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How-to guide · 5 steps

How to Find Content Gaps (And Fill Them to Win Traffic)

Content gaps are keywords your competitors rank for that you don't. They're proven traffic opportunities — someone is already getting clicks from them, and with the right content, you can too. Content gap analysis is one of the most efficient ways to build out a content strategy quickly.

Reading a content gap report

Real gap: worth a page

  • Several competitors rank for it
  • Matches what you sell or know
  • The results look beatable
  • No existing page of yours covers it

False gap: skip or merge

  • Only one rival ranks, by accident
  • Off-topic for your business
  • An existing page could cover it
  • Intent is a different searcher
Gap tools list every keyword a competitor has and you lack; the work is separating gaps worth a page from noise.

  1. Step 1: Identify your top 3-5 direct competitors

    Your competitors for content gap analysis aren't necessarily your business competitors — they're the sites ranking for the same keywords you want. Run your domain through a keyword tool and look at who else ranks for your main topics.

    Tool for this stepAhrefs

    from £23/mo

    Ahrefs' Organic Competitors report automatically identifies sites competing for the same keywords you rank for. It's more reliable than guessing who your competitors are.

    Ahrefs plans and catches

    Alternative to consider: Semrush (from $139/mo)

  2. Step 2: Run a Content Gap or Keyword Gap analysis

    Enter your domain and a handful of competitor domains into the Content Gap tool. The output is a list of keywords that your competitors rank for but your site doesn't rank for at all. These are your gaps.

    Tool for this stepAhrefs

    from £23/mo

    Ahrefs' Content Gap tool lets you require a minimum number of competitors to rank for a keyword (for example, at least two of them in the top 10), which filters for higher-confidence opportunities.

    Ahrefs plans and catches

    Alternative to consider: Semrush (from $139/mo)

  3. Step 3: Filter gaps by volume and keyword difficulty

    Export the gap keywords and filter for: volume 200+, keyword difficulty under 30 for new sites (under 50 for established ones). This trims the list from thousands to a manageable set of real opportunities.

    Tool for this stepAhrefs

    from £23/mo

    Ahrefs' in-tool filters let you set these thresholds without exporting to a spreadsheet. Serpstat offers similar filtering, so check the plan tables if budget is a constraint.

    Ahrefs plans and catches

    Alternative to consider: Serpstat (from $69/mo)

  4. Step 4: Check the SERP for gap keywords to confirm opportunity

    Don't create content based on numbers alone. For your top gap keywords, check the actual SERP. If it's dominated by DA 80+ sites with thousands of backlinks, skip it for now. If you see forums, thin content, or sites weaker than yours — that's a real opportunity.

    Tool for this stepMangools

    from $49/mo

    KWFinder shows the SERP strength of each competing page alongside keyword metrics — one screen tells you whether a gap keyword is winnable right now.

    Mangools plans and catches

    Alternative to consider: LowFruits (from $29.90/mo)

  5. Step 5: Prioritise gaps by business value and map to content types

    Score each gap keyword by: (1) search intent match — does it align with what you sell or monetise? (2) estimated traffic potential if you rank top 3. (3) cost to create the content. Build a simple priority score and create the top 10 pieces first.

    Tool for this stepSemrush

    from $139/mo

    Semrush's Keyword Gap tool lets you filter and sort missing and weak keywords by volume and difficulty, which speeds up prioritisation.

    Semrush plans and catches

    Alternative to consider: WriterZen ($135 one-time)