There are many SEO benefits to conducting an SEO analysis using a free tool. And in addition to the insight that you will gain regarding your SEO strategies, you will also uncover important metrics that can help the overall positioning of your brand. The main factors to consider and remember when it comes to Content Gap Analysis are the customer journey experience and identifying any gaps between you and your competitors.
How do you feel when you take a look at a competitor's website? If you see that they have a lot of great content and usable information that is missing from your site, it's probably time for a thorough analysis. Luckily, any gaps can likely be fixed without too much stress, and you will be well on your way to climbing even closer to the top of industry rankings and ratings. When you find yourself at this point, it's time to seek out a gap analysis template and get to work!
How to do a Content Gap Analysis
The first step in conducting a worthwhile Content Gap Analysis is finding a usable template. While a template is not really fully necessary, it offers a streamlined way to organize your thoughts, questions, and conclusions. There are plenty of templates that are available for free, just do a simple search and choose the one that best suits your needs. Once you have your template in place, take a closer look at your keywords, content, and funnel.
SEO Content Gap Analysis - What is a Content Gap Analysis?
With an SEO Content Gap Analysis, you will focus on topics such as SERP results, SERP competitors, and URL mapping. These factors will offer insight into how your current SEO strategy matches up with that of your competitors. Don't go easy on yourself. Make the effort to really take a close and studied look at the good, the bad, and the ugly. It may be painful at first, but doing this hard work will yield significant and positive results.
Moving on to an Advanced Content Gap Analysis
Once you have the basics down, it's time to dig a little bit deeper. Take another, closer look at your content and compare it to the top competitor's site. Is it time to change the way you are doing things? If the answer to this question is yes, it doesn't mean that you need to completely start over from scratch. There are many instances where repurposing current content in a new way can really give your SEO a new lease on life!
Content Gap Analysis tips for SEO success
There are a number of great tips when it comes to using Content Gap Analysis outcomes for improving SEO success. Consider the following:
- Give the keywords used by your competitor a thorough review. Misuse of keywords can be just as negative to your SEO as not using keywords at all.
- Something as simple as keeping your content up to date can make a world of difference when it comes to SEO success. Make sure to stick to a regular publishing schedule, and don't be afraid to repurpose old content when you are able to do so.
- Make sure that you are providing the details that make your content valuable. An overview of your primary topic is likely available anywhere. The value is in the details. Make sure that your content has a lot of them.
- Use examples and outgoing links to get your point across. Let your readers know that you are aware of the industry and are able to site relevant examples to back up the information on your site.
- You may be surprised to find that you are missing out on covering whole topics. This may sound like a huge oversight that undermines your credibility, but it is more common than you think. Take steps to rectify the problem, and continue monitoring other sites to ensure that it doesn't occur again in the future.
- Now that you are aware of the gaps in your content, as compared to the competition, create a comprehensive publishing schedule that includes the rectification of all issues that you have identified during your analysis.
With these Content Gap Analysis basics that can steer you in the right direction, it is time to get to work. Whether you are going to take a more freestyle approach or utilize a template, it's time to get some thoughts down on paper. One of the best ways to see how your content stacks up is to Google something related to your industry. This query that you would hope would return your site near the top of the page, can reveal a lot about the effectiveness of your SEO strategy.
If you don't hold the top spot, take a look at the site that does. Reviewing this site can yield a lot of great, actionable information. What differences do you notice? Are there posts fresher? Is the content more involved and complex? Perhaps they have more links or they cover a wider range of topics? The answer to all of these questions can help you to form a road map and improve your overall SEO strategy.
Take a look at your keywords too. Are there any that you are missing or misusing? How do the sales funnel and customer journey compare when you put your site up against the top site? When you ask and answer these questions you are well on your way toward formulating a successful Content Gap Analysis!
