The answer isn’t more blog posts or a bigger budget. It’s strategic keyword gap analysis—identifying the exact search terms your competitors own that you don’t, then systematically claiming that territory.
What Is Keyword Gap Analysis?
Keyword gap analysis compares your website’s keyword rankings against your competitors to find opportunities you’re missing. Instead of guessing what to write about next, you’re reverse-engineering proven winners.
The math is simple: If your competitor ranks on page one for “Chapter 7 bankruptcy lawyer Miami” and you don’t, that’s a gap. That gap represents real cases going to them instead of you.
Why This Matters for Law Firms
Legal SEO is a zero-sum game in local markets. When someone in your city searches for a bankruptcy attorney, they’re seeing your competitors—not because those firms are better lawyers, but because they own more keyword territory.
Most law firms focus on 10-20 obvious keywords: “[practice area] lawyer [city].” Meanwhile, competitors who do keyword gap analysis are ranking for hundreds of variations:
- “Can I file bankruptcy if I’m being sued”
- “Stop wage garnishment immediately [city]”
- “Chapter 13 vs Chapter 7 for small business owners”
- “Emergency bankruptcy filing same day”
Each of these represents a potential client at a different stage of their decision-making process. Miss these gaps, and you’re invisible to everyone except people who already know exactly what they want.
The Keyword Gap Analysis Process
Step 1: Identify Your Real Competitors
Not every firm that practices your area is your SEO competitor. You need to identify who actually ranks for the keywords you want.
Search your primary target keywords in an incognito browser window. Note which law firms consistently appear in the top 10 results. These are your SEO competitors—they’re the ones you’re studying.
Don’t include legal directories like Avvo or Justia in this analysis. They play a different game with different resources. Focus on actual law firms in your market.
Step 2: Use SEO Tools to Extract Their Keywords
Professional SEO tools make this process dramatically faster. Here are the most effective options:
Semrush has a dedicated Keyword Gap tool. Enter your domain and up to four competitors. The tool shows you keywords they rank for that you don’t, sorted by search volume and difficulty. The Organic Research feature also reveals your competitors’ top-performing pages and their keyword profiles.
Ahrefs offers a Content Gap analysis that identifies keywords where 2-3 competitors rank but you don’t. This signals proven opportunities—if multiple competitors rank for the same term, there’s real search volume and intent behind it.
Moz provides a more budget-friendly option with its Keyword Explorer. While not as comprehensive as Semrush or Ahrefs, it’s adequate for basic gap analysis and particularly strong for local keyword research.
Google Search Console is free but limited. You can see which queries trigger impressions for your site but don’t generate clicks—often because you’re ranking on page 2 or 3. Cross-reference this with competitor research to prioritize quick wins.
Step 3: Categorize the Gaps by Intent
Not all keyword gaps are worth filling. Organize what you find into categories:
Bottom-funnel keywords indicate someone ready to hire. These are your priority: “bankruptcy attorney [city],” “free consultation personal injury lawyer,” “Chapter 7 lawyer near me.” If competitors rank here and you don’t, you’re losing cases today. This is especially important for bankruptcy lawyer SEO, where clients often search in crisis moments.
Mid-funnel keywords show research behavior: “how much does bankruptcy cost,” “do I need a lawyer for car accident,” “Chapter 7 vs Chapter 13.” These build trust and capture people before they’ve chosen a lawyer.
Top-funnel keywords are educational: “what happens when you file bankruptcy,” “statute of limitations personal injury [state],” “can medical bills be discharged.” These drive traffic and establish authority but rarely convert immediately.
Case-specific long-tail keywords target niche situations: “bankruptcy for Uber drivers,” “motorcycle accident lawyer for traumatic brain injury,” “Chapter 13 for student loan debt.” Low volume but extremely high conversion rates.
Step 4: Prioritize Based on Your Resources
You can’t target everything at once. Use this framework:
Quick wins: Keywords where you rank on page 2 (positions 11-20). Small improvements here can push you to page 1 fast. Optimize existing pages rather than creating new content.
Strategic gaps: High-volume, high-intent keywords where multiple competitors rank strongly. These require comprehensive content—1,500+ word practice area pages or detailed guides.
Long-tail opportunities: Specific queries with low competition. Create targeted blog posts or FAQ pages. These accumulate over time into significant traffic.
Impossible mountains: If every result is a national firm or major directory with domain authority scores over 70, skip it for now. Come back after you’ve built more authority.
Step 5: Create Content That Wins
Finding gaps is pointless without execution. For each priority gap:
Match search intent precisely. If the top results are all 2,000-word comprehensive guides, your 400-word blog post won’t compete. If they’re local service pages, create a better local service page—not a blog post.
Go deeper than competitors. Don’t just match what’s ranking—exceed it. If the top result answers 5 FAQs, answer 10. If they have generic information, add local court procedures, state-specific exemptions, or jurisdiction details.
Optimize technically. Use the target keyword in your title tag, H1, first paragraph, and throughout naturally. Add schema markup for legal services. Ensure fast page load times and mobile optimization.
Build internal links. Connect new pages to your existing authority pages. If you’re creating a Chapter 7 page targeting a gap keyword, link it from your main bankruptcy page, blog posts about debt relief, and your FAQ section.
Common Keyword Gap Analysis Mistakes
Chasing volume over relevance. A keyword with 1,000 monthly searches that attracts tire-kickers is worthless compared to a 50-volume keyword that brings qualified bankruptcy filers to your door.
Ignoring user intent. Ranking for “bankruptcy” when people want the definition, not a lawyer, generates traffic but zero cases. Always check what type of content actually ranks.
Creating thin content. If you can’t add unique value to a topic, don’t create a page just to fill a gap. Google rewards comprehensive, authoritative content—not keyword-stuffed fluff.
Forgetting about local modifiers. “Bankruptcy lawyer” might be impossible to rank for nationally, but “bankruptcy lawyer [your neighborhood]” could be wide open.
Measuring Your Results
Track these metrics monthly:
- Number of keywords ranking in top 10 (especially gaps you targeted)
- Organic traffic to new pages created from gap analysis
- Phone calls and contact forms from those pages
- Ranking position changes for priority gap keywords
Most importantly, track signed cases attributed to content created from keyword gap analysis. That’s the only number that actually matters.
Next Steps
Start with one competitor. Pick the firm that consistently outranks you. Run them through Semrush or Ahrefs. Export their top 100 keywords. Filter for keywords you don’t rank for. Sort by search volume. Identify the top 10 gaps where you could realistically compete.
Then create one exceptional piece of content targeting the highest-priority gap. Publish it, optimize it, promote it. Monitor for 60-90 days. If you start ranking and generating traffic, repeat the process.
Keyword gap analysis isn’t a one-time project. It’s a continuous competitive intelligence system. Your competitors are targeting new keywords every quarter. The question is whether you’re keeping pace—or letting them own more territory each month.
The firms dominating legal search aren’t smarter or richer. They’re just more systematic about finding gaps and filling them. Now you know how to do the same.
