Content Gaps: The Hidden SEO Goldmine You’re Overlooking

SEO is often seen as a puzzle, one made up of keywords, backlinks, and technical methodologies. But there’s a crucial piece that many businesses and marketers still overlook: content gaps.

Whatever business you’re currently operating, be it a blog, an eCommerce site, or a service-based business, identifying and closing content gaps could be the untapped SEO opportunity you’ve been searching for. We’ll explore what a content gap is, why it matters, and how to turn this hidden SEO goldmine into a core part of your content strategy.

What Is a Content Gap?

A content gap refers to missing or under optimised content on your website that your audience is actively searching for, and your competitors are already ranking for. These gaps could be in the form of:

• Niche keywords you’re not targeting but your competitors are.
• Questions your audience is asking that you haven’t answered.
• Stages of the buyer’s journey where your content is thin or non-existent.
• Related topics or subtopics missing from your content cluster.

In short, a content gap is a missed opportunity to meet user intent, increase visibility, and provide value that drives traffic and conversions.

Why Content Gaps Matter for SEO

Filling content gaps isn’t just about adding more content. It’s about creating smarter, more strategic content that meets demand and outperforms competitors. Here’s why this matters:

Improved Rankings

By identifying keywords and topics your competitors are ranking for but you’re not, you can close the gap and climb search engine results pages (SERPs).

Enhanced Topical Authority

Google rewards sites that demonstrate in-depth coverage of a topic. If you’re missing key subtopics or related questions, you’re signalling incomplete authority. By filling in the content gap, the trust your audience has for your brands increases. As your audience trust increases, so will your page authority to search engines. 

Better User Experience

A well-rounded content strategy answers user questions at every stage of their journey. Content gaps leave users frustrated and heading to competitor sites.

Higher Conversion Potential

Content gaps often exist in the mid-to-bottom funnel where decision making happens. By plugging these gaps, you bring users closer to conversion.

What Is a Content Gap Analysis?

A content gap analysis is the process of identifying these missing content opportunities. It involves analysing your existing content, comparing it to competitors, and mapping it against user search intent.

Think of it as a SEO health check for your content. Done correctly, a SEO content gap analysis will reveal:

• Keywords and topics you’re not ranking for.
• Gaps across the buyer’s journey (awareness, consideration, decision).
• Thin or outdated content in need of expansion.
• Untapped long-tail keywords and question-based queries.

Types of Content Gaps to Look Out For

When conducting a SEO gap analysis, you’ll typically encounter several types of gaps:

Keyword Gaps

These occur when your competitors rank for specific keywords, but you don’t. SEO tools like SEMrush, Ahrefs, or SE Ranking can help uncover these easily.

Example: If you’re a skincare brand, and your competitor ranks for “best moisturiser for dry skin in winter” but you don’t have a page targeting that phrase, that’s a keyword gap.

Topic Gaps

You might cover the main topics but miss out on supporting content or related subtopics.

Example: You’ve written an article on “How to build an effective long-term SEO strategy” but don’t have follow-up content on “SEO content strategy” or “keyword research”.

Buyer Journey Gaps

This occurs when you focus heavily on one stage of the journey (e.g., awareness) but ignore others like consideration or decision.

Example: You educate people about “what is a CRM” but don’t have content that compares CRMs, pricing guides, or implementation tutorials.

Competitor Gap Analysis

A competitor gap analysis helps you identify what your competitors are doing better. If they have a whole series of blog posts, videos, and downloadable resources on a topic, and you don’t, there’s a clear gap.

Step-by-Step Guide on How to Perform a SEO Content Gap Analysis

For this section, we’ll be breaking the steps needed to perform a content gap analysis which could aid you in figuring out the formula for elevating your SEO strategy.

Step 1: Identify Your Top Competitors

We begin with a little SEO competitor analysis. Start by listing out your direct competitors, both real-world and SEO competitors (those ranking for your keywords).

Use SEO tools to conduct competitor research:

• Google Search (look at the top-ranking sites for your main keywords)
• SEMrush (dive deep into your competitor website)
• Ahrefs (dig for keywords that your competitors are ranking for)

Step 2: Collect Keyword Data

Use the above tools to gather these information regarding keywords:

• Keywords your competitors rank for.
• Keywords you rank for.
• Overlapping keywords.
• Missing keywords (the goldmine).

Example (Using Ahrefs):

• Plug in your domain and a competitor’s domain into the “Content Gap” tool.
• Filter for keywords your competitor ranks in the top 10 for but you don’t.

Step 3: Map Content to the Buyer’s Journey

Now organise your existing content by the buyer’s journey so that you can better plan your content to attract audience depending on the different stages they are in in regards to your business:

• Awareness: Blog posts, educational content, explainer videos.
• Consideration: Comparison guides, case studies, product overviews.
• Decision: Pricing pages, testimonials, demos, free trials.

Identify where the content is lacking and add strategic content ideas to close the gap.

Step 4: Audit Existing Content

You can use website auditing tools like Screaming Frog to audit your own website in order to uncover issues hidden in your content. You should pay close attention to these types of issues in particular:

• Thin pages (under 500 words).
• Outdated posts that need updating.
• Duplicate content
• Articles missing internal links to relevant resources.
• Opportunities to expand content with FAQs, visuals, or case studies.

Step 5: Prioritise Content Gaps

What type of content are your competitors creating? Are they using guides, listicles, videos, or infographics? Are they covering trending topics that your content calendar missed?

Sometimes it’s not just about what you say, but how you say it. However, don’t just copy exactly what your competitor is doing, since you won’t be able to close all gaps at once. Prioritise based on:

• Search volume and difficulty.
• Business relevance.
• Funnel stage importance.
• Competitor strength.

Real-World Example: Content Gap in Action

Let’s say you’re a travel agency specialising in London tours. Your blog covers general travel tips, but your competitor ranks for:

• “Best time to visit The British Museum”
• “London 10-day itinerary”
• “Is London bike-friendly?”

You search your site and realise none of these queries are answered in your content. You’ve uncovered a content gap.

Action Plan:

• Create posts optimised for SEO targeting those long-tail queries.
• Add internal links to existing destination pages.
• Include a lead magnet (free itinerary PDF) to boost conversions.

Tips to Close Content Gaps 

Below are some tips that hopefully could aid you in closing the content gaps more efficiently and effectively. 

• Use long-tail keywords: They’re easier to rank for and often signal high intent. Don’t just focus on short, competitive terms.

• Answer specific questions Use the “People Also Ask” section in a Google search results page or tools like AnswerThePublic to find common questions and address them.

• Build topic clusters Group related content and link them together. This shows Google your authority on the subject.

• Update and repurpose Old posts can often be improved instead of replaced. Add new sections, FAQs, visuals, or video embeds.

• Write for humans, optimise for search Don’t just chase keywords. Focus on solving real problems in a clear, natural tone.

Don’t Let Content Gaps Drain Your SEO Potential

Ignoring content gaps is like leaving money on the table. A proper SEO content gap analysis can unlock new opportunities for visibility, engagement, and revenue.

By understanding what a content gap analysis is, using the right tools, and closing those gaps with thoughtful, well-structured content, you’re building a solid SEO foundation, one that’s not just about ranking, but about connecting meaningfully with your audience.

At Saigon Digital, we understand the importance of SEO on brand awareness and retention. Ready to find your hidden SEO goldmine? Start your first content gap analysis today and watch your visibility grow. Contact us now!