Skip to content
EverAskStart free

Keyword gap analysis

The searches your rivals show up for on Google and you don't, sorted into what to write.

tidybooks.com · Keyword gap, USGap

What is a keyword gap?

The searches your rivals show up for on Google and you don’t, or where you show up below them.

Competitor keyword research lists everything one rival shows up for. A keyword gap analysis puts your site next to several rivals and keeps only the searches you are missing.

Each one is a page you could write, or a page you already have that needs to be better.

How it works

  1. Name your site and your rivals

    Your website and up to five rivals, in the country you sell in.

  2. EverAsk lines up the rankings

    Every search any of you shows up for, with each site's spot on Google side by side.

  3. Get the gaps back

    Each search marked not ranking, behind or level, with the easiest to win first.

Google’s first page for three searches, with tidybooks.com, a made-up bookkeeping app, as you.

A rival You

“profit and loss template”
  1. 1
  2. 5
  3. 10
Page 2 and below

You: not in the top 100

Not ranking

You are not in the top 100.

“self employed expenses list”
  1. 1
  2. 5
  3. 10
Page 2 and belowYouat 17

Behind

You rank below at least one rival.

“bookkeeping software for freelancers”
  1. 1
  2. You
  3. 5
  4. 10
Page 2 and below

Level

You rank at or above every rival.

What you get

You ask: “Which searches should Tidybooks go after first?”

tidybooks.com · Keyword gap, USQuick wins

Who it’s for

  • tidybooks.com · Keyword gap, USTopics
    Roadmap drafted
    7 topics from 1,153 searches

    Content leads building a roadmap

    Turn the gap into the next few months of articles, ordered by how many people search and how easy each is to win.

  • tidybooks.com · Keyword gap, USStore
    Category pages to fix
    Tents and boots first: 19,200 searches

    Ecommerce category managers

    Find the product searches where rival stores show up on Google and your category pages do not.

  • tidybooks.com · Keyword gap, USGap
    Monthly client report
    The gap shrank by 57 searches this month

    Agencies reporting to clients

    Show a client the searches their rivals win, then track the gap getting smaller month by month in the same sheet.

Frequently asked questions

What is a keyword gap analysis?

A side-by-side look at the Google searches you and your rivals show up for. It keeps the searches they show up for and you don't, and the ones where you show up below them.

How is it different from competitor keyword research?

Competitor keyword research lists everything one rival shows up for. A gap analysis compares several rivals with your own site and keeps only what you are missing.

What is the difference between a keyword gap and a content gap?

A keyword gap is a search you are missing. A content gap is the page you would need to write to show up for it. The gap sheet groups searches into topics, so each topic is one page to write.

How many competitors can I compare?

Up to five at once. Each gets its own column, so you can see which gaps one rival owns and which all of them share.

Which gaps should I go after first?

Searches you are not ranking for that plenty of people make and that are easy to rank for, where a rival shows up with an ordinary page. The sheet marks these as easy wins.

How often should I run a keyword gap analysis?

Every month or two. Rivals publish new pages and rankings move, and running it again shows whether your gap is getting smaller.

One prompt in.
Real work out.

The searches your rivals show up for on Google and you don't, sorted into what to write.

EverAsk on your phone and your Mac

EverAsk for iPhone

Ask for the keyword list on the train, check the top rows, and open the sheet from your phone. Every report you run here is on your phone.

Download on the App Store

EverAsk for Mac

SEO research on your desktop, with the site lists and exports you already have to hand.

Download for macOS