Use case
How do I find competitor content gaps?
Quick answer
A competitor content gap is a topic where competitors show up in search results but you have no page yet, or only a weak one. Not every gap is an opportunity: only topics people actually search for, that connect to your business, and that you can answer better belong on your priority list.
Competitor gap candidates
Sample data| Topic | Priority | Recommended action | |
|---|---|---|---|
| B2B SaaS onboarding emails | High | Create | |
| Product-led blog examples | High | Create | |
| SaaS SEO best practices | Medium | Refresh | |
| Content calendar template | Medium | Create | |
| Competitor analysis tools | Low | Internal link |
B2B SaaS onboarding emails
- Priority:
- High
- Recommended action:
- Create
Product-led blog examples
- Priority:
- High
- Recommended action:
- Create
SaaS SEO best practices
- Priority:
- Medium
- Recommended action:
- Refresh
Content calendar template
- Priority:
- Medium
- Recommended action:
- Create
Competitor analysis tools
- Priority:
- Low
- Recommended action:
- Internal link
Why this is harder than it looks
The competitor list is long
Competitors have hundreds of pages. Comparing each one with yours isn’t practical.
Search competitors aren’t always business competitors
The sites you meet in search aren’t always your direct business competitors; publishers and guide sites show up in the same results.
Not every gap is an opportunity
Writing about every topic a competitor covers can leave you producing content that has nothing to do with your business.
Four signals that a gap is an opportunity
Before you add a topic a competitor covers to your list, check these four signals.
Several competitors are visible
When several competitor pages are visible for a topic, that’s a sign search engines treat the intent as important.
You have no page, or a weak one
If no page on your site answers the intent, or one does but isn’t visible, there’s a real gap.
Steady demand
Is the topic searched regularly and through different queries, rather than a one-time spike of interest?
Business fit
Is the topic connected to the problem your product solves and to your audience? If not, the competitor’s traffic isn’t worth much to you.
Step by step: find competitor content gaps
This process compares competitor content with your own coverage to pick out the real opportunities.
| Topic | You | Competitor A | Competitor B |
|---|---|---|---|
| Onboarding emails | |||
| Product-led blog examples | Weak | ||
| SaaS SEO best practices | Weak | ||
| Content strategy guide | Weak |
Green rows are gaps: topics you don’t cover are candidates to create; weak ones are candidates to refresh.
1. Identify your search competitors
List the sites that often appear in results for your target topics. Include not only business competitors but also the publishers that share those results.
2. Compare by topic
Match the topics where competitors are visible with your own pages: do you have a page for it, and if so, how visible is it?
3. Separate the gaps
Mark topics you have no page for as new content candidates, and topics where your page is weak as refresh candidates.
4. Filter by business fit
Drop gaps with a weak link to your business, then assess the rest by demand and effort.
5. Add them to your priority list
Prioritize the chosen gaps in the same list as your other opportunities, using the same measures, and record the decisions.
With Growado
How Growado makes this decision easier
Growado does not analyze competitor sites. It bases its recommendations on your Search Console data, your own pages, and your business context. For topics where you already appear in search, it recommends refreshing the page or strengthening it with internal links, with its reasoning. Your team makes the call: approve, edit, or hold each recommendation.
- Bases every recommendation on your own data and pages only.
- Recommends a refresh or internal links for pages where you’re weak in search.
- Shows the signals behind each recommendation.
Common mistakes
Copying the competitor
Covering the same topic in the same way adds nothing new to the search results. Aim for an answer that’s clearer, more current, or more practical.
Only looking at business competitors
Your real competitors in search are often publishers and guide sites; leaving them out gives you an incomplete picture.
Overlooking weak pages
Gaps aren’t only topics you’ve never covered. Pages you have that aren’t visible are gaps too, and they usually take less effort to close.
Frequently asked questions
How many competitors should I compare against?
Starting with the few sites that appear most often for your target topics is enough. Adding lots of competitors makes the list longer without making the decision clearer.
Should I go after a topic where a competitor is very strong?
Yes, if the business fit is high and you can give a better answer — but be honest about the effort and your level of confidence. Sometimes it’s better to start with a narrower, more specific subtopic.
How often should you run a gap analysis?
Search results and competitor content change, so repeat it at regular intervals, such as once a quarter. It’s also worth running one before you start on an important topic cluster.
Answer this question with your own data.
Growado weighs your search data, content, and goals together, backs every recommendation with evidence, and leaves the final call to your team.
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