10 Local SEO Strategies That Actually Work in 2024
Proven local SEO tactics to dominate local search results and attract more customers to your business.
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What is Content Gap Analysis?
Content gap analysis is the process of identifying topics and keywords that your competitors are ranking for, but you're not. This strategic approach helps you discover untapped opportunities to create content that fills these gaps and attracts more organic traffic.
Key Benefit: Companies that regularly conduct content gap analysis see 3x more organic traffic growth compared to those that don't.
1
Identify Your Key Competitors
Start by identifying 3-5 main competitors in your niche. These should be businesses targeting similar audiences and ranking for keywords you want to target.
Types of Competitors to Analyze:
- Direct Competitors: Businesses offering similar products/services
- Indirect Competitors: Businesses solving similar problems differently
- Content Competitors: Websites ranking for your target keywords (not necessarily competitors in business)
- Aspirational Competitors: Industry leaders you admire
Tool: Google Search
Search for your main keywords and see who ranks on the first page
Action: Create a spreadsheet with competitor names, URLs, and their main focus areas.
2
Analyze Competitor Content
Deep dive into what content your competitors are creating and how it's performing.
Tools for Competitor Analysis
Essential tools for comprehensive competitor research
- SEMrush/Ahrefs: For keyword gaps and backlink analysis
- BuzzSumo: For social sharing analysis
- Moz: For domain authority and page authority metrics
- SimilarWeb: For traffic analysis
- BuiltWith: For technology stack analysis
What to Analyze:
- Top-performing blog posts and pages
- Content formats (articles, videos, infographics, etc.)
- Content length and depth
- Internal linking structure
- Engagement metrics (comments, shares)
- Update frequency
3
Identify Keyword Gaps
Find keywords your competitors rank for that you're missing.
Keyword Gap Analysis Process
1. Export Competitor Keywords
Use SEMrush or Ahrefs to export all keywords each competitor ranks for.
2. Filter for Relevance
Remove irrelevant keywords and focus on those related to your business.
3. Identify Missing Keywords
Compare competitor keyword lists with yours to identify gaps.
4. Prioritize Opportunities
Use the opportunity matrix below to prioritize which gaps to fill first.
High Search Volume
Low Competition
Priority: Immediate Action
Create comprehensive content targeting these keywords first.
High Search Volume
High Competition
Priority: Strategic Planning
Requires significant resources. Consider long-term strategy.
Medium Search Volume
Low Competition
Priority: Quick Wins
Good opportunities for establishing topical authority.
Low Search Volume
High Competition
Priority: Low Priority
Focus on these only after addressing higher priority gaps.
4
Analyze Content Depth and Quality
Compare not just what topics competitors cover, but how well they cover them.
Quality Assessment Criteria:
| Criteria | What to Look For | Scoring (1-5) |
|---|---|---|
| Comprehensiveness | Does it cover the topic thoroughly? | Rate depth of coverage |
| Accuracy | Are facts and data correct? | Check sources and citations |
| Readability | Is it easy to read and understand? | Use readability scores |
| Visual Elements | Are there images, videos, infographics? | Count and quality of visuals |
| User Experience | Is it mobile-friendly? Fast loading? | Page speed and mobile optimization |
Action: For each gap identified, assess competitor content quality. Your goal is to create content that's 10x better.
5
Create Your Content Gap Action Plan
Turn your analysis into actionable content creation tasks.
Free Content Gap Analysis Template
Download our comprehensive Excel template to organize your content gap analysis and action plan.
Download TemplateAction Plan Structure:
- Priority Level: High/Medium/Low based on opportunity matrix
- Target Keyword: Primary keyword for the content
- Competitor Content: URLs of competitor pages ranking for this keyword
- Gap Analysis: What's missing in competitor content that you can improve
- Content Type: Blog post, video, infographic, guide, etc.
- Word Count Goal: Aim for 30-50% more comprehensive than competitors
- Additional Elements: Visuals, downloads, interactive elements to include
- Assigned To: Team member responsible
- Deadline: Target completion date
6
Implement and Track Results
Create your content and monitor performance against competitors.
Implementation Timeline:
Week 1-2: Content Creation
Create comprehensive content addressing top priority gaps
Week 3: Optimization
Optimize for SEO, add internal links, create supporting content
Week 4: Promotion
Share on social media, email lists, and relevant communities
Month 2-3: Monitoring
Track rankings, traffic, and engagement metrics
Key Metrics to Track:
- Keyword rankings for target keywords
- Organic traffic growth
- Time on page and bounce rate
- Backlinks earned
- Social shares and engagement
- Conversions from new content
Case Study: Content Gap Analysis Success
E-commerce Fashion Brand
Situation: Stuck at 50,000 monthly organic visitors for 6 months
Action: Conducted content gap analysis against 3 main competitors
Findings: Identified 45 key content gaps in style guides, fabric education, and seasonal trends
Result: Created comprehensive content addressing these gaps. Within 4 months:
- Organic traffic increased to 120,000 monthly visitors (+140%)
- Ranked for 350 new keywords
- Conversion rate increased by 35%
- Earned 89 new backlinks
Need Help with Content Strategy?
Our content marketing experts can conduct comprehensive gap analysis and create winning content strategies for your business.
