Spy on Your Competitors with an SEO GAP Analysis
Geir Halvorsen
Senior SEO Specialist
An SEO GAP analysis is a method for identifying the difference between various sites when it comes to which keywords they rank for. As an e-commerce merchant, there is a lot to gain from this, as you can get suggestions on which keywords can improve your ranking and thereby both traffic and sales.
Why is a GAP analysis important?
A GAP analysis is important because it helps identify new keywords that can increase traffic to your site. By knowing which keywords are used by your competitors but not by you, you can optimize your site for these terms and improve your search results. This can lead to more visitors on your site and increase the opportunities to ultimately boost your sales.
Here are some steps to take in a GAP analysis:
- Identify your competitors
- Use tools to find and analyze keywords, volume, and competition for the new keywords
- Identify the most important keywords for both your site and your competitors' sites
- Compare the keywords to see which ones are used by competitors but not by your site
- Prioritize keywords based on relevance, search volume, and competition
- Include the new keywords in your site's content and optimize them for search engines
- Follow up and measure the results of your keyword optimization
Which tools are good to use?
Personally, I always use the SEMrush keyword gap tool, which provides a simple overview, is easy to work with, and offers clear reports.
Ahrefs has a similar tool called Ahrefs Content Gap, but I don't find it as smooth to use as SEMrush's tool. This may be because it is a relatively new tool for Ahrefs and that it will continue to develop for the better going forward.
Do you need help?
Sometimes it can be difficult to assess which keywords are worth focusing on, or to know what needs to be done at all to rank better. In that case, it can be reassuring to have a partner to bounce ideas with. If you feel you could use a little help, please don't hesitate to get in touch with us. We have several specialists who can help you with most things within traffic acquisition.
