Keyword Gap Analysis: A Step-by-Step Guide With Free Tools

Your competitors keep showing up on page one for searches you should own. They pull in steady traffic that could be coming to your site instead. You publish content regularly and work on your SEO, but somehow they still outrank you on terms that actually matter to your business.

The answer often lies in keyword gap analysis. This straightforward process shows you exactly which keywords send traffic to your competitors but not to you. Instead of guessing what to write about next or throwing content at the wall, you get a clear picture of proven opportunities your competitors already validate with their rankings.

This guide walks you through keyword gap analysis from start to finish. You'll learn how to identify your real SEO competitors (they're not always who you think), collect keyword data using free tools anyone can access, filter through results to find your best opportunities, and turn those gaps into an actionable content plan. We'll include templates you can copy and real examples you can follow today. By the end, you'll have a repeatable process for finding keywords that can actually move your rankings.

What keyword gap analysis is and why it matters

Keyword gap analysis compares the keywords that rank for your competitors against the keywords that rank for your site. The analysis reveals which search terms drive traffic to competitor websites but send zero visitors to yours. You identify these gaps by pulling keyword data from your site and at least two competitors, then filtering the results to find terms where they rank on page one or two but you don't appear at all.

The competitive intelligence you gain

This process gives you concrete data about missed opportunities rather than guesses about what might work. Every keyword gap represents a proven search term that already attracts your target audience because your competitors get clicks and traffic from it. You skip the uncertainty of traditional keyword research where you wonder if anyone actually searches for a term or cares about the content.

The competitive advantage comes from speed and focus. Instead of building a content strategy from scratch, you reverse engineer what already works for sites in your niche. Your competitors have already done the testing, spent the time ranking, and validated that these keywords convert visitors into customers.

When you target keyword gaps, you pursue search terms with demonstrated commercial value instead of experimenting with untested ideas.

Most businesses waste months creating content that targets keywords nobody searches for or that prove impossible to rank. Keyword gap analysis eliminates both problems by showing you achievable targets with real search volume. You see exactly which content types rank (blog posts, product pages, guides), what topics resonate with searchers, and which keywords sit within your reach based on competitor domain strength.

Step 1. Identify your true SEO competitors

Your business competitors and your SEO competitors rarely match up perfectly. The company you compete with for customers might not even show up in search results for your most important keywords. Meanwhile, media sites, blogs, and information portals you've never considered competition could dominate the rankings that matter most to your traffic goals.

Who counts as an SEO competitor

An SEO competitor ranks on page one or two for keywords you want to target, regardless of whether they sell similar products or services. A sustainable clothing brand might find that fashion blogs, sustainability news sites, and even large retailers all count as SEO competitors because they capture search traffic for relevant terms like "organic cotton basics" or "ethical fashion brands."

Focus on three types of SEO competitors for your keyword gap analysis. Direct competitors sell the same products to the same audience. Indirect competitors solve the same customer problem with different solutions. Content competitors produce articles and resources that rank for informational searches your audience makes before buying.

Your keyword gap analysis becomes exponentially more valuable when you include content competitors, not just direct business rivals.

How to find your SEO competitors manually

Start by searching for five to ten keywords that describe your main products, services, or content topics. Open an incognito browser window to avoid personalized results, then record which domains consistently appear in positions one through ten. You'll quickly notice patterns where certain sites show up repeatedly across different searches.

Create a simple spreadsheet with three columns: your main keyword, the competing domain, and their ranking position. After checking multiple keywords, tally which domains appear most frequently. The sites that rank for three or more of your target keywords become your primary SEO competitors worth analyzing deeply.

Pay special attention to sites that outrank you on commercial intent keywords where searchers want to buy, compare products, or find services. These competitors directly cost you potential customers. Also note domains ranking for informational searches because they capture attention at the top of your customer journey.

Step 2. Collect keyword data with free tools

You need raw keyword data from both your site and your competitors before you can identify any gaps. This step requires gathering two datasets: the keywords your site currently ranks for and the keywords driving traffic to competitor sites. The free tools available give you enough information to run an effective keyword gap analysis without spending money on premium SEO platforms.

Export your own keyword rankings from Google Search Console

Google Search Console shows you every keyword that brings visitors to your site from search results. Log into your account, click "Performance" in the left sidebar, then scroll down to the queries table. You'll see a list of search terms along with metrics like clicks, impressions, average position, and click-through rate.

Click the download icon in the top right corner of the queries table and export the data as a spreadsheet. Make sure you set the date range to at least the last three months to capture enough data for meaningful analysis. This export becomes your baseline, showing exactly where you currently rank and which keywords already send traffic your way.

Filter your export to focus on queries with at least 10 impressions per month. This threshold removes noise from extremely rare searches while keeping all potentially valuable keywords. You now have a complete picture of your current keyword footprint that you'll compare against competitor data.

Pull competitor keywords using free methods

Manual SERP analysis gives you competitor keyword data without tools. Search for each competitor domain in Google using the site operator (site:competitordomain.com) along with topic-related terms. For example, search "site:patagonia.com sustainable clothing" to see which specific pages and titles rank for topics in your niche.

Copy the page titles and URLs from the first three pages of results into a spreadsheet. Page titles typically contain the primary keyword the page targets, and the URL structure often reveals secondary keywords. This manual method takes time but costs nothing and provides actionable data.

Free methods take longer than paid tools but deliver the same core insight: which keywords successfully drive traffic to competitor sites.

Google Keyword Planner offers another free approach despite being designed for paid ads. Create a free Google Ads account (you don't need to run any campaigns), then navigate to the Keyword Planner tool. Enter a competitor's URL in the "Start with a website" option and Google returns hundreds of keyword ideas associated with that domain.

The results show average monthly searches and competition levels for each keyword. Focus on terms marked "Low" or "Medium" competition because these gaps often prove easier to close than highly competitive keywords. Export this data to combine it with your manual research.

Organize your data in a spreadsheet

Create a master spreadsheet with these column headers: Keyword, Your Position, Competitor 1 Position, Competitor 2 Position, Competitor 3 Position, Search Volume, Keyword Difficulty. This structure lets you compare rankings across multiple competitors at once and spot patterns in the gaps.

Fill in your position data from Google Search Console in the "Your Position" column. For competitors, add the ranking position you found through manual searches or mark it as "Not ranking" if they don't appear in the top 100 results. Leave search volume and difficulty columns blank for now unless Google Keyword Planner provided estimates.

Your organized spreadsheet becomes the foundation for gap analysis in the next step. You can now visually scan the data to find keywords where competitors rank in positions 1-10 while your site shows no position at all, revealing your most significant content gaps.

Step 3. Find and filter your keyword gaps

Your spreadsheet now contains hundreds or thousands of keyword entries from your site and competitors. This raw data needs systematic filtering to reveal the specific gaps that deserve your attention. The goal is to transform a messy dataset into a prioritized list of keywords where competitors rank well but your site appears nowhere in search results.

Identify keywords where competitors rank but you don't

Sort your spreadsheet by the "Your Position" column and filter to show only rows where you have no ranking at all. These entries represent complete gaps in your content strategy. Next, filter the competitor position columns to show only keywords where at least one competitor ranks in positions 1 through 20. This combination reveals search terms with proven traffic potential that you're currently missing entirely.

Look for patterns in the keyword types that surface. You might discover entire topic clusters where competitors dominate but you lack any content. A project management software company might find that competitors rank for dozens of "how to" queries like "how to create a gantt chart" or "how to manage remote teams" while their site only targets product comparison keywords.

Gaps that appear across multiple competitors signal high-value opportunities worth targeting immediately because several sites validate the keyword's importance.

Apply filters to find the best opportunities

Your filtered list still contains more keywords than you can reasonably target at once. Priority filtering helps you focus on winnable battles first. Start with search volume by removing any keywords with fewer than 50 monthly searches unless they show strong commercial intent. These low-volume terms rarely justify the effort required to create ranking content.

Add a keyword difficulty filter based on your site's current authority. Newer sites should focus on keywords with difficulty scores under 30, while established domains can target terms up to 50 or 60. You estimate difficulty by examining the domain authority of ranking competitors for each keyword. If the top 10 results all come from sites like Amazon, Wikipedia, or major media outlets, that keyword sits beyond your reach for now.

Consider ranking position as your third filter. Prioritize keywords where competitors rank in positions 1 through 10 over those ranking in positions 11 through 20. The top 10 spots capture most search traffic, so these gaps cost you more visitors. This filtering approach creates a practical roadmap by identifying keywords that combine reasonable difficulty with meaningful search volume and proven competitor success.

Filter Type	Criteria	Purpose
Your Position	Not ranking (no position)	Find complete content gaps
Competitor Position	Ranks in positions 1-20	Verify traffic potential
Search Volume	50+ monthly searches	Ensure meaningful opportunity
Keyword Difficulty	Under 30-50 (based on site authority)	Target achievable keywords

Create your gap list

Export your filtered results into a new spreadsheet tab labeled "Priority Keyword Gaps." Include these columns: Keyword, Top Competitor, Their Position, Estimated Monthly Searches, Content Type Needed. The content type column should note whether the ranking page is a blog post, product page, comparison guide, or another format so you know what to create.

Organize your final gap list by grouping related keywords into topic clusters. Keywords like "sustainable clothing brands," "ethical fashion companies," and "eco-friendly apparel" all belong together and might work best as one comprehensive guide rather than separate articles. This clustering prevents you from creating redundant content and helps you build topical authority in your niche through strategic keyword targeting.

Step 4. Turn gaps into a content and SEO plan

Your prioritized keyword gaps represent potential traffic and revenue sitting on the table, but data alone doesn't improve rankings. You need to transform these opportunities into specific content assignments with clear deadlines and defined formats. This step converts your spreadsheet into a production schedule that your team can execute immediately.

Match keywords to the right content format

Every keyword gap requires a specific content type based on search intent. Look at the pages that currently rank for each target keyword to determine what format works. If the top results are all comprehensive guides, you need a guide. If they're product comparison pages, you need a comparison page.

Create a simple mapping in your spreadsheet with three columns: Target Keyword, Required Content Format, and Priority Level. Your content formats should include blog posts for informational searches, product or service pages for transactional searches, comparison articles for commercial research, and category pages for broader topic searches. This mapping prevents you from creating a blog post when you actually need a product page, which wastes time and rarely ranks.

The content format you choose matters as much as the keyword you target because Google matches format to search intent when deciding what deserves to rank.

Group related keywords into single content pieces

Your keyword gap analysis probably revealed dozens of related variations around core topics. Instead of creating separate articles for "sustainable clothing brands," "ethical fashion companies," and "eco-friendly apparel brands," combine them into one comprehensive guide that targets all three variations naturally. This clustering approach builds stronger pages that rank for multiple keywords simultaneously.

Review your gap list and highlight keyword groups where the search intent overlaps completely. You'll find clusters around product categories, how-to questions, definition searches, and comparison topics. Mark these clusters in your spreadsheet so you create one powerful piece of content instead of three weak ones that compete with each other in search results.

Build your content production schedule

Assign realistic deadlines to each content piece based on your production capacity. A small team might commit to two comprehensive articles per month, while larger operations can produce more. Your schedule should specify the target keyword, content format, assigned writer, draft deadline, and publish date for each piece.

Prioritize commercial intent keywords first because these gaps directly cost you customers and revenue. A keyword like "buy organic cotton t-shirts" deserves attention before purely informational terms like "history of sustainable fashion." Your content calendar should tackle the highest-value gaps in your first 90 days, then expand to informational content that builds topical authority over time.

Create a simple production tracker with these columns:

Target Keyword	Content Format	Search Volume	Priority	Assigned To	Draft Due	Publish Date
sustainable winter coats	Comparison guide	1,200	High	Writer 1	Jan 15	Jan 22
ethical clothing brands	Comprehensive guide	3,400	High	Writer 2	Jan 20	Jan 27

Examples and templates you can copy

You can start your keyword gap analysis today by copying these ready-to-use templates directly into your own spreadsheets. These examples show exactly how to structure your data for quick analysis and decision-making. Each template includes the essential columns you need to identify gaps, assess opportunities, and track your progress as you create content targeting competitor keywords.

Basic keyword gap tracking template

Your simplest starting point requires just five core columns that capture the essential comparison data. Copy this structure into Google Sheets or Excel, then populate it with keywords from your competitor research. The "Gap Status" column helps you quickly identify which keywords deserve immediate attention versus those you already compete for effectively.

Keyword	Your Position	Competitor Position	Monthly Searches	Gap Status
sustainable cotton basics	Not ranking	3	880	Complete gap
ethical fashion guide	47	2	1,200	Major gap
organic clothing care	8	12	450	Competitive
eco-friendly fabrics	Not ranking	1	2,100	Complete gap

Complete gaps represent your highest-value targets because competitors already validate these keywords with top rankings while you capture zero traffic from them.

Priority scoring template for keyword gaps

This advanced template adds scoring criteria that help you rank opportunities by their strategic value. Calculate a total score by adding points for search volume (1-5 points), ranking difficulty (1-5 points, inverse), and business relevance (1-5 points). Keywords scoring 12 or higher become your top priorities.

Keyword	Monthly Searches	Volume Score (1-5)	Difficulty (1-100)	Difficulty Score (1-5)	Business Relevance (1-5)	Total Priority Score
buy organic t-shirts	1,800	4	35	4	5	13
sustainable fashion brands	3,200	5	58	2	4	11
ethical clothing store	920	3	28	5	5	13

Target keywords scoring 12+ first because they combine strong search demand with achievable difficulty and high commercial value for your business.

Next steps with your keyword gaps

Your keyword gap analysis gives you a clear roadmap of content opportunities that competitors already validate through their rankings. The spreadsheet you built shows exactly which keywords to target, what content formats work, and where to focus your effort for maximum impact. Start with your highest-priority gaps where search volume meets achievable difficulty and strong business relevance.

Set aside time each quarter to repeat this process because competitor rankings shift constantly and new gaps emerge as markets evolve. Your initial analysis captures opportunities available today, but regular updates prevent you from missing fresh keyword gaps that appear as competitors publish new content or adjust their strategies.

Manual keyword research and content planning consume weeks that most businesses can't afford. RankYak automates keyword gap analysis, content creation, and publishing so you can close these gaps without dedicating your entire team to SEO. The platform identifies high-potential keywords, generates optimized articles, and publishes them automatically while you focus on running your business.