Keyword Gap Analysis — Phase 6

Executive Summary

Keyword gap analysis identifies the highest-ROI search opportunities a business is currently missing. In 2025, the keyword landscape has shifted: "near me" searches grew 200%+ in 5 years, AIO (AI Overviews) appears for 20–35% of local service queries reducing organic P1 CTR by 30–45%, and zero-click searches hit 58% (SparkToro 2024). The most impactful keyword opportunities are no longer just the high-volume head terms but: (1) P4–10 keywords already ranking that need a push — highest ROI, (2) long-tail transactional keywords with KD <20 where a single optimized page can rank within 1–4 months, (3) emerging AI-recommendation query patterns. This phase maps the client's full keyword universe vs. competitors, identifies the highest-priority gaps, and produces a prioritized content + optimization plan.

2025 keyword benchmarks:

• P4–10 opportunity value: moving position 5 → position 1 = 6–10× more clicks (CTR: ~2.5% → 25–30%)
• Long-tail KD <20 targeting: 80% of searchers find what they need using 4+ word queries (Ahrefs 2024)
• Near me +200%: every local business needs "near me" variants mapped to GBP + local pages
• AIO CTR impact: if AIO shows for P1 keyword, organic P1 CTR drops from ~30% → ~15–20%
• Featured snippet → AIO citation: owning featured snippets = primary route to AIO inclusion
• Voice search: 27% of mobile searches are voice (Google 2024) — conversational queries now rank for both traditional + voice

Numbered Action Plan:

Immediate (Week 1 — No New Content Required)

1. Fix P4–10 keywords with high volume — For each keyword ranking 4–10 with >100 monthly searches: add FAQ section + FAQPage schema + internal links from related pages + update title with current year. Effort: 1–2 hrs/keyword. Expected: 3–5× CTR improvement when moving P5 → P1–3.
2. Rewrite low-CTR titles — GSC → Performance → filter: Impressions >500/month + CTR <2%. Rewrite title tags to include: year, city, "Free Estimate", or specific benefit. Effort: 15 min/title. Expected: 1–3% → 3–8% CTR.
3. Fix keyword cannibalization — Ahrefs → Organic Keywords → find same keyword on 2+ URLs → 301 redirect weaker to stronger. Effort: 30 min per pair. Priority: High.
4. Add schema to quick-win pages — Every P4–P10 service page that lacks FAQPage schema: add 5 FAQs + schema. AIO citation rate 3.2× higher with FAQPage. Effort: 30 min/page.
5. Create GBP service entries for all target keywords — Every service in keyword gap list should have a matching GBP service entry (free). Effort: 30 min.

Short-Term (Week 2–4)

6. Create missing transactional pages — For each competitor-only keyword gap at BOFU intent: create a dedicated service page (800+ words, FAQPage schema, local NAP). Effort: 3–5 hrs/page.
7. Expand thin location content — For neighborhood-specific keywords (neighborhood + service): add location micro-section to service area page OR create standalone location page if volume >50/month. Effort: 2–4 hrs.
8. Target "cost/price" long-tails — Create pricing guide pages for top 3 services ("Cost of [Service] in [City] 2025"). These rank quickly (KD <20), attract MOFU searchers, and reduce price objections. Effort: 2–4 hrs.
9. Capture "open now" keywords — Optimize GBP hours, add 24/7 emergency availability page if applicable, add "open now" + hours to service pages. Effort: 1–2 hrs.
10. Build topical cluster for top 3 head terms — Each head term (e.g., "plumber Chicago") needs a pillar page (2,500+ words) + 5+ cluster pages (1,200+ words each). Without cluster, head term rankings have ceiling. Effort: 20–40 hrs/cluster (strategic).

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Step 1: Read Project Context

Read {AUDIT_DIR}/intake-data.md — business name, services, location. Read {AUDIT_DIR}/competitor-profiles.md — competitor keyword strategies. Read {AUDIT_DIR}/content-inventory.md — client's current page/keyword mapping. Read {AUDIT_DIR}/content-gaps.md — identified content gaps to inform keyword research.

Tools for this phase:

Tool	Purpose	Cost
Ahrefs	Keyword Explorer, Site Explorer → Organic Keywords, Keywords Gap	Paid
SEMrush	Keyword Gap tool, Keyword Magic Tool, Position Tracking	Paid
Google Search Console	Actual click/impression data per keyword — real performance	Free (requires access)
Google Keyword Planner	Volume estimates, CPC (signals commercial intent), trend data	Free (Google Ads account)
Ubersuggest	Keyword ideas, volume, CPC, SEO difficulty — good free tier	Free/Paid
AlsoAsked.com	PAA-based question keyword mapping per topic	Freemium
Google Autocomplete	Real-time long-tail keyword discovery by typing prefix + letters	Free
Google Trends	Keyword momentum — seasonal peaks, rising vs. declining terms	Free

2025 Keyword Research Context:

• "Near me" searches increased 200%+ in 5 years — hyperlocal keywords are non-negotiable for local businesses
• AI Overview (AIO) changes CTR: position 1 organic CTR drops 30–45% when AIO appears above it — target long-tail and question keywords where AIO is less dominant
• Voice search accounts for 27% of mobile searches (Google 2024) — conversational long-tail keywords now serve dual purpose: traditional + voice
• Zero-click searches at 58% of all searches (SparkToro 2024) — featured snippets + AIO citations are increasingly more valuable than traditional rank #5

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Section 1: Keyword Universe Mapping

Step 1: Extract Client's Current Keywords

From Ahrefs Site Explorer → Organic Keywords → export all:

• Sort by position (filter: 1–100)
• Sort by traffic value
• Identify primary, secondary, and supporting keywords per page

URL	Primary Keyword	Position	Monthly Clicks	Secondary Keywords
/services/[slug]	[keyword]	[pos]	[clicks]	[keywords]
/blog/[slug]	[keyword]	[pos]	[clicks]	[keywords]

Step 2: Competitor Keyword Extraction

For each competitor (Ahrefs → Site Explorer → enter competitor → Organic Keywords):

• Export top 200 keywords by traffic
• Filter: exclude branded keywords
• Identify which service + location combinations they rank for

Step 3: Keyword Gap (Venn Diagram Analysis)

Use Ahrefs Keyword Gap or SEMrush Keyword Gap tool:

Category	Keywords	Count	Action
Client only (unique — client ranks, competitors don't)	[list top 5]	[X]	Maintain + strengthen
Shared with 1 competitor	[list top 5]	[X]	Improve ranking position
Shared with 2+ competitors (table stakes)	[list top 5]	[X]	Must win — critical priority
Competitor-only gaps (competitors rank, client doesn't)	[list top 10]	[X]	Create content / optimize

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Section 2: Keyword Classification System

For every identified gap keyword, classify along 5 dimensions:

By Length & Competition

Type	Definition	Local Example	Competition	Timeline
Head (1–2 words)	"plumber [city]"	"plumber chicago"	High — 60–80 KD	6–18 months
Mid-tail (2–3 words)	"emergency plumber chicago"	"drain cleaning chicago"	Medium — 30–60 KD	3–9 months
Long-tail (4+ words)	"24 hour emergency plumber lincoln park chicago"		Low — <30 KD	1–4 months

By Search Intent

Intent	Description	Content Match	Conversion Rate
Informational	"how to fix a leaky faucet"	Blog guide, how-to	Low (~1–3%)
Commercial	"best plumber chicago reviews"	Comparison, local	Medium (~3–8%)
Transactional	"hire plumber chicago same day"	Service page + CTA	High (~8–20%)
Navigational	"[brand] chicago plumbing"	About/homepage	High (brand intent)

By Local Modifier

Pattern	Example	Volume Type	Priority
Location-modified	"plumber chicago"	Medium	Critical
"Near me" variant	"plumber near me"	High	Critical
Neighborhood-specific	"plumber lincoln park"	Low-Medium	High
No modifier	"leak repair"	High (national)	Secondary
"Open now"	"plumber open now"	Medium	High (emergency intent)
"Same day" / "24 hour"	"same day plumber chicago"	Medium	High

By Funnel Stage

Stage	Examples	Page Type	Priority
TOFU (Awareness)	"signs of a water leak", "why water bill high"	Blog/guide	Medium
MOFU (Consideration)	"plumber vs. DIY", "cost to fix burst pipe"	FAQ/comparison	High
BOFU (Decision)	"hire emergency plumber chicago", "plumber quote"	Service page	Critical

By Volume Band (Local Business Benchmarks)

Band	Monthly Volume	Strategy
High	1,000+	Content + links + GBP optimization
Medium	100–999	Optimized service/location page
Low	10–99	Long-tail service page or blog section
Micro	<10	FAQ entry, location page detail, schema

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Section 3: Low-Hanging Fruit Analysis

Position 4–10 ("Almost There") Keywords — Highest ROI

From GSC or Ahrefs → filter positions 4–10 + volume >50/month:

Keyword	Position	URL	Monthly Volume	Action	Effort	Expected Traffic Gain
[keyword]	5	[url]	[vol]	Add FAQ + schema + internal links	1–2 hrs	+[X]/month
[keyword]	8	[url]	[vol]	Expand 500 words + Surfer optimize	2–3 hrs	+[X]/month

Impact: Moving position 5 → position 1 typically 6–10× more clicks (CTR: ~2.5% → ~25–30%).

Position 11–20 ("Page 2") Keywords — Medium Effort

From GSC → filter positions 11–20 + volume >100/month:

Keyword	Position	URL	Volume	Action	Effort
[keyword]	14	[url]	[vol]	Rewrite + earn 3–5 local links	4–6 hrs + link outreach

High Impressions / Low CTR (GSC)

From GSC → Performance → filter: Impressions >100/month, CTR <2%:

Keyword	Impressions/Month	CTR	Position	Fix	Effort
[keyword]	[X]	[X%]	[pos]	Rewrite title — add year/city/benefit	15 min

Potential: Improving CTR from 1% → 3% on 1,000 impressions = +20 additional monthly clicks.

Long-Tail High-Intent, Low Competition Goldmines

Keyword	Volume	KD (Ahrefs)	Intent	Page Needed
"[service] cost [city] 2025"	50–200	<20	MOFU	Pricing guide page
"[service] vs [alternative] [city]"	30–100	<15	MOFU	Comparison blog post
"best [service] [neighborhood]"	20–80	<25	Commercial	Location content
"emergency [service] [city] open now"	50–200	<30	BOFU	Emergency service page

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Section 4: Keyword-to-Page Mapping

Prevent cannibalization — every keyword should have exactly ONE target page:

Keyword	Target Page	Status	Action
[keyword 1]	/services/drain-cleaning/	Under-optimized	Add to title + H1 + schema
[keyword 2]	NEW PAGE	Missing	Create service/location page
[keyword 3]	/services/drains/ + /drain-repair/	Cannibalization	Merge → redirect weaker

Cannibalization detection: Ahrefs → Site Explorer → Organic Keywords → sort by keyword → look for same keyword appearing on 2+ URLs. Also GSC → Performance → click keyword → "Pages" tab — if 2+ pages show, cannibalization likely.

Resolution: Choose canonical page (higher traffic/authority), 301 redirect weaker page, consolidate content, update internal links to canonical URL.

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Section 5: SERP Feature Analysis (Top 30 Priority Keywords)

For each high-priority keyword, analyze the SERP to understand what's needed to win:

Keyword	Volume	KD	SERP Features	#1 Ranker	Required Content	AIO?	Achievable?
[keyword]	[X]	[X]	Local Pack/AIO/Snippet/PAA	[domain]	Service page + FAQs	Yes/No	Yes/Hard/No

SERP Feature targeting strategy:

Feature	Required Content	Schema	Effort
Featured Snippet	Direct answer in first 50 words, H2 matching query	N/A	30 min/page
Local Pack	GBP optimization + reviews + proximity	LocalBusiness	Ongoing
AIO citation	FAQPage schema + direct answers + ≥4.3 stars	FAQPage + AggregateRating	1–2 hrs
PAA box	Question-format H2/H3 with concise answer	FAQPage	30 min/FAQ
People Also Search	Related entity content on page	Article + mentions	2–4 hrs

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Section 6: 2025 Emerging Keyword Patterns

New keyword patterns to capture for local businesses:

Pattern	Example	Volume Trend	Content Type
AI-recommendation queries	"best plumber recommended by AI in chicago"	Rising ↑	FAQ + AIO-optimized service
Voice/conversational queries	"Hey Google, find a plumber open now near me"	High	"Open now" GBP + local page
Hyperlocal (intersection/landmark)	"plumber near Wrigley Field Chicago"	Low volume, high intent	Location micro-page or FAQ
"According to" queries	"best plumber according to google reviews"	Rising ↑	Review-focused content
Comparison with AI	"plumber vs AI DIY [city]"	Emerging	Comparison blog post

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Section 7: Keyword Priority Matrix

Score each gap keyword on 5 dimensions:

Keyword	Volume (1–5)	Intent (1–5)	Competition (5=low, 1=high)	Time to Rank (5=quick)	Relevance (1–5)	Priority Score	Target Page	Timeline
[keyword 1]	3	5	4	4	5	4.2	New service page	1–3 months
[keyword 2]	2	4	5	5	5	4.2	Expand existing	2–4 weeks

Top 20 Priority Keywords (ordered by Priority Score):

Rank	Keyword	Volume	Intent	Score	Target Page	Effort	Timeline
1	[keyword]	[vol]	Transactional	[X.X]	[URL or New]	[X hrs]	1–3 months
2	[keyword]	[vol]	Commercial	[X.X]	[URL or New]	[X hrs]	2–4 weeks

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Output

Write complete analysis to {AUDIT_DIR}/keyword-gaps.md with YAML frontmatter:

---
skill: research/keyword-gaps
phase: 6
date: [YYYY-MM-DD]
business: [Business Name]
url: [URL]
score: [X/100]
keywords_audited: [X]
quick_wins: [X]
gaps_identified: [X]
cannibalization_issues: [X]
---

Include:

• Score X/100 with gap severity breakdown
• Current keyword map (client's top 20 ranking keywords)
• Keyword gap Venn diagram (client only / shared / competitor only)
• Classification tables (by intent, length, local modifier, funnel stage)
• Low-hanging fruit: P4-10 quick wins (with traffic gain estimates)
• High impression / low CTR opportunities (with CTR improvement %s)
• Long-tail goldmine list (KD <20, transactional intent)
• Keyword-to-page mapping (including cannibalization fixes)
• SERP feature analysis (top 30 keywords, schema requirements)
• 2025 emerging keyword patterns
• Priority matrix (top 20 keywords scored)
• 30/90-day keyword capture plan with effort estimates

Output files:

• {AUDIT_DIR}/keyword-gaps.md — keyword gap analysis with priority matrix
• {REPORTS_DIR}/phase-6-keyword-gaps.pdf — auto-generated PDF after phase completes

Key consumers:

• research/topical-gaps — keywords inform topical map and cluster structure
• output/report-generation — keyword opportunities in master report section 6
• audit/onpage-seo — keyword-to-page assignments for optimization

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Keyword Gap Reference Table

Priority Tiers by Keyword Type

Keyword Type	Volume Range	KD Target	AIO Risk	Priority	Action
P4–10 existing rankers	Any	Ranked	Low	25 (5×5)	On-page optimization (no new content)
Long-tail transactional	50–500/mo	<20	Low	20 (5×4)	Create 800–1,200 word page
"Near me" variants	100–2,000/mo	<30	Medium	20 (4×5)	GBP optimization + location page
Voice search queries	10–200/mo	<15	High	15 (5×3)	FAQ pages with FAQPage schema
High-volume head terms	1,000+/mo	>50	High	12 (4×3)	Long-term cluster building
Featured snippet targets	50–500/mo	<40	Medium	16 (4×4)	Add structured response block to page

GBP 2025 Keyword Signals

GBP keywords now feed directly into local pack visibility. Add top-priority keywords to:

• GBP business description (first 200 characters most important)
• GBP service names and service descriptions
• GBP Q&A (seed with keyword-rich questions and answers)
• GBP review response templates (encourage keyword-rich reviews)

INP + Page Experience as Keyword Ranking Factor (March 2024+)

INP (Interaction to Next Paint) replaced FID as a Core Web Vital in March 2024. It is a confirmed page experience signal that affects keyword rankings:

• INP <200ms = Good — full ranking benefit from page experience signal
• INP 200–500ms = Needs Improvement — partial suppression
• INP >500ms = Poor — ranking penalty from page experience, compounded on competitive keywords

Keyword targeting implication: For competitive keywords (KD >40) where page experience is a tiebreaker, poor INP on target pages directly suppresses keyword potential. When prioritizing keyword opportunities in this phase, flag any target page with INP >200ms as needing simultaneous technical fix (Phase 10) to unlock ranking potential.

Keyword Gap vs. Competitor Benchmark Table

Use this structure when reporting gaps found via Ahrefs / SEMrush keyword gap tool:

Gap Keyword	Client Position	Comp 1 Position	Comp 2 Position	Monthly Searches	KD	Intent	Priority Action
[service keyword]	Not ranking	P3	P5	[volume]	[KD]	BOFU	Create service page
[near me variant]	P12	P2	P4	[volume]	[KD]	Local	GBP + location page
[question keyword]	Not ranking	P1 (snippet)	P8	[volume]	[KD]	MOFU	FAQ page + FAQPage schema
[cost/price query]	Not ranking	P2	P6	[volume]	<20	MOFU	Pricing guide page

INP note: keyword-optimized pages must also meet INP <200ms threshold (replaced FID March 2024) — fast pages with good keyword targeting outrank slow pages with identical targeting.