Executive summary
A Query Gap Optimisation audit compares what your audience asks against what you answer well, scores each gap, and hands you a prioritised list of new pages and edits. Done properly it is usually the single highest-return exercise in a SearchScore engagement.
What this helps you decide
Where your next content effort should go, and whether each gap is best closed with a new page or by improving an existing one.
Business problem
You suspect competitors are winning demand you should own, but you have no systematic way to find and prioritise the gaps.
Step-by-step process
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1
Assemble demand
Collect the real questions your audience asks search and AI engines - including decision-stage and long-tail phrasings, not just head terms.
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2
Map coverage
For each query, find the page (if any) that answers it and grade how well it does so.
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3
Score the gaps
Rate each query on demand × value × coverage weakness to produce a Query Gap Score.
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4
Decide the response
Close each gap with a new page when nothing fits, or an edit when a page is close - use the linked decisions.
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5
Sequence and ship
Order by Priority Score, close the top gaps, and re-measure after they settle.
Worked example
Checklist
- Demand list includes decision-stage questions
- Every query mapped to a page or marked uncovered
- Each gap carries a Query Gap Score
- New-vs-edit decided per gap
- Top gaps sequenced by Priority Score
Common mistakes
- Chasing head terms you cannot win
- Treating search volume as business value
- Building a new page when an existing one was one edit from ranking
30-minute experiment
FAQs
How is a query gap different from a keyword gap?
A keyword gap is about ranking terms; a query gap is about unanswered questions and intents, which maps far better to how AI answer engines choose sources.
Should I always create a new page for a gap?
No. If an existing page is close to the intent, editing it is usually faster and avoids cannibalisation. See 'Should I create a new page?'.
Recommended next steps
Where this fits - and what's next
The SearchScore path from a problem you feel to visibility you can measure.