Competitor Keyword Gap Triage (Delivery)

Competitor Keyword Gap Triage (Delivery)

1. 01

   Pull the client domain and three named competitors into the intelligence platform before any analysis begins

   Cap the competitor set at three to five domains. Beyond that, keyword overlap tables become noise and the delivery team spends hours debating which gaps matter instead of acting on them.

2. 02

   Export the keyword overlap report and filter to terms where the client ranks positions 11 through 30

   Striking-distance terms convert faster than net-new head terms. A client sitting at position 14 on a commercial query is a two-week content fix, not a six-month authority build.

3. 03

   Separate gaps into three buckets: competitor-only terms, client-only terms, and terms neither domain ranks for

   Competitor-only terms reveal where the client is losing share. Terms nobody ranks for often signal emerging intent that is cheaper to own now than after a competitor publishes.

4. 04

   Cross-check the top twenty gap terms against AI answer engines before writing the brief

   Query ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini with each term and record whether the client or a competitor is cited. A term with strong organic potential but zero AI citation needs a different content format than a standard blog post.

5. 05

   Score each gap on estimated monthly volume, current position, and content production cost

   A 400-search-per-month term at position 12 with an existing draft is a different investment than a 4,000-search term requiring original research. Score both on the same sheet so the client sees the tradeoff.

6. 06

   Assign the top five gaps to named writers with a publish date inside the current sprint

   Gaps without an owner and a date do not get filled. Route each assignment through the same brief template so the delivery lead can review structure before drafting starts.

7. 07

   Log the full gap list in the client workspace with a review date 30 days out

   Positions shift, and a gap that looked unreachable in month one may open up after a competitor redesigns their site. The 30-day review keeps the list live instead of archived.