---
title: "How to Use Semrush for Content Gap Analysis (Step-by-Step)"
date: "2026-07-30"
meta_description: "Learn how to run a Semrush content gap analysis to find keyword opportunities your competitors rank for but you don't. Step-by-step guide inside."
tags: ["semrush content gap analysis", "content gap analysis", "semrush", "seo", "keyword research"]
category: "how_to"
affiliate_links_used: ["semrush"]
---

How to Use Semrush for Content Gap Analysis (Step-by-Step)

Your competitors are ranking for hundreds of keywords you have never even targeted. That is not bad luck. That is a content gap, and closing it is one of the fastest ways to grow organic traffic without guessing what to write next.

I have used Semrush for content gap analysis on a dozen different sites, and the process I am walking you through here consistently surfaces keyword opportunities that are ready to rank with the right content behind them.

What You Need Before Starting

You do not need a full agency setup to do this well. Here is what you need:

A Semrush account (the free tier gives you limited data; the Pro plan at $129.95/month is worth it if you are serious about SEO)
Your own domain, even if it is new
Two to five competitor domains (these should be sites ranking for the same topics you want to own)
A spreadsheet or note tool to track your keyword findings

If you do not know your competitors yet, type your main topic into Google, record the top five organic results, and use those domains. That simple.

Step-by-Step Semrush Content Gap Analysis

Step 1: Log Into Semrush and Open the Keyword Gap Tool

Go to your Semrush dashboard. On the left sidebar, click Competitive Research, then select Keyword Gap. This is the core tool for the entire process.

Do not confuse this with the Domain Overview section. Keyword Gap is specifically built to compare multiple domains side by side.

Step 2: Enter Your Domain and Competitor Domains

In the first input field, type your domain. Then add your competitor domains in the fields below it. You can compare up to five domains at once.

I usually start with three competitors. Adding too many muddies the data and makes filtering harder.

Click Compare when you are done.

Step 3: Set the Keyword Filter to "Missing" or "Weak"

Once the results load, you will see a set of filter tabs across the top. Click Missing first. These are keywords where every competitor ranks but you do not appear at all.

After that, check Weak. These are keywords where you rank but significantly lower than your competitors. Both sets are gold.

Step 4: Sort by Search Volume and Keyword Difficulty

Click the Volume column header to sort from highest to lowest. Then add a Keyword Difficulty (KD) filter. I set mine to a maximum of 49 for most sites, which keeps the list focused on achievable targets.

For newer sites, drop that KD ceiling to 30. Competing for high-difficulty keywords before you have authority is a time drain.

Step 5: Export the Keyword List

Hit the Export button in the top right corner. Download as CSV. Open it in Google Sheets or Excel.

This gives you a working list you can sort, color-code, and prioritize without jumping back into the tool constantly.

Step 6: Group Keywords Into Content Clusters

Look at your exported list and group keywords by topic. Three keywords about "email marketing automation" belong in the same content piece, not three separate articles.

Clustering at this stage saves you from creating redundant content and helps you build more comprehensive articles that cover a topic fully. Comprehensive coverage is what earns rankings in competitive niches.

Step 7: Prioritize by Business Relevance

Not every high-volume keyword is worth your time. Filter your clusters by asking: does this keyword bring in readers who would buy what I sell or read what I publish?

Remove any keyword clusters that are too far off-topic, even if the numbers look tempting. Relevance to your audience matters more than raw traffic.

Step 8: Write the Content

Take your prioritized clusters and build content around each one. I use Surfer SEO to optimize the content structure and keyword density as I write. It pulls in real SERP data and tells me exactly how long the article should be and which related terms to include.

For the actual writing, I have tested Jasper, Copy.ai, and Writesonic. Jasper works best for long-form SEO content when paired with a good outline. Copy.ai is faster for shorter pieces. Writesonic hits a solid middle ground for bloggers who want speed without sacrificing structure.

Quick Reference Table

Step	Action	Time Needed
1	Open Keyword Gap tool in Semrush	2 minutes
2	Enter your domain and competitors	3 minutes
3	Filter by Missing and Weak keywords	5 minutes
4	Sort by volume and set KD filter	5 minutes
5	Export keyword list as CSV	2 minutes
6	Group keywords into content clusters	20 to 30 minutes
7	Prioritize by business relevance	10 minutes
8	Write and optimize content	2 to 4 hours per piece

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Targeting keywords with no buyer intent. High volume means nothing if the searcher is not looking for what you offer. Always check the intent behind each keyword before adding it to your plan.

Ignoring your "Weak" keywords. Most people obsess over Missing keywords and skip Weak ones. A page sitting on page two for a solid keyword is often easier to push to page one than creating brand-new content from scratch.

Using too many competitors in the comparison. Five competitors sounds thorough, but it creates noise. Start with two or three direct competitors and run a separate comparison if you want broader data.

Skipping the clustering step. Writing one article per keyword is an outdated approach. Google rewards depth. Cluster related keywords and cover a topic thoroughly in one strong piece.

Not revisiting the gap analysis regularly. Your competitors are publishing new content every month. I run this process every 90 days minimum to catch new gaps before they become big traffic losses.

Pro Tips

Use the Keyword Gap tool for existing content, not just new articles. Paste in a URL-level comparison to find keywords that a specific competitor page ranks for, but your equivalent page does not. This is a fast way to improve underperforming articles you already have.

Combine Semrush data with Surfer SEO. Pull your gap keywords from Semrush, then run the target keyword through Surfer's Content Editor before writing. You get the discovery power of Semrush and the on-page optimization precision of Surfer in the same workflow.

Filter for featured snippet opportunities. In your exported list, look for question-based keywords where competitors rank in position three to ten. Those are often unoptimized for featured snippets, and a well-structured answer section in your article can steal that zero-click position.

Look at the SERP type column in Semrush. If a keyword shows video results or news results dominating the SERP, that keyword may not be worth targeting with a standard blog article. Stick to keywords where organic text content owns the top spots.

Check competitor backlink profiles after finding a gap. If a competitor is ranking for a keyword largely because of their domain authority and backlinks, factor that into your timeline. You may need link-building alongside content creation to compete.

Bottom Line

Semrush content gap analysis is one of the most reliable ways to find keywords that are already driving traffic to competitors so you can go after them with a plan instead of a guess.

The process takes under an hour to complete the research side. The work comes in the writing and optimization, but when you know exactly which gaps to close, every article you publish has a clear purpose.

Start with the Missing keywords, cluster them, and write content that is more thorough than what your competitors already have. That combination is what actually moves the needle.

Get started with Semrush here and run your first gap analysis today. The data will surprise you.