such as Excel or CSV. 

Now, shift your focus to the Weak and Untapped keyword categories and repeat the steps to make a list. 

By the end of this step, you’ll have a structured keyword list that includes missing, weak, and untapped keywords.

Step 5: Optimize Existing Content for Gap Keywords

Now that your keyword gap analysis is complete, you’re armed with a fresh set of keyword opportunities. 

The next step is deciding whether to optimize existing content or create new pages to target those keywords. 

Generally, if you already have a relevant page ranking but underperforming, updating and optimizing it is the way to go.

But if the keyword is missing entirely from your site, a new piece of content might be necessary.

To update underperforming content, revisit your weak keywords list. 

Here are the ways to update your existing content and close the gaps:

• Update outdated sections with new insights, data, or trends.
• Expand content depth by addressing subtopics, FAQs, or additional details competitors are covering.
• Enhance on-page SEO by naturally integrating new keywords into headers, body text, and image alt texts.
• Improve readability by breaking up long paragraphs, adding visuals, or reformatting for better engagement.
• Strengthen internal linking by connecting your refreshed content to other relevant pages on your site.

Step 6: Create New Content to Fill Keyword Gaps

To target the keywords missing from your site, you’ll have to create new content.

We have an entire blog post on how to write a blog post that you can read and benefit from. 

Still, here’s a quick overview of what makes a great one:

• A good blog post is based on a high-interest topic, something your target audience actively searches for. Even if you write the most insightful piece, if no one is looking for that topic, it won’t attract much traffic. That’s why aligning content with search demand is important.

• After that, you’ll have to come up with valuable content. Readers should walk away feeling like they’ve gained something useful. 

• Clarity and readability also matter. Even the most information-rich content won’t perform well if it’s dense, overly technical, or poorly formatted. A blog post should be engaging and easy to digest for your audience.

Best Tools for Keyword Gap Analysis

Here are some of the best tools for keyword gap analysis. I used SemRush, which is one of the best tools for keyword gap analysis, for the demonstration of this article.

• Semrush: Semrush is an advanced SEO tool suite, and its Keyword Gap tool is particularly comprehensive. It allows you to compare your website’s keyword profile with those of up to four competitors. Semrush also has the vastest database out of all keyword research tools. 

• Ahrefs: Ahrefs is another leading SEO tool known for its strong backlink analysis capabilities, but it is also good at keyword research. Its Content Gap feature is the equivalent of a keyword gap tool. Just like Semrush, Ahrefs allows for very detailed filtering of keyword data.

• Similarweb: Similarweb provides digital intelligence, and its Keyword Gap and Overlap Analyzer provide a very clear visual representation of keyword overlap.

Common Mistakes to Avoid in Keyword Gap Analysis

After spending hours making keyword gap lists, you wouldn’t want to end up with the wrong keywords just because you were blindly grabbing every keyword that looks promising.

Here are some common mistakes to avoid during keyword gap analysis:

• Analyzing the wrong competitors: Your SEO competitors aren’t always the same as your business competitors. Focus on sites that actually rank for your target keywords, not just industry rivals, because they might not always have a good online presence.

• Ignoring search intent: There are different types of search intents for keywords. If users are researching, the keyword’s search intent is informational. But if they are ready to buy, the keyword they look up will have a transactional intent. If you misalign intent, your content won’t rank and convert.

• Overlooking long-tail keywords: High-volume terms are tempting, but long-tail keywords often have less competition and stronger intent. These are the keywords you’ll usually base your topics around, aka primary keywords.

• Not considering singular vs. plural keywords: The difference between “project management tool” and “project management tools” can mean vastly different search intent. The former’s intent can be transactional or commercial while the latter can be looked up for comparing tools. Always analyze both forms.

• Focusing only on informational keywords: While informational intent keywords are great for blog content, transactional and commercial keywords drive conversions. Don’t leave revenue-generating terms on the table.

How AI Can Help Automate Keyword Gap Analysis

Once you have gathered good keywords, don’t sleep on using AI tools to make sense of them and come up with topics. 

Undetectable AI’s AI Chat can help you brainstorm ideas based on your keywords and situation. 

The tool is optimized to produce humanized answers, so rest assured that it’ll generate genuine ideas for you.

If you’re looking for a way to create high-performing, natural-sounding content that bypasses AI detection while dominating search rankings, our SEO Writer by Undetectable AI is the perfect solution.

When conducting a Keyword Gap Analysis, it helps us seamlessly identify and fill keyword gaps, suggesting powerful, relevant terms to outshine competitors.

With it, we can craft engaging, well-optimized content that hits the mark every time.

You can also explore our AI Humanizer and Detector in the widget below!

FAQs About Keyword Gap Analysis

Find and Close Keyword Gaps with Ease

An expert keyword gap analysis is one of the main requirements to outperform competitors. 

This guide explored each step of the process in detail.

Once you’re done with keyword gap analysis, you’ll need quality content around the identified keywords to call it a day.

But instead of spending hours researching the topic and writing from scratch, why not leave it all to Undetectable AI tools? 

Undetectable AI can structure, write, and humanize from scratch in a matter of minutes. 
So, sign up now and take your keyword gap analysis to fruition.