Advanced Keyword Research: Discover Gaps with Ahrefs

Finding Your Competitors’ Best Keywords with Ahrefs (That You’re Missing)

Discovering what keywords your competitors rank for—but you don’t—is like finding a treasure map to untapped traffic. This process, known as keyword gap analysis, can reveal content opportunities that your competitors have already proven valuable. Here’s how to systematically uncover these opportunities using Ahrefs.

Why Keyword Gap Analysis Matters

Did you know that 90.63% of pages get zero organic traffic from Google? Your competitors who are successfully driving traffic have already done the hard work of finding valuable keywords. Instead of starting from scratch, you can identify these proven keywords and create better content to outrank them.

Keyword gap analysis helps you:

• Find proven keywords with existing search volume
• Identify content topics your audience wants but you haven’t covered
• Prioritize content creation based on competitor success
• Discover ranking opportunities with lower difficulty

Step-by-Step Competitor Keyword Research in Ahrefs

1. Identify Your True Competitors

Don’t just analyze the industry giants. Look for websites that:

• Rank for your target keywords
• Have similar content and business models
• Target the same audience

Quick tip: Search your main keywords in Google and note websites that repeatedly appear. These are your SEO competitors, which may differ from your business competitors.

2. Use the Content Gap Tool

In Ahrefs Site Explorer:

• Enter your domain
• Navigate to “Content Gap” under “Organic search”
• Add 3-5 competitor domains in the top section
• Leave your domain in the “But the following target doesn’t rank for” field
• Set filters (I recommend minimum volume of 100 and at least 2 competitors ranking)

3. Evaluate and Prioritize Keywords

Don’t just grab all keywords—assess them for:

• Search intent: Does it align with what you offer?
• Keyword difficulty: Can you realistically rank?
• Business value: Will this traffic convert?
• Traffic potential: Check the top-ranking page’s total traffic, not just the search volume

I’ve found that sorting by “Traffic Potential” rather than just search volume often reveals more valuable opportunities that tools might underestimate.

Case Study: Scaling Content Strategy with Gap Analysis

One SaaS company I worked with discovered 37 high-potential keywords their competitors ranked for through content gap analysis. After creating content targeting these topics, they increased organic traffic by 43% in four months.

The key wasn’t just finding keywords—it was understanding why competitors ranked. By examining the top-ranking content formats and depth, they created more comprehensive resources that better matched search intent.

Common Mistakes When Using Ahrefs for Keyword Gap Analysis

• Targeting only high-volume keywords (often the most competitive)
• Ignoring search intent behind the keywords
• Not checking if competitors rank with dedicated pages or passing mentions
• Failing to segment keywords by content type (blog posts vs. product pages)
• Not repeating the analysis regularly as SERPs change

When performing competitive keyword research with Ahrefs, don’t just look at the list—check what type of content is ranking. Sometimes competitors rank with resource pages, tools, or specific content formats that you should match.

Making keyword gap analysis a monthly habit ensures you never miss emerging opportunities as your competitors create new content. The most successful SEO strategies don’t just find keywords—they establish a continuous cycle of competitive intelligence.