When it comes to producing a quality SEO strategy, it takes many pieces to build the jigsaw. This blog aims to zoom into one of those pieces – content gap analysis. A vital area of SEO, that many don’t regard or are unsure how to do successfully. Here, we delve into exactly how to perform a content gap analysis for SEO and lift the veil on our top tips when it comes to piecing together a good SEO strategy.
Firstly, let’s explore what a content gap analysis is.
What Is A Content Gap Analysis?
The clue really is in the name. A content gap analysis refers to the process of analysing existing content in search of any gaps.
When it comes to content or producing a content calendar, many marketers struggle with what to write about. This is where a content gap analysis plays its part! A content gap analysis allows us to identify gaps in the market, where we can slot in!
Exploring what gaps there are when it comes to specific keywords is essential when it comes to producing content that you want to rank. A content gap analysis lets you know your content is relevant before you even press ‘publish’!
Not only do we identify gaps in the wider industry, but also in your own content! This type of analysis allows us to raise areas on our web pages where content is lacking.
So, how do we do it?
How To Perform A Content Gap Analysis
We know what it is, and we know why it’s important for SEO – but how do we do it?
Here are our top tips when it comes to performing a content gap analysis. Following this step by step will make sure you comb through content sufficiently and don’t miss out on any of those really important gaps.
Firstly, it’s important that when we begin performing a content gap analysis we understand our buyer’s journey. Getting a better understanding of the steps our target audience needs to go through in order to reach our content will then help us highlight where we’re falling short.
Customers tend to go to a search engine with a problem – you want to be the solution. Knowing what your target audience is searching for will then guide you to create the content that entices them to your website.
It’s essential when performing a content gap analysis that we conduct market research. As we said earlier in this blog, sure, this analysis helps us understand our own gaps, but more importantly what about the gaps that everyone else is missing too?
This is one of the most crucial ways to ensure that your content ranks – if nobody else is talking about it, you’ll be placed high on SERPs. This step comes after we have gained an understanding of our buyers’ journey. Understanding what they ask for, and then identifying if anybody is answering their questions really narrows down our focus.
The feedback that you gain from understanding your target audience and industry, through market research will then inform your content strategy.
When you have developed an understanding of the market and the buyers’ journey, this is when you can sift through your existing content. Crawling your own website will help identify where you are falling short in bridging the gap between the target audience’s question and your site!
Competitor analysis is our next step! We understand what our target audience wants, we understand our wider industry, and we have crawled our own site to identify our own gaps – now let’s have a look at our direct competitors!
Studying our competitors is a key process in performing a content gap analysis for two reasons; either you can see what they are offering in their content that you aren’t (hence them ranking higher), or, now we know what the gaps are, you can monitor if they are too falling short, and beat them to it!
Understanding what keywords your competitors are ranking for will then help align some of your content ideas.
Bridging The Gap
One of the most important factors of an SEO strategy, and one that is often overlooked. Many digital marketers or business owners focus on the sale, and how they can use their web pages to turn traffic into paying customers. This is important sure, but when it comes to SEO, it’s important we bridge each gap from the potential buyers’ first query on a search engine, to the sale.
Google and other SERPs focus heavily on user experience as a ranking factor for your site – they want to see that users are getting what they came for. Therefore it is crucial that when focusing on content for SEO, we are mindful of the gaps – and start to fill them!
How GrowTraffic Can Help
Why not focus on your business and leave the SEO strategy to us? GrowTraffic is a leading SEO agency with all the knowledge on how to successfully build an appropriate strategy and manage your content marketing – including a content gap analysis!
If you feel this is something your business would benefit from or want to understand. Ore about your SEO – give us a call!
Call today on 0161 706 0012
Alternatively, drop us a line at info@growtraffic.co.uk.
