Keyword Competitor Analysis: A Simple Workflow

Keyword cannibalization hurts growth. Chasing the wrong terms wastes budget. The fastest way to tighten your SEO focus is a lightweight keyword competitor analysis. Below is a repeatable workflow you can run in under an hour, then automate inside BlogSEO to keep your roadmap fresh.

Why look at competitors?

• You see real-world demand signals instead of guessing.

• You uncover low-difficulty gaps Google already trusts.

• You learn content formats the SERP rewards (lists, comparisons, FAQs).

• You benchmark effort so you do not overspend on impossible terms.

Backlinko found that top-ranking pages cover 3.8× more subtopics than the average result. Studying competitors reveals those missing angles quickly.

1. Set scope

Pick three to five domains that satisfy both conditions:

• Compete for the same audience or product category.

• Have stronger organic visibility than you (Ahrefs or Semrush Visibility ≥ yours).

Avoid giants like Wikipedia unless they address identical intent. Smaller, focused sites yield clearer gaps.

2. Pull data

Grab each competitor’s keyword export. Any of the tools below works, choose one you already use:

Save columns: keyword, position, search volume, keyword difficulty (KD), URL.

3. Spot gaps

Load the CSVs plus your own ranking data into a single sheet. A quick VLOOKUP or JOIN marks whether you already rank. Anything present in competitors but absent in your top-50 list is a gap keyword.

For speed, copy this formula in Google Sheets (assume column A holds the keyword list and column H contains your positions):

4. Score opportunities

Create a composite score to surface easy wins:

Explanation:

• Higher volume adds weight.

• Lower KD boosts the score.

• Fewer “crowding” features (ads, video, AI Overview) raise click potential.

Sort descending and label the top 50 as Priority.

Visual aid

5. Cluster intent

Group the priority list into clusters so one article can cover several keywords. Use similarity formulas (=Jaccard() or TF-IDF) or a free embedding tool like Google PaLM embeddings. Aim for 5–10 clusters max.

Need a refresher? Our guide “From Keywords to Clusters” explains a simple clustering script (read it here).

6. Plan content

For each cluster, outline:

• Primary keyword

• Supporting terms

• Search intent (informational, commercial, transactional)

• Ideal format (guide, comparison, checklist)

A sample row:

Move the sheet into BlogSEO. The platform will automatically:

1. Generate an SEO brief with headings and FAQ suggestions.

2. Draft the article in your brand voice.

3. Create internal link targets using the Internal Linking Automation engine (learn best practices).

4. Schedule or auto-publish to WordPress, Webflow, Shopify, or 10+ CMSs.

7. Automate refreshes

Competitive landscapes shift weekly. Activate BlogSEO’s keyword monitoring. When a competitor breaks into the top 10 for a gap term, you will receive a Slack alert and a one-click “Generate Brief” button.

Pro tips

• Check SERP overlap. If 7+ unique domains rank, the page type is flexible. If only niche players rank, match their structure closely.

• Watch AI Overviews. Google’s summaries often cite the same two or three sources. Those are prime targets.

• Align CTAs. Funnel gap keywords into middle-of-funnel content that naturally leads to your product, not hard sales pages.

• Track ROI. Copy our free ROI Calculator Template to measure revenue per new article (template guide).

Common obstacles

FAQ

What is a keyword gap? A keyword your competitors rank for but your site does not. Filling gaps expands reach quickly.

How often should I redo competitor analysis? Monthly for fast niches, quarterly for slower industries. BlogSEO can run it on autopilot.

Do I need paid tools? Free exports plus BlogSEO’s built-in scraper work, but paid KD metrics speed up scoring.

Take the next step

Ready to uncover your own gaps and publish coverage while the data is still fresh? Try BlogSEO free for 3 days. Connect your CMS, upload the gap sheet, and watch the first article go live before lunch. Have questions? Book a 15-minute demo and our team will walk you through a live competitor teardown.