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.
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.
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.
Budget alternative: Semrush (from $139.95/mo)
Run a Content Gap or Keyword Gap analysis
Enter your domain and up to 4 competitor domains into the Content Gap tool. The output is a list of keywords that your competitors rank for — at minimum positions — that your site doesn't rank for at all. These are your gaps.
Ahrefs' Content Gap tool is the best implementation — you can set minimum competitor rankings (e.g., at least 2 of 4 competitors ranking top 10) to filter for high-confidence opportunities.
Budget alternative: Semrush (from $139.95/mo)
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.
Ahrefs' in-tool filters let you set these thresholds without exporting to a spreadsheet. Serpstat offers similar filtering at a lower price point — useful if budget is a constraint.
Budget alternative: Serpstat (from $59/mo)
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.
KWFinder shows the SERP strength of each competing page alongside keyword metrics — one screen tells you whether a gap keyword is winnable right now.
Budget alternative: LowFruits (from $29.9/mo)
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.
Semrush's Keyword Gap tool includes a Priority Score that combines volume, difficulty, and competitive data into a single sortable column — making prioritisation fast.
Budget alternative: WriterZen (from $27/mo)