Content gap analysis - how to find the topics your site should be covering

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A content gap is a topic or query your target audience searches for where you have no relevant content, or where your existing content ranks too poorly to capture meaningful traffic. Identifying and closing these gaps is a systematic approach to expanding organic search visibility without guessing which topics to cover.

Method one: keyword research-based gaps

Use Google Keyword Planner, Ahrefs, or Semrush to research the search queries in your topic area. Export a broad list of relevant terms and check which ones you have existing content for. Any term with meaningful search volume and commercial or informational intent that you have no content targeting is a gap. Prioritise by search volume, by how close the intent is to your core offering, and by how achievable the ranking competition looks based on the current top results.

Method two: competitor gap analysis

Tools like Ahrefs and Semrush have a Content Gap feature that compares your domain against competitor domains and identifies keywords your competitors rank for that you do not. This is particularly useful because it starts from topics that are already proven to drive traffic in your category rather than speculation about what people search for. Focus on the gaps where multiple competitors rank - that is a signal the topic has genuine demand and the content type works in your space.

Method three: Search Console opportunity identification

Google Search Console reveals a gap type that keyword tools miss. Filter your Performance report to show queries where your pages appear but rank between positions 8 and 20. These are queries where you have some relevance signal - Google is showing your content - but your pages are not strong enough to rank in the top results. These are easier wins than creating content for entirely new topics because you are improving existing relevance rather than establishing it from scratch. The fix is usually improving the existing page rather than creating a new one.

How to prioritise what to create first

Not all content gaps are worth closing. Prioritise gaps where the search intent closely matches your core offering, where the competition is manageable for your current domain authority, and where ranking would produce commercially relevant traffic rather than just visits. A gap in an informational topic that attracts zero commercial interest is less valuable than a gap in a specific service or product query even if the search volume is lower. Connect content decisions to conversion potential, not just traffic potential.