Use case
How do I find competitor content gaps?
Short 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 | Search volume | Priority | Suggested action | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B2B SaaS onboarding e-mails | 1,900 | High | Create | |
| Product-led blog examples | 1,300 | High | Create | |
| SaaS SEO best practices | 1,600 | Medium | Refresh | |
| Content calendar template | 590 | Medium | Create | |
| Competitor analysis tools | 590 | Low | Internal link |
B2B SaaS onboarding e-mails
- Search volume:
- 1,900
- Priority:
- High
- Suggested action:
- Create
Product-led blog examples
- Search volume:
- 1,300
- Priority:
- High
- Suggested action:
- Create
SaaS SEO best practices
- Search volume:
- 1,600
- Priority:
- Medium
- Suggested action:
- Refresh
Content calendar template
- Search volume:
- 590
- Priority:
- Medium
- Suggested action:
- Create
Competitor analysis tools
- Search volume:
- 590
- Priority:
- Low
- Suggested action:
- Internal link
Why is this question hard?
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-off 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 e-mails | |||
| 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
Prioritise the chosen gaps in the same list as your other opportunities, using the same measures, and record the decisions.
With Growado
How does Growado make this decision easier?
Growado reviews competitor signals together with search data, your existing content and your business goals, and moves real gaps onto your priority list as new content or refresh recommendations. Your team decides: approve, edit or hold the recommendation.
- Picks out the topics competitors cover that you don’t answer yet.
- Recommends a refresh where you’re weak and new content where you’re missing.
- Prioritises competitor gaps with the same measures as your other opportunities.
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, shows each recommendation with its evidence and leaves the decision to your team.
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