When you’re getting your SEO for affiliate marketing plan ready, it’s easy to get focused on your own strategy and keywords. However, one of the most powerful ways to supercharge your SEO is to take a close look at your competitors’ strategies and figure out where they might be missing opportunities. This is where finding competitor keyword gaps comes in.
In this post, we’re going to look at how you can analyze your competitors’ keyword gaps, how to find them using online tools, and how to fill those gaps with content that drives traffic and helps you rank higher. Let’s get started!
What is are Competitor Keyword Gaps?
Simply put, a keyword gap occurs when a competitor is ranking for certain keywords that you aren’t, or vice versa. By identifying these gaps, you can uncover hidden opportunities that your competitors might have missed or areas where you could outrank them.
For example, let’s say you’re in the fitness niche, and your competitor ranks for a variety of terms related to “home gym equipment.” But maybe they’ve overlooked some niche terms like “best budget-friendly gym equipment for small apartments.” If you discover this gap, you can create content targeting that long-tail keyword and get in front of people who are searching for exactly what you offer.
By finding and filling these gaps, you can enhance your SEO efforts, improve your rankings, and attract more targeted traffic.
Why Finding Keyword Gaps Matters
Before we get into the technical stuff, let’s talk about why finding keyword gaps is so important:
- Higher Rankings: If you can target keywords that your competitors have missed or are not ranking well for, you have a good shot at ranking higher. And higher rankings mean more organic traffic.
- Filling Niche Gaps: Sometimes your competitors focus on high-volume, competitive keywords. By targeting long-tail keywords or niche queries they’ve missed, you can reach a more specific audience looking for exactly what you offer.
- Better Content Strategy: Understanding your competitors’ keyword gaps can guide your content creation. You can focus on writing content that directly addresses those gaps and provides value to your audience, which in turn helps you rank better.
How to Find Competitor Keyword Gaps
Now, let’s dig into how you can find those keyword gaps using some advanced competitor analysis techniques. We’ll look at using paid tools like Ahrefs or SEMrush because they have a built in option that identifies keyword gaps.
We also look at the free version of MOZ Keyword Gap tool.
Step 1: Identify Your Competitors
Before you can spot keyword gaps, you need to know who your competitors are. These should be websites in your niche that are ranking for keywords similar to yours or promoting similar products/services.
For example, if you’re in the affiliate marketing space, some of your competitors might include:
- Neil Patel
- Backlinko
- Ahrefs Blog
Once you know who your competitors are, you can look at their SEO strategy.
Step 2: Analyze Their Keywords
Now that you’ve identified your competitors, it’s time to dig into their keyword data. Both Ahrefs and SEMrush offer tools that let you see the keywords your competitors are ranking for.
Let’s break this down:
Using Ahrefs:
- Go to Site Explorer and enter the URL of your competitor’s website.
- Click on “Organic Keywords” in the left-hand menu to see a list of keywords they are ranking for.
- You can filter the results by things like keyword volume, ranking position, and traffic potential.
Using SEMrush:
- Go to the “Domain Analytics” section and enter your competitor’s domain.
- Click on “Organic Research” to see the list of keywords your competitor ranks for.
- Use filters to focus on keywords with high traffic potential or low competition.
Using MOZ Keyword Explorer:
- Go to moz.com/explorer and sign in (you’ll need a free account).
- In the search bar, enter your competitor’s domain.
- On the results page, click on “Ranking Keywords”.
- You’ll see a list of keywords the site ranks for, along with:
- Monthly search volume
- Keyword difficulty
- Click-through rate (CTR)
- Priority score (MOZ’s way of showing high-value opportunities)
These tools will give you a list of keywords your competitors are targeting, along with metrics like search volume and keyword difficulty.
Step 3: Spot Competitor Keyword Gaps
This is where the magic happens! Now that you know what keywords your competitors are ranking for, it’s time to spot the gaps.
There are a few ways to do this:
- Use the Keyword Gap Tool (Ahrefs/SEMrush Paid Versions): Both Ahrefs and SEMrush have specific tools that allow you to compare your keyword profile with your competitors. This is great for quickly spotting gaps in their strategy.
- In Ahrefs: Go to “Content Gap” and enter your URL and the URLs of your competitors. Ahrefs will show you which keywords your competitors are ranking for, but you aren’t.
- In SEMrush: Go to “Keyword Gap” in the “Domain Analytics” section. Enter your domain and a few of your competitor’s domains, and SEMrush will show you the keyword gaps.
- In MOZ Keyword Gap Tool (Free Version): Go to Keyword Gap in the Competitve Research Section. Enter your website’s domain and up to 3 competitor domains. Click “Compare Sites”. MOZ will generate a list of keywords your competitors rank for, but you don’t.
- Look for Long-Tail Keywords and Low-Competition Keywords: While your competitors may target high-traffic keywords like “best gym equipment,” they might miss out on longer, more specific phrases like “best dumbbells for beginners.” These types of keywords are easier to rank for and can still bring in a significant amount of targeted traffic.
- Look for Regional or Niche Keywords: If your competitors are targeting broad terms, there might be an opportunity for you to target more local or niche keywords they haven’t focused on. For example, “best gym equipment for women over 50” could be a keyword gap if your competitors are only targeting general gym equipment terms.
Step 4: Fill the Gaps with Better Content
Once you’ve identified a few keyword gaps, the next step is to fill them with your own content. But it’s not just about writing similar content—you need to do it better.
Here’s how you can fill those gaps effectively:
- Create Comprehensive, High-Quality Content: Don’t just create a quick blog post that barely touches on the topic. Go above and beyond! Write a detailed, well-researched post that covers all aspects of the keyword. Include images, videos, and data to make it even more valuable.
- For example, if your competitor has a post on “Best Fitness Equipment for Home Workouts,” you could write a more in-depth guide with user reviews, expert opinions, and detailed product comparisons.
- Use Internal Linking: Once you’ve created your content, don’t forget to link to other relevant pages on your site. Internal linking helps Google understand the structure of your content and makes it easier for users to find additional information on your site.
- Optimize for User Intent: Make sure your content aligns with what people are actually looking for. If someone is searching for “best budget-friendly gym equipment for home,” they’re probably looking for affordable options. Your content should meet this need by focusing on affordable choices and providing value.
- Update Old Content: If you already have content on your site that’s similar to the keyword gap, consider updating it to include the new keywords you’ve discovered. Adding more detailed sections, additional information, or related keywords can help it rank better.
Step 5: Monitor and Refine Your Strategy
Once you’ve published your new content, don’t just forget about it. Monitor its performance using tools like Google Search Console or your SEO platform of choice. Check how your rankings are doing, how much traffic you’re driving, and if you’re starting to fill the gaps successfully.
Remember, SEO is an ongoing process, so continue to refine and adjust your strategy over time. Look for new competitor gaps, track your rankings, and keep improving your content.
Well, now you know. Searching for competitor keyword gaps is a powerful way to uncover opportunities and improve your SEO strategy. By analyzing your competitors’ backlinks, content, and keywords, you can find areas where they might be missing out and target those gaps with high-quality, focused content.
With tools like Ahrefs, SEMrush and MOZ, finding these gaps has never been easier. Once you spot them, create better content that meets user intent, and watch your rankings rise. Keep refining your strategy, and maybe soon you’ll be the one your competitors are trying to catch up to!
To learn more about keyword research, check out the following post:
