Keyword Gap Analysis
Comparing two domains to find the keywords one earns and the other does not.
Competitor research · Published
The short answer
Compare two domains in one country and language. The result splits into keywords the competitor ranks for and you do not, and keywords you both rank for where they are materially ahead.
Sort by search volume, then work down opening the competitor’s ranking URL for each row. That page tells you what you would need to publish.
The two states, and what they mean
A gap analysis produces two useful categories. This tool computes them from ranking positions and a fixed threshold, so the same two domains always produce the same labels.
| State | Rule | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Missing | They rank, and your domain was not found ranking for that keyword. | Build a page, if the intent matches something you can credibly publish. |
| Weaker | Both rank, and they are at least 5 positions higher. | Improve the page you already have. Usually cheaper than starting one. |
The threshold exists because a gap of one or two positions sits inside normal daily movement and personalization. Five is large enough to be a real difference in clicks. It is a convention rather than a law, which is why the tool states it on the page instead of hiding it inside a score.
What missing actually proves
This is the part most gap tools overstate. Missing means the provider’s ranking data for that country and language has the competitor ranking and does not have you. It is not proof that your site does not rank anywhere for that keyword.
Your domain can be absent from that dataset for reasons that have nothing to do with the keyword:
- You rank outside the range the provider tracks.
- You rank in a different country or language than the one being compared.
- The page is new enough that the ranking database has not picked it up.
None of that makes the analysis less useful. It just means the correct reading is “worth checking” rather than “confirmed absent”. If a row surprises you, check the results page for that keyword directly.
Which gaps to act on
A gap analysis between two established sites can return hundreds of rows. Almost none of them are worth your next month. Filter in this order:
- Intent you can serve. If the ranking pages are product pages and you have no product for it, the keyword is not yours regardless of volume.
- Commercial signal. Cost per click separates terms somebody is monetising from terms that merely get searched.
- Their position. A competitor at position 2 has a strong page. A competitor at position 18 has an opening you can take with a better one.
- Clusters, not singles. Five related missing keywords pointing at one topic is a page worth building. One isolated keyword rarely is.
Direction matters
The comparison is not symmetric. Putting the competitor first and yourself second answers “what do they have that I do not”. Swapping them answers the opposite question, which is occasionally useful for working out what you already own that they are chasing.
It is also worth running the same comparison against two or three different competitors. A keyword missing against one competitor might be an outlier. A keyword missing against all three is a hole in your coverage. Choosing the right competitors covers how to pick them.
Related guides
Run the full gap
The free tool shows a sample. Keyword Gap in the app compares complete ranking sets, with filtering by volume, cost per click and intent.
Open the full keyword gap