How to Identify the Content Gaps Your Competitors Are Leaving Behind

Most content teams, when they want to improve their content, open competitors’ blogs, look at the topics they cover, and try to do “the same thing, but a bit better.” On paper, this sounds like a good approach. In reality, it often leads to content that feels like a copy of everything that already exists.

The problem is not that you analyze competitors. The problem is how you analyze them. When you focus only on what competitors are doing, you miss something far more important - what they are not doing. This is exactly where content gaps appear.

Content gaps are empty spaces in content that your competitors leave behind. These can be topics no one has covered, questions no one answers clearly, or content formats no one is using. When you recognize them, you get the opportunity to create content that truly stands out.

In this blog, we’ll explain in a simple, step-by-step way how to identify content gaps, even if you’ve never worked with content strategy or competitor analysis before.

What a Content Gap Really Means (and What It Doesn’t)

A content gap does not simply mean “a topic no one is writing about.” That’s a common misunderstanding. In reality, a content gap can exist even when dozens of articles already cover the same topic.

There are three most common types of content gaps:

1. A completely uncovered topic - this is a situation where the audience has a question or a problem, but competitors are not writing about it at all.
2. A poorly explained topic - competitors do write about it, but without concrete examples, without context, and without clearly showing how things work in real life.
3. Misaligned content - the topic exists, but it is written for the wrong audience or from the wrong angle.

It’s important to understand that a content gap is not a sign that competitors “don’t know” something. More often, it’s a sign that everyone is focusing on the same safe topics, while less obvious ones are being ignored.

Start With the Questions Competitors Don’t Answer

The easiest way to spot content gaps is to pay attention to questions that no one answers clearly.

Open a few competitors’ blogs and look at:

• Headlines
• Subheadings
• Conclusions

Then ask yourself: what’s missing here?

Very often, you’ll notice that articles explain what something is, but not:

• what it looks like in practice
• what to do when things don’t work
• what the most common mistakes are

For example, many people write about content strategy, but very few explain what a real day in a content team actually looks like or how decisions are really made. That gap is a clear content gap.

If you want to find strong ideas, focus on the “uncomfortable” questions - the ones competitors avoid because they require real detail and real experience.

Identify Topics That Are Covered, but Only on the Surface

One of the most common content gaps hides in topics that are already popular, but poorly explained.

Signs that a topic is only covered on the surface include:

• general advice without examples
• phrases that sound smart but explain nothing
• no clear audience in mind

If you read an article and still don’t know exactly what to do afterward, you’ve probably found a content gap.

In these situations, you don’t need to invent a new topic. It’s enough to simplify the explanation, add concrete examples, and clearly explain who the content is for.

This approach often creates more value than a “completely new” idea.

Content Gaps Don’t Exist Only in Topics, but in Formats Too

Most content teams think only about topics. However, many content gaps exist in formats that are not being used.

For example, competitors often publish:

• long blog posts
• generic guides

But very few create:

• short lists of things to do
• images or diagrams that show what comes first and what comes next
• simple step-by-step guides
• real-life examples where something didn’t work

The same content, presented in a different format, can be far more useful to readers. If everyone is writing long articles, the format itself might be your biggest content gap.

Where Competitors Stay Silent and the Audience Asks Questions

One of the most reliable ways to find content gaps is by listening to real audience questions.

Pay attention to:

• comments under posts
• questions on LinkedIn
• issues that keep repeating in sales or support conversations

You’ll often notice that people keep asking the same questions, while helpful content simply doesn’t exist.

This is a clear signal. When you create content that directly answers these questions, people will find it on their own, without extra promotion.

How to Decide Which Content Gaps Are Worth Your Time

You don’t need to fill every content gap you discover.

Ask yourself three simple questions:

1. Is this topic important to my audience?
2. Is the competition ignoring it or explaining it poorly?
3. Does this connect to what we do as a brand?

If the answer is “yes” to all three, you’ve probably found a strong content gap.

It’s better to have a few clear, high-quality pieces than many that leave no real impression.

Turning a Content Gap Into Real Content

Once you identify a content gap, the next step is turning that gap into actual content.

One content gap can become:

• one detailed blog post that explains the topic from start to finish in simple language
• several connected articles that break the topic into smaller, easier-to-understand parts
• a main topic you can later build multiple pieces of content around

The key is not trying to “cover everything.” Focus on clearly explaining one specific problem.

When people realize that your content is where things finally make sense, they start seeing you as a trusted reference in your industry.

Conclusion

The best content doesn’t come from publishing more than your competitors, but from publishing what others skip.

Content gaps help you stand out without aggressive competition, attract people who are looking for clear answers, and build trust through clarity.

The next time you analyze competitors, don’t ask only what they are doing. Ask what is left unsaid. That’s where your biggest content opportunity lives.