Closing Content Gaps Against Your Competitors
A content gap is a whole subject your competitors cover properly and you barely touch. It is bigger than a single missing keyword: a rival might have forty pages on boiler servicing, costs, faults and grants while you have two. Searchers and search engines both notice when one site answers every follow-up question and another answers only the first.
This guide shows you how to map what each competitor actually covers, lay your own site over that map, sort each gap into missing, thin or stale, and turn the ones worth closing into a small pillar-and-supporting-page plan.
What a content gap is, and what it is not
The Competitor Analysis compares your site with named rivals and lists the areas where they have content and you do not. It is tempting to read that list as a set of articles to write. Most of the time it is better read as a map of subjects, because search engines judge how well a site covers a topic as well as how well a single page matches a query.
| Keyword gap | Content gap | |
|---|---|---|
| Unit | One query a rival ranks for | A subject area with many related questions |
| Typical fix | One new or improved page | A group of linked pages, often with an overview page at the centre |
| How you spot it | Ranking data for a query | Counting and reading the rival's pages on a subject |
| Time to close | Weeks | Months |
Single-query gaps are covered in closing keyword gaps. This guide is about the larger unit: the topic.
Four kinds of content gap
- Missing topic. The rival has a set of pages on a subject and you have nothing.
- Thin coverage. You have one general page where the rival has a page for each sub-question: costs, how long it takes, what goes wrong, what to ask a supplier.
- Stale coverage. You cover the subject, but your figures, rules or product names are out of date and theirs are current.
- Format gap. The rival answers with a calculator, a comparison table, a checklist or a video where you have only paragraphs, and the format is what searchers want.
Each kind has a different fix, which is why labelling them matters before any writing starts.
Mapping what a competitor actually covers
You do not need an expensive tool to see how a rival's content is organised. Their own site tells you.
- Find their sitemap. Open
https://competitor.example/robots.txtand look for aSitemap:line. Common locations are/sitemap.xml,/sitemap_index.xml(WordPress with Yoast or Rank Math) and/wp-sitemap.xml(WordPress core). Shopify stores use/sitemap.xmlwith child sitemaps for products, collections, pages and blogs. - Group the addresses by folder. Most sites file content under folders such as
/guides/boilers/or/blog/category/heating/. The number of pages in each folder is a quick signal of where the rival has invested. - Read the navigation and category pages. Menus and hub pages show how the rival wants the subject to be understood, which is often a better topic list than the folder names.
- Open a sample of pages in each group. Counting is not enough. Ten pages of 200 words each is not deeper coverage than two thorough guides.
If the sitemap is large, a few lines of Python will count addresses per folder for you:
import collections, urllib.request, xml.etree.ElementTree as ET
url = "https://competitor.example/sitemap.xml"
ns = {"s": "http://www.sitemaps.org/schemas/sitemap/0.9"}
root = ET.parse(urllib.request.urlopen(url)).getroot()
locs = [e.text for e in root.findall(".//s:loc", ns)]
folders = collections.Counter("/".join(u.split("/")[3:5]) for u in locs)
for folder, n in folders.most_common(30):
print(n, folder)If the file is a sitemap index, it lists other sitemaps rather than pages; run the script on each child sitemap in turn. Only fetch public sitemaps at a gentle pace, and do not crawl a competitor's site aggressively.
Building a topic matrix
Put the map into a spreadsheet with one row per sub-topic and one column per site. In each cell note what that site has: nothing, a mention inside another page, a dedicated page, or a set of pages. Add a final column for the gap label.
| Sub-topic (boiler servicing) | You | Rival A | Rival B | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| What a service includes | Section on service page | Dedicated guide | Dedicated guide | Thin |
| How often to service | Nothing | Dedicated page | Mention | Missing |
| Service cost in the area | Price list from 2023 | Current price guide | Nothing | Stale |
| Landlord gas safety checks | Nothing | Guide plus checklist | Guide | Missing |
| Fault codes by brand | Nothing | Lookup table per brand | Nothing | Format |
| Commercial boiler contracts | Nothing | Set of pages | Nothing | Not offered: ignore |
The example belongs to a fictional firm, Brookside Heating, which does domestic work only. The last row shows why the matrix needs judgement: Rival A covers commercial contracts in depth, but Brookside does not sell them, so that is not a gap at all.
Adding your own evidence
Search Console fills in a column the rivals cannot see. In the Performance report, filter by query for the subject's core words and look for queries where you already get impressions but sit on page two or lower. Those are topics where search engines already associate you with the subject; a proper page there often moves faster than a brand-new topic.
Deciding which topics to enter
Once every row has a label, score the missing and thin topics against three questions, and write the answer in the sheet so the decision can be revisited later.
- Does it lead to what we sell? "How often should a boiler be serviced" leads straight to a booking. "History of the combination boiler" does not.
- Do we know more than the page that ranks? First-hand knowledge, local detail, real prices and photographs of your own work are what make a page better, not length.
- Can we cover it properly? A topic that needs twelve pages to cover well is a commitment. If you can only manage two, choose a narrower corner of it.
| Result | Decision |
|---|---|
| Leads to a sale, you know it well, you can cover it | Enter: plan a pillar and supporting pages |
| Leads to a sale, but the rival's coverage is huge | Narrow: pick one sub-area, such as landlord checks only, and own it |
| Interesting but no route to a sale | Park: revisit once commercial topics are done |
| Outside your offer | Leave it to them |
Planning a pillar and its supporting pages
A pillar page is a broad overview of a subject that links out to more detailed pages on each sub-question, and those pages link back to it and to each other where it helps the reader. The structure helps visitors find the next answer and helps search engines see that your site covers the subject as a whole.
/boiler-servicing/ pillar: what it is, what it costs, how to book
/boiler-servicing/what-is-included/ checklist of the engineer's work
/boiler-servicing/how-often/ annual servicing, warranties, landlords
/boiler-servicing/cost-chesterfield/ current local prices and what changes them
/boiler-servicing/landlord-checks/ gas safety record duties and timings
/boiler-servicing/fault-codes/ lookup by brand, with when to call out- Keep folders shallow and readable. One level under the pillar is usually enough.
- Link with descriptive text. "See what a service includes" tells both readers and crawlers more than "click here".
- Do not duplicate. Each supporting page answers one question in depth. The pillar summarises each in a paragraph and links out; it does not repeat them.
- Put the pillar in the main navigation or on a page that already has visibility, so it is found and crawled quickly.
For how to shape the internal links themselves, the Internal Links Guide goes further.
Platform notes
WordPress: use a parent page for the pillar and child pages beneath it, or a category archive with a written introduction; avoid tag archives, which usually produce thin duplicate lists. Shopify: blog posts cannot be nested, so use a normal page as the pillar and link to posts in one blog dedicated to the subject. Static and custom sites: a folder per topic with an index page works well and makes Search Console filtering easy.
The fix, step by step
Step 1
Map each competitor by topic, not by page
For each rival in your Competitor Analysis, find the XML sitemap through robots.txt,
group the addresses by folder, and read the main navigation and category pages. Write down the subjects
each rival covers and roughly how many pages each subject has. Open a sample from each group so you judge
depth as well as quantity, and note any calculators, tables or checklists that stand out as formats searchers
seem to value.
Step 2
Lay your own coverage over the map
Build a spreadsheet with one row per sub-topic and a column for each site, including yours. Record whether each site has nothing, a passing mention, one dedicated page or a set of pages. Add your Search Console queries for each subject so you can see where you already get impressions without ranking well, because those rows usually respond faster than topics where search engines do not yet connect you with the subject at all.
Step 3
Label every gap as missing, thin, stale or format
Give each row one label. Missing means you have nothing; thin means one general page where rivals answer each sub-question; stale means your prices, rules or product names are out of date; format means the rival uses a table, tool or checklist that suits the question better than prose. Mark rows outside your offer as not a gap. The label decides the fix, so avoid lumping everything under missing.
Step 4
Decide which topics to enter, narrow or leave
For every missing or thin topic, ask whether it leads to something you sell, whether you know more than the page that currently ranks, and whether you can cover it properly with the time you have. Enter the topics that pass all three, narrow the ones where a rival's coverage is too large to match, park interesting topics with no route to a sale, and leave the rest. Record the reason next to each decision.
Step 5
Fix what you already have before writing new pages
Work through the stale and thin rows first. Update prices, dates, rules and product names, add the sub-questions your page skips, and merge overlapping posts that compete with each other into one stronger page with a 301 redirect from the old address. This is usually quicker than new writing, keeps any links the old pages earned, and often closes part of the gap before a single new page is published.
Step 6
Plan one pillar and its supporting pages
For each topic you are entering, plan an overview page that summarises the subject and links to one supporting page per important sub-question. Keep the address structure shallow, link each supporting page back to the pillar with descriptive text, and make sure no two pages answer the same question. Start with one topic and finish it before opening a second, because a half-built cluster rarely performs better than a single good page.
Step 7
Write each page to add something the rival lacks
Read the rival's page on the same question, then note what is missing: current local prices, photographs of your own work, a worked example, a checklist, a mistake you see customers make, or a clear answer in the first paragraph. Build the page around those additions using your own knowledge. Do not copy their headings in order; a page that simply rewords theirs gives search engines no reason to prefer it.
Step 8
Measure the topic as a group, not page by page
In the Search Console Performance report, add a page filter using a regular expression
that matches the topic folder, such as /boiler-servicing/, and compare clicks, impressions
and the number of ranking queries over three-month periods. Topic coverage builds slowly, so judge the
cluster as a whole. Re-run the Competitor Analysis against the same rivals after two or three months
to see which gaps have closed.
Measuring whether the gap is closing
Individual new pages are noisy: one may rank within weeks while another takes months. Treat the topic as the unit and watch a few numbers together.
- Queries with impressions for the topic. A growing count means search engines are connecting more questions with your pages, even before clicks follow.
- Clicks to the topic folder. Use Search Console's page filter with Custom
(regex), for example
^https://www\.example\.co\.uk/boiler-servicing/. - Enquiries or sales from the topic. In your analytics, look at conversions that start on those pages. This is the number that tells you whether entering the topic was the right call.
- The gap list itself. Re-run the Competitor Analysis with the same rivals and compare the content findings with your matrix.
Common mistakes when closing content gaps
- Chasing page count. A rival's 200 posts may include many that earn nothing. Match the coverage that brings them visibility, not the total.
- Writing a supporting page for every tiny variation. "Boiler service cost" and "how much is a boiler service" are the same question and belong on one page.
- Launching new topics while old pages rot. Stale prices and outdated rules on existing pages undermine trust in the whole site.
- Ignoring format. If every result for a question is a table or a tool, another essay is unlikely to compete.
- Copying the rival's outline. Their headings show which questions matter. Your answers, examples and evidence have to be your own.
1. What is the difference between a content gap and a keyword gap?
A keyword gap is a single search query a competitor ranks for and you do not, and it can usually be closed with one well-made page. A content gap is a whole subject the competitor covers in depth, with many related questions answered across several pages, while you cover it briefly or not at all. Closing a content gap usually means planning a group of linked pages around an overview page rather than writing one article.
2. How do I see all the topics a competitor covers?
Start with their XML sitemap, which is usually listed in their robots.txt file or found at sitemap.xml or sitemap_index.xml. Group the addresses by folder to see where they have invested, then read their main navigation and category pages to understand how they organise each subject. Open a sample of pages in each group to judge depth, because a large number of short pages is not necessarily better coverage than a few thorough guides.
3. Do I need as many pages as my competitor to compete?
No. Google has said there is no preferred word count, and the same applies to page count. What matters is whether your pages answer the questions people ask about the subject clearly and usefully. A rival may have many posts that earn little or no traffic. Match the coverage that actually brings them visibility, answer each question once and properly, and add knowledge they do not have, such as local prices or first-hand examples.
4. Should I update old pages or write new ones first?
Usually update first. Stale and thin pages already exist, may already have links and impressions, and can often be improved in an hour or two. Merging overlapping posts into one stronger page with a redirect also removes internal competition between your own pages. Once your existing coverage is current and complete, new supporting pages have a sound base to link to and from, and the overall topic reads as well maintained rather than half abandoned.
5. What is a pillar page?
A pillar page is a broad overview of one subject that summarises each important sub-question in a short section and links to a more detailed page on each. The detailed pages link back to it and to each other where that helps the reader. The structure makes it easy for visitors to find the next answer they need and helps search engines understand that your site covers the subject as a whole rather than in scattered posts.
6. How long does it take to close a content gap?
Expect months rather than weeks. Refreshing stale pages can show results once they are recrawled, but new topics take time to be discovered, understood and trusted, and a cluster of pages builds visibility gradually as each one is published and linked. Measure the topic as a group in Search Console over three-month periods, and re-run the competitor comparison after two or three months to see which gaps have genuinely narrowed.
7. When should I leave a topic to a competitor?
Leave it when the topic does not lead to anything you sell, when you cannot honestly add more than what already ranks, or when covering it properly would take more pages than you can produce and maintain. You can also enter a narrow corner instead of the whole subject, such as landlord checks rather than every aspect of heating. Recording the reason for each decision stops the same debate recurring every time you run the analysis.
Our Competitor Analysis compares your site with named rivals across keywords, content, backlinks, technical health, schema and AI visibility, so you can see where their content goes further than yours and decide which gaps are worth closing.
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