BuzzSumo Competitor Content Gap Analysis: How to Find and Fill Missing Topics to Outrank Rivals

Creating content without checking what your competitors are ranking for is like throwing spaghetti at the wall and hoping it sticks. You might get lucky, but most of your effort will go to waste. That’s where BuzzSumo competitor content gap analysis comes in. This powerful tool automates the tedious work of manually comparing your content to top rivals, showing you exactly which high-performing topics you’re missing.

As HubSpot’s 2024 Content Marketing Benchmark Report shows, teams that run regular competitor content gap analyses see 2x higher organic traffic growth than those that don’t. Whether you’re a small business or an enterprise brand, this tactic can transform your content strategy.

What Is a BuzzSumo Competitor Content Gap?

A BuzzSumo competitor content gap refers to the topics, keywords, and content formats your direct rivals are ranking for that you haven’t covered yet. Instead of guessing what to write next, BuzzSumo’s dedicated Content Gap tool pulls data from your competitors’ top-performing content, filters out what you’ve already published, and serves up a list of untapped opportunities.

This saves you hours of manual research and ensures you’re only targeting topics with proven audience demand.

Why Run a BuzzSumo Competitor Content Gap Analysis?

Not convinced you need to add this to your workflow? Here are the top benefits:

• Uncover high-performing topics you’re missing: Stop guessing what your audience wants. The tool shows you which competitor content gets the most shares, backlinks, and traffic.
• Steal low-competition keyword opportunities: Many gap topics have decent search volume but low competition, making them easy wins for your site.
• Benchmark your content against top rivals: See how your content stacks up in terms of engagement, word count, and freshness compared to competitors.
• Prioritize content that drives real results: Filter gap results by engagement metrics to focus on topics that will actually move the needle for your business.

Step-by-Step Guide to Using the BuzzSumo Competitor Content Gap Tool

Ready to run your first analysis? Follow these 5 simple steps:

Step 1: Identify Your Top Competitors

Start by listing 3-5 direct competitors — brands that target the same audience and keywords as you. Avoid including massive industry leaders (like Nike if you’re a small athletic wear brand) unless you’re ready to compete at that level.

You can use BuzzSumo’s Competitor Discovery tool to find relevant rivals if you’re not sure who to include.

Step 2: Input Your Domain and Competitors in BuzzSumo

Log in to your BuzzSumo account and navigate to the Content Gap tool. Enter your website domain in the first field, then add up to 5 competitor domains in the next fields. Set your date range to the last 6-12 months to capture recent trending topics.

Step 3: Filter and Sort Gap Results

Once the tool generates results, use the filters to narrow down your list:

• Filter by content type (articles, videos, infographics) to match your content strategy.
• Set minimum word counts to avoid thin content gaps.
• Sort by total engagement (shares + backlinks) to prioritize high-performing topics first.

Step 4: Evaluate Gap Opportunities

Don’t chase every gap topic that pops up. For each opportunity, check:

• Search volume and keyword difficulty (use a tool like Ahrefs or SEMrush to verify).
• Brand alignment: Does the topic fit your business goals and audience interests?
• Content freshness: Is the top competitor content outdated? If yes, you can create a more up-to-date version to outrank them.

Step 5: Create and Promote Your Gap Content

When creating your gap content, make it 10x better than the top-ranking competitor piece. Add more original data, visuals, actionable tips, and updated information. Once published, promote it via social media, email newsletters, and backlink outreach to relevant sites.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Even with the best tool, it’s easy to make mistakes. Steer clear of these common pitfalls:

• Ignoring quality for quantity: Don’t publish thin, low-value content just to fill a gap. It will hurt your rankings long-term.
• Targeting irrelevant competitors: If you target brands that don’t share your audience, the gap topics will be useless to you.
• Forgetting to update old gap content: Revisit gap content every 6 months to add new data and keep it fresh.
• Not tracking results: Use Google Analytics to track traffic and rankings for your gap content to see what’s working.

FAQ: BuzzSumo Competitor Content Gap

Q: Is the BuzzSumo content gap tool free?
A: No, it’s available on BuzzSumo’s Pro and higher paid plans. Most active content teams find the cost is justified by the high-value insights it provides.

Q: How often should I run a competitor content gap analysis?
A: Aim for quarterly checks, or monthly if you operate in a fast-moving niche like tech, digital marketing, or fashion.

Q: Can I use BuzzSumo content gap analysis for local businesses?
A: Yes! Add location-specific keywords to your gap filters (e.g., "coffee shop in Austin") to find local competitor content gaps.

Q: What if a gap topic has high competition?
A: Look for sub-niches within the topic, or create a unique angle like a case study, ultimate guide, or video breakdown to stand out.

Conclusion

Running a BuzzSumo competitor content gap analysis takes the guesswork out of content planning. By targeting topics your rivals are already proving people want, you can boost your organic traffic, outrank competitors, and grow your business faster.

Ready to get started? Sign up for a BuzzSumo free trial today and run your first content gap analysis in minutes. Have questions about using the tool? Drop them in the comments below!