content-gap-finder

name	content-gap-finder
description	Identifies content gaps by analyzing competitor content, search intent mismatches, and audience questions. Use when planning what content to create next based on strategic opportunities.
allowed-tools	Read Write Glob
metadata	{"author":"matthewhitcham","version":"1.0"}

Content Gap Finder

When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when you need to:

• Identify topics your competitors cover that you do not
• Find audience questions that have no good content answering them
• Discover search intent mismatches where existing content falls short
• Prioritize your next batch of content based on strategic gaps

DO NOT use this skill for keyword research, content auditing (use content-audit skill), or writing content. This is for identifying and prioritizing content opportunities.

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Core Principle

A CONTENT GAP IS NOT JUST A MISSING TOPIC — IT IS A MISSED OPPORTUNITY WHERE YOUR AUDIENCE IS LOOKING FOR ANSWERS AND FINDING NOTHING (OR NOTHING GOOD).

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Phase 1: Brief

Required Inputs

Input	What to Ask	Default
Your website / content	"Share your website URL or a list of your published content."	No default — must be provided
Competitors	"List 3-5 competitors or similar brands in your space."	No default — must be provided
Target audience	"Who are you creating content for?"	Solopreneurs and business owners
Business goals	"What should your content drive? Traffic, leads, sales, authority?"	Organic traffic and leads
Content channels	"Where do you publish? Blog, YouTube, podcast, social?"	Blog

GATE: Confirm brief before analysis.

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Phase 2: Analysis Framework

Gap Categories

Analyze across five gap types:

1. **Topic gaps** — topics competitors cover that you do not
2. **Depth gaps** — topics you cover but not deeply enough
3. **Format gaps** — topics covered in text but not video (or vice versa)
4. **Audience gaps** — content that serves one segment but ignores another
5. **Intent gaps** — content that targets informational queries but misses commercial/transactional intent

GATE: Confirm analysis scope before full report.

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Phase 3: Write

Gap Analysis Report

1. Topic Gaps

## Topics Your Competitors Cover That You Don't

| # | Topic | Competitor Covering It | Search Intent | Priority |
|---|-------|----------------------|---------------|----------|
| 1 | [Topic] | [Competitor A, B] | [Informational/Commercial] | High |
| 2 | [Topic] | [Competitor A] | [Informational] | Medium |
...

For each high-priority gap:

### Gap: [Topic]

**Why it matters:** [1-2 sentences on audience demand and business relevance]
**Competitor coverage:** [What competitors have published and what quality level]
**Your opportunity:** [How to cover this better — angle, format, depth]
**Suggested content:** "[Working title]" — [format] — [estimated word count/length]
**Target keyword:** [Primary keyword suggestion]

2. Depth Gaps

## Topics You Cover but Not Deeply Enough

| Your Content | What's Missing | Competitor's Better Version | Action |
|-------------|----------------|---------------------------|--------|
| [Your post title] | [Missing element] | [Competitor post] | Update / Expand |

3. Format Gaps

## Format Opportunities

| Topic | You Have | You're Missing | Opportunity |
|-------|---------|---------------|-------------|
| [Topic] | Blog post | Video explainer | Create a companion video |
| [Topic] | Nothing | Competitor has a podcast episode | Create a blog post + video |

4. Audience Gaps

## Underserved Audience Segments

| Segment | What They Need | What You Have | Gap |
|---------|---------------|---------------|-----|
| [Segment, e.g., beginners] | [Content need] | [Nothing / too advanced] | [Specific content to create] |

5. Content Priority Matrix

## Priority Matrix

| Priority | Topic | Type | Effort | Potential Impact |
|----------|-------|------|--------|-----------------|
| 1 | [Topic] | New content | Medium | High (competitor gap + search volume) |
| 2 | [Topic] | Update existing | Low | High (depth gap on top-performing page) |
| 3 | [Topic] | New format | Medium | Medium (video for popular blog post) |
...

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Phase 4: Polish

1. Gap Analysis Checklist

## Checklist

- [ ] At least 3 competitors analyzed
- [ ] Topic gaps identified with priority ratings
- [ ] Depth gaps flagged with specific missing elements
- [ ] Format gaps noted where applicable
- [ ] Each high-priority gap has a suggested content piece
- [ ] Priority matrix ranks all opportunities by effort vs impact
- [ ] Recommendations are specific (title, format, target keyword)
- [ ] Analysis connects gaps to business goals (traffic, leads, sales)

2. 90-Day Content Roadmap

Based on the gaps, suggest a 90-day plan:

• Month 1: Address the top 3 highest-impact gaps
• Month 2: Update depth gaps on existing content
• Month 3: Experiment with new formats and audience segments

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Example: Gap Analysis for a Freelance Business Blog

Competitor blogs analyzed: Freelancers Union, Millo, Careful Cents

Topic gaps found:
1. "Freelance contract templates" — 3 competitors cover it, you don't → High priority
2. "How to fire a client" — 2 competitors, high engagement → Medium priority
3. "Freelance tax deductions guide" — seasonal topic, no competitor does it well → High priority

Depth gaps:
- Your "Freelance Pricing Guide" is 800 words. Top competitor's is 3,200 with examples and a calculator. Update to 2,500+ words with tools and templates.

Priority #1: Create "Freelance Contract Templates (Free Downloads)" — high search volume, no existing content, strong lead magnet potential.

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Anti-Patterns

• Copying competitors — the goal is to identify gaps, not replicate competitor content. Cover the topic better, not the same.
• Chasing every gap — not every gap is worth filling. Prioritize by business impact, not completeness.
• Ignoring depth gaps — sometimes the biggest opportunity is improving existing content, not creating new pieces.
• No prioritization — a list of 50 gaps without a priority framework is overwhelming and useless.
• Assuming gaps mean demand — a competitor covering a topic does not prove your audience cares. Validate demand before creating.

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Recovery

• No competitor data available: Analyze audience questions from forums, social media, and "People Also Ask" results instead.
• Too many gaps identified: Narrow to the top 10 by applying the effort-vs-impact filter. Focus on high-impact, low-effort gaps first.
• All gaps are high-effort: Look for "quick win" depth gaps — updating existing content is almost always lower effort than creating new pieces.
• User's niche has few competitors: Expand the competitor list to include adjacent niches or larger industry publications.
• No existing content to compare: Start with the top 20 questions your audience asks and check whether any competitor answers them well.