Content Gap Analysis in Semrush: The 2026 Keyword Gap Walkthrough

Introduction: Why “Content Gap Analysis in Semrush” Is a Slightly Misleading Search

People who search for “content gap analysis in Semrush” usually expect to find a tool with that name. Semrush has no tool called “Content Gap.” The feature they want is Keyword Gap, which sits in the Competitive Research section of the platform.

Most tutorials on this topic, including guides from Supademo, AIOSEO, Infidigit, FlyingV Group, Demandsage, and WMK Agency, repeat the same basic click path. They rarely explain the naming confusion. They also tend to skip the differences between keyword categories, the hard limit of five domains, and concrete filtering thresholds.

This walkthrough covers those gaps:

• Navigation steps that match the current interface
• Clear definitions of the Missing, Weak, Untapped, Shared, and Unique categories
• The five-domain benchmark limit and how to work within it
• URL-level and subfolder-level comparison
• Keyword difficulty (KD) and volume thresholds for a usable opportunity list
• The 2026 AI Visibility Toolkit, which finds gaps in AI Overviews

The final sections explain what to do with the exported list, because that is where many teams get stuck.

There’s No “Content Gap” Tool: Here’s What Semrush Actually Calls It

“Content gap analysis” is an industry term for a strategy, not a Semrush product. The Semrush feature that performs this analysis is Keyword Gap.

The Semrush Knowledge Base describes Keyword Gap as a tool that “offers a side-by-side comparison between keyword profiles of up to five competitors.” Users enter domains, pick a ranking type, and get a report showing top opportunities for each site, total keyword overlap, and keywords that all sites share.

Keyword Gap is listed under Competitive Research. Depending on account setup, it may also appear near the Keyword Research tools. It is a separate tool from Domain Overview and Organic Research. Those two tools analyze one domain at a time, while Keyword Gap compares several domains side by side.

Semrush’s own blog uses both terms. “Content gap analysis” is the goal, and “Keyword Gap” is the tool used to reach it. Seen that way, the two names fit together without conflict.

Locating and Opening Keyword Gap in the 2026 Semrush Interface

As of 2026, the path is: Semrush dashboard → Competitive Research → Keyword Gap. The current layout reflects the “New Flow” update announced in Semrush’s product news.

The update changed what the tool can compare. Previously, Keyword Gap could only compare entire domains. Now users can enter up to 5 URLs, subdomains, or subfolders directly in the input fields.

During setup, users choose one of three keyword types:

• Organic keywords
• Paid keywords
• PLA (product listing ad) keywords

Users focused on content should start with organic keywords, because that dataset shows what competitors rank for in unpaid search results.

After the comparison runs, the screen shows two main elements. At the top is a Venn-diagram-style overlap visual. Below it is a detailed breakdown table of individual keywords and their metrics.

The 5-Domain Benchmark Cap: What It Means and How to Use It Strategically

Semrush’s official feature page states the limit clearly: users can benchmark up to 5 keyword profiles, which means their own domain plus 4 other domains. Semrush says this lets users “find shared, unique, and untapped keywords for each of them.”

Some competing tools allow more domains in a similar comparison feature. Semrush’s lower cap means users need to choose competitors more carefully.

A practical selection strategy:

• Do not automatically pick the four largest or most obvious competitors.
• Include at least one adjacent or non-identical site.
• Mix close rivals with sites that serve the same audience from a different angle.

One digital marketing strategist used this approach for an HVAC client. The client already ranked for thousands of keywords. Instead of comparing the client only against direct competitors, the strategist compared it against sites in similar but different industries, such as energy-efficiency government sites. That comparison found keyword opportunities that a direct-competitor analysis would have missed.

Teams that track more than four competitors should run several five-domain comparisons one after another. Each report stays easier to read when it compares a focused set of sites.

Step-by-Step: Running Your First Keyword Gap Report

1. Enter the primary domain. Type the root domain or a specific subfolder into the first field.
2. Add competitors. Enter up to four competitor domains or URLs in the remaining fields.
3. Select the keyword type. Choose organic for standard content gap analysis. Choose paid or PLA for PPC-focused comparisons.
4. Click “Compare.” This step follows Semrush’s documented workflow.
5. Review the Venn diagram. The overlap visual gives a quick sense of how much the sites share before working through the table.

Semrush also connects organic and paid data. A 2026 feature comparison noted that Semrush shows the overlap between organic gaps and paid search gaps in one view, a view not offered natively by some competing tools. This helps teams that run SEO and PPC together.

Decoding the Five Keyword Categories: Missing, Weak, Untapped, Shared, Unique

The report sorts keywords into five categories. Each one calls for a different action, so it helps to know exactly what each means.

Category	Definition	What It Signals
Missing	All competitors rank for the term; the target site doesn’t	Highest-priority gap
Weak	The site ranks, but lower than competitors	Optimize existing content rather than create new pages
Untapped	At least one competitor ranks; the target site doesn’t	A larger pool of opportunities than Missing
Shared	The site and competitors all rank	Useful for benchmarking, not for new content
Unique	Only the target site ranks	A competitive advantage worth protecting

Prioritization framework:

• Start with Missing. If every competitor ranks for a term, demand is proven and search engines clearly see the topic as relevant to the niche.
• Use Untapped to find more volume. This list is broader and usually contains more total opportunities.
• Use Weak to find pages to update. These keywords usually point to existing pages that need improvement, not new pages.

Dropping to URL-Level Comparison for Subfolders and Specific Pages

Many tutorials skip one useful capability: Keyword Gap can compare content URL by URL, not only domain against domain. According to Semrush, this also works for subfolders and subdomains, so users can find keywords to target with a specific page.

This lets users isolate one part of a site, such as a blog section, a product category, or a service area. For example, a franchise or multi-location brand can compare its /locations/ subfolder with a competitor’s equivalent subfolder. Comparing whole root domains would mix in unrelated pages and hide the useful signal.

This feature came from the 2026 interface update that added more than domain-only comparisons. It is especially useful for franchises, multi-location brands, and agencies that manage several client subfolders, because broad domain comparisons often bury the information these users need.

Filtering Out Noise: Concrete KD and Volume Thresholds That Matter

Raw Missing and Untapped lists contain a lot of noise. Sorting by volume alone is not enough. Users need firm filtering rules.

Semrush’s documented filter path:

1. Select the Position filter.
2. Hover over Competitors and click “Top 20.” This keeps only keywords where competitors actually rank well.
3. Open the KD filter and select “Very easy,” or set a custom KD threshold under 40, to show terms that are realistic to win.

Next, set a volume floor of about 500+ monthly searches. This removes terms with too little traffic to matter. There are exceptions: high-intent long-tail B2B or niche terms can be worth targeting at lower volumes because each visitor is more likely to convert.

Rule of thumb for a real opportunity list:

KD under 40 AND volume 500+ AND category = Missing or Untapped

After that, apply the Intent filter. It separates commercial keywords, which suit service or product pages, from informational keywords, which suit blog content and guides.

The 2026 Extension: Finding Gaps in AI Overviews with the AI Visibility Toolkit

Keyword Gap covers traditional search. In 2026, Semrush added an AI-search counterpart for Generative Engine Optimization (GEO). Most tutorials do not cover it yet.

Semrush’s blog describes the workflow:

1. Open the Competitor Research report in the AI Visibility Toolkit.
2. Enter your domain and your top competitors.
3. Scroll down to the “Topics & Prompts” section.

This process is called competitor prompt analysis. Semrush explains that it “shows you prompts for which your rivals appear in AI platforms but you don’t.” In effect, it is the AI-search version of Missing keywords, covering platforms such as Google AI Overviews and ChatGPT.

This matters more each year. AI Overviews appeared on 48% of Google queries as of April 2026, up from 31% in February 2025. AI-sourced traffic grew 527% year over year.

The AI Visibility Toolkit does not replace Keyword Gap. It works alongside it and shows a second, separate set of opportunities.

Semrush and the Broader Gap-Analysis Landscape: Resolving the Competitor-Count Debate

Comparisons between keyword research tools are often vague. Here are the specifics for Semrush’s approach:

• Competitor count: Semrush allows 5 domains total, including the user’s own, within a single Keyword Gap comparison. Some competing platforms allow more domains at once in a similar feature.
• Visualization: Semrush’s Venn diagram shows overlap at a glance.
• Cross-channel view: Semrush shows organic and paid search gaps together in one report.
• AI-search coverage: Semrush’s AI Visibility Toolkit adds prompt-level gap analysis for AI platforms.

Takeaway: The right tool depends on what a team needs. Teams that want organic and paid data in one view, plus AI-visibility analysis, may find Semrush’s approach useful. Teams managing a larger set of competitors may need to run multiple five-domain comparisons to cover the same ground.

Exporting and Operationalizing Your Keyword Gap List

Semrush offers two built-in export options:

• Download graphs and tables as .XLS or CSV files.
• Send results to Semrush Keyword Manager to build a master keyword list.

Before moving on, tag each keyword by category (Missing, Weak, Untapped) and by KD and volume tier. These tags make it easier to decide what to write first, what to update, and what to postpone.

Following through on the list pays off. In one documented case, an agency used Semrush to find keywords a plumbing client was not targeting or not ranking well for. The agency then created content for those keywords based on the buyer’s journey. Organic sessions to those pages increased by 576%.

The native output has one important limitation: it is a static list. Keyword Gap surfaces the gap and stops there: the team still has to export the list, write the brief, draft the content, and publish it. Everything after the export happens manually unless a team adds other tools.

What Happens After the Export: Turning a Keyword List Into Published Content

Most teams hit their main bottleneck at this stage. A filtered export can still have 200 or more rows. Turning those rows into briefs, drafts, and published pages is where manual workflows tend to break down, especially for teams with one to five marketers.

The manual process usually includes:

1. Writing briefs for each target keyword
2. Drafting content
3. Formatting for SEO (metadata, headings, schema)
4. Adding internal links between related pages
5. Publishing to the CMS
6. Tracking performance

Each step takes time and money. A list that is not acted on goes out of date as competitors keep publishing.

Teams without the capacity to work through the list manually can use automated content production instead. Platforms in this category, including KOZEC (Keyword Optimized Zero Effort Content), take a keyword list and handle the remaining steps. An exported Untapped or Missing list can go through agentic research, structured content creation, internal linking, and direct publishing to WordPress or another major CMS, with optional review before anything goes live.

For budget comparison, traditional SEO agencies typically charge $8,000 to $15,000 per month for 8 to 12 articles. Automated platforms offer 15 to 60 or more articles per month at much lower price points. Whether automation fits depends on team bandwidth, budget, and how much direct control a team wants over each piece.

Conclusion: Precision Over Shortcuts in Keyword Gap Analysis

“Content gap analysis in Semrush” means using the Keyword Gap tool correctly. There is no separate “Content Gap” feature to find.

This guide covered the five-domain benchmark cap, the five keyword categories, URL-level comparison, firm KD and volume thresholds, and the AI Visibility Toolkit for finding gaps in AI search.

Running the report once is not where the value comes from. The value comes from choosing the right competitor set, including adjacent-industry sites, and applying strict filters until the list is actionable. Even then, the real test of return on investment is execution. A well-filtered list is only worth what a team does with it.

Ready to Move From Keyword List to Published Content?

Teams that have already exported a Keyword Gap list and are now stuck on production can try KOZEC’s automated workflow.

KOZEC offers four tiers:

• Foundation: $600/month for 15 pieces
• Momentum: $1,000/month for 30 pieces
• Scale: from $1,500/month for 60 pieces
• Enterprise: custom pricing for 100+ pieces

There are no long-term contracts, plans can be canceled anytime, and setup takes days rather than months. This makes it practical to test the workflow on an existing Semrush export.

Next step: Book a demo at kozec.ai/schedule-a-demo/ to see how an exported keyword gap list becomes a published, interlinked set of content.