Competitor Keyword Research: Find Gaps You Can Win

Competitor keyword research is not about copying what ranks. It is about finding the missed queries, weak pages, and outdated answers where you can publish something measurably better and win.

The difference between a “gap list” and a backlog that drives traffic is winnability. This guide shows a practical way to spot competitor keyword gaps you can actually take, score them quickly, and turn them into pages that rank.

Winnable gaps

A winnable gap is a keyword (or small intent cluster) where:

• You can match the search intent better than what is ranking.

• You have (or can create) a stronger angle: proof, depth, clarity, data, or UX.

• You can support the page with internal links and topical coverage.

• The SERP is not dominated by unbeatable brands for that intent.

That last point matters. You can “find” thousands of competitor keywords, but most are not realistic targets for your site today.

Gap types that matter

When people say “keyword gap,” they often mean “keyword my competitor ranks for and I do not.” That is a start, but you will get better outcomes by labeling the type of gap, because each type has a different fix.

Pick real competitors

Many “competitors” in SEO tools are not your business competitors, they are SERP competitors. For competitor keyword research, SERP competitors are what you want.

Start with the queries you already care about, then look at who consistently appears.

Fast way to build a competitor set

Use a three-source approach:

• Google Search Console: export the queries where you already get impressions, then manually check the SERP for your top 20 to 50.

• An SEO tool (Semrush, Ahrefs, Similarweb, etc.): pull “competing domains” or run a keyword gap report.

• Manual SERP review: search your key intents in an incognito window (and, if relevant, your target geography).

Keep the set small at first (3 to 8 domains). You are looking for patterns, not a giant spreadsheet.

Pull competitor keywords

You need two layers of data:

• Keyword layer: the terms a competitor ranks for.

• URL layer: which page ranks for which terms.

The URL layer is what turns “interesting keywords” into actionable content decisions.

What to export

For each competitor domain, export:

• Top organic pages (URLs)

• Top keywords per URL (ideally with estimated position)

• Optional but useful: last seen, SERP features, and whether the ranking URL changes often

If your tool supports it, export by subfolder (for example, /blog/ or /guides/) so you do not mix their docs, blog, and marketing pages.

Clean the list

Most keyword exports are noisy. Clean it before you score anything.

Remove obvious non-targets

Filter out:

• Branded competitor terms (unless you are intentionally building comparison pages)

• Irrelevant geos, languages, or industries

• Job queries and navigational queries that do not fit your product

• Keywords where the SERP is fully local, fully video, or fully marketplace (unless that is your play)

Group by intent, not by wording

Ten variants can map to one page. Group keywords into intent clusters such as:

• “What is X” definitions

• “X vs Y” comparisons

• “Best X for Y” list pages

• “How to do X” how-to guides

• “Template” and “example” queries

If you skip clustering, you will over-publish and accidentally create cannibalization.

Score winnability

This is the step that turns competitor analysis into a strategy.

You are trying to answer a simple question: If we publish a high-quality page for this intent, do we have a realistic path to the top 10 within the next 90 to 180 days?

A practical scoring model

You do not need a perfect model. You need one that is consistent.

Here is a lightweight scoring rubric you can use in a sheet. Score each factor 0 to 2 (0 = weak, 2 = strong), then sum.

How to interpret the score (example guidance):

• 10 to 12: ship now

• 7 to 9: ship if you can add proof or cluster support

• 0 to 6: park it, or target later after you build authority in the topic

This avoids the most common mistake in competitor keyword research: prioritizing by search volume alone.

Quick SERP weakness checks

You can often spot a winnable SERP in under 3 minutes. Look for:

• Intent mismatch: the query is “template,” but results are generic guides.

• Outdated timestamps: top pages are clearly from previous years and not refreshed.

• No concrete examples: lots of definitions, few step-by-step instructions.

• No proof: claims without citations, screenshots, or data.

• Bad structure: long intros, no headings, hard to skim.

Also watch for SERPs where Google is rewarding helpful formatting. For example, concise answers, clear headings, and structured sections often improve eligibility for rich results and AI-driven summaries. Google’s documentation consistently emphasizes helpful, people-first content and avoiding deceptive practices (see Google Search Essentials).

Map gaps to pages

Once you have a scored list, do not jump straight into writing. First, decide what page should own the intent.

Choose the right format

A gap keyword is not always a blog post. Common “gap to page” mappings:

• Comparison intent (“X vs Y”, “X alternative”): comparison page, with a clear decision table.

• Implementation intent (“how to”, “setup”, “checklist”): how-to guide with steps, screenshots, and troubleshooting.

• Template intent (“template”, “examples”): a template library page (downloadable or copyable).

• Definition intent (“what is”): definition page with short examples and internal links to deeper guides.

If a competitor ranks with the wrong format, this is one of the easiest gaps to win.

Prevent cannibalization upfront

Before publishing, apply a simple rule:

• One primary intent cluster, one primary URL.

If you already have a page that should own the intent, you may not need a new article. You may need:

• a rewrite to match intent

• a new section that closes the gap

• better internal linking

• consolidation of overlapping posts

Build a “win kit” for each gap

For your top-scoring gaps, create a mini brief that forces differentiation. Keep it short, but specific.

A good win kit includes:

• Query and intent: what the searcher is trying to achieve in one sentence

• Target page type: comparison, how-to, template, glossary, etc.

• Differentiators: the 2 to 4 things you will do better than current top results

• Proof assets: what you will add that competitors lack (screenshots, mini case, examples, citations)

• Internal link plan: which existing pages will link in, and which new cluster posts you will create

If you cannot write differentiators, the gap is probably not winnable yet.

Publish with speed and guardrails

Competitor keyword research pays off when you can ship consistently. That is why teams increasingly automate the mechanical parts (research, briefs, drafting, publishing), while keeping humans on strategy and QA.

What to automate

If you want competitor gap fills to compound, automate the repeatable steps:

• competitor monitoring (new pages, new topics)

• keyword research and clustering

• drafting in your brand voice

• internal linking suggestions

• scheduling and publishing to your CMS

BlogSEO is built for this kind of workflow: it generates SEO-optimized articles, analyzes website structure, matches brand voice, automates internal linking, integrates with multiple CMSs, and can auto-schedule and auto-publish.

If you want to see what “gap to published post” looks like end to end, this product-focused walkthrough is useful: Competitor gap fills on autopilot.

Keep quality signals strong

Automation does not remove the need for credibility. For pages meant to beat competitors, prioritize:

• accurate claims and citations

• clear author attribution and editorial review where appropriate

• unique examples (not generic summaries)

• updated screenshots and dated references when facts change

If you publish at scale, also pay attention to Google’s spam policies and quality guidance so your site does not drift into low-value scaled content. The Search Quality Rater Guidelines (and related documentation) are worth reviewing as a quality north star, even though they are not a direct ranking checklist.

Track wins like an operator

Competitor keyword research is a loop, not a project.

The minimum metrics to watch

Track at the URL level:

• impressions and clicks (Search Console)

• query mix (are you ranking for the intended cluster?)

• average position trend for the cluster

• conversions or assisted conversions (GA4 events, CRM if applicable)

What to do when a gap page stalls

If a page is stuck around positions 11 to 30, common fixes are not “write more.” They are targeted:

• adjust the page to match the dominant SERP format

• add missing proof (examples, screenshots, data)

• strengthen internal linking from your most relevant hub pages

• publish 2 to 4 supporting cluster posts and link them tightly

• refresh the intro to answer the query faster

A simple starting plan

If you want a fast, realistic way to begin, do this in a single week:

Day 1: Choose one topic area

Pick one topic cluster where your product has strong relevance. Narrow scope beats broad spreadsheets.

Day 2: Pick 5 SERP competitors

Use Search Console queries and manual SERP checks, then confirm with a keyword tool.

Day 3: Export and cluster

Pull competitor keywords by URL, remove noise, cluster by intent.

Day 4: Score winnability

Use the rubric above, pick 10 gaps to ship.

Day 5: Write win kits

Define differentiators and internal linking for each page.

Day 6 to 7: Publish the first 2 to 3

Ship, then measure for 2 to 4 weeks before expanding scope.

Turn competitor gaps into published content

Competitor keyword research only pays off when the output is shipping pages, not decks.

If you want to operationalize this, BlogSEO can help you move from competitor analysis to published, internally linked articles with far less manual work. You can start with the 3-day free trial at BlogSEO or book a walkthrough with the team here: schedule a demo call.