Analyzing the keyword gap is essential for content success. Through this process, you may identify what you're missing compared to your competitors and find areas where you can outrank them. You want to be seen in the millions of published content. So, use the keywords your customers are looking for!
Keywords are the lifeblood of success in the SERP. It's not just luck but also knowing what search terms people use to find you and your competitors. There may be keywords that your competitors are using that you are unaware of. But you can bridge the gap if you have the related keywords.
What are the ways to use keyword gap analysis?
Keyword gap analysis is not that challenging if you understand where the gap is. Keyword gap analysis tools like Ranking Gap can keep you on track. Here are the four key steps to conducting a keyword gap analysis.
Increase target keywords
Before putting words to paper, jot down the keywords you want to rank for. After that, add some related terms to those keywords to make your list even more comprehensive. It may not be easy to know which keywords are the best.
However, you may still organize them by the "value words " you want to rank for. Then, write those words down on a piece of paper.
At this point, it is also best to add some related terms to those keywords to make your list even more comprehensive. But remember, high-value keywords provide the most traffic while having the least competition.
Understand your competition
Have you ever considered what your competition is up to? For what it's worth must-have when it comes to keyword gap analysis. In reality, it's the most crucial step in deciding your keyword choices. You can go straight to the next step if you already know who you're against. If not, then pay attention. Fire up Google, type in your preferred keyword, and then note down the sites on the first page.
You may see some sites on the first page multiple times. That means they have a lot of authority in that space. Now, to find actual competitors, compare sites similar to yours. But don't try to match a large brand or one run by the Public Interest Registry. Why should you aim for keywords you can compete for, not ones that are way out of reach?
Identify the missing keywords
Importantly, you now know your competition. Now's the time to detect which keywords your competitors rank for and which they don't. To make things easier, some tools, such as Rankings Checker, determine which words to concentrate on.
Re-configure your content with the missing keywords
A whopping 76% of your blog traffic comes from your older posts! Who knew? That's right, Hubspot found that up to three-quarters of traffic comes from old content. So, not why update those posts and get more eyes on your page? It's a great way to boost your blog and start climbing the ranks. Re-optimizing your content is worth it!
Perhaps your content wasn't fully optimized when it was published. And now, it's the perfect opportunity to make it right. You should have gathered a list of words that others used to rank them by now. So, now you can use them in your content more effectively.
When making your content stand out, keywords are the key. You must carefully place them in the right spots—title, meta description, headings, body content, anchor text, and so on—for the search engine to pick up.
Be warned, though: if you overuse them, you'll just be doing yourself a disservice. Instead, you may have to focus on writing something that resonates with your readers and meets their needs. This way, you'll satisfy both the search engine and your audience.
