Content gaps. You may have heard the term but shrugged it off. You’ve got a business website, which is fantastic, but are you sure it has all the information your visitors are seeking? If you don’t, this leads to “content gaps.” But the good news is that understanding and addressing content gaps is within your reach.
When vital content is missing from your site, it can significantly impact your site’s performance and ability to reach potential customers. So, let’s get into the nitty-gritty of what content gaps are and how to fill them effectively.
What Are Content Gaps?
Think of a content gap as a missing puzzle piece. It’s an area where your site needs to improve in providing the information your audience is looking for. These gaps could happen for many reasons: you haven’t touched on a specific topic, your existing content needs to be updated, or search engine rules have changed, causing your site to lose visibility online.
Why Should You Care About Content Gaps?
Websites with content gaps are like stores with empty shelves: they leave money on the table. People are there looking for things, but they aren’t there. Major Search engines, including Google, are constantly tweaking their algorithms, setting new rules for ranking websites.
The Hidden Costs Of A Static Website
If your website is static, meaning it rarely changes, you could face an even bigger issue. Search engines allocate a “crawler budget” to each website. Your crawler budget is the time and resources a search engine will spend scanning your website for updates. A static site with no changes will likely receive a much lower crawler budget. After all, why stop by if nothing has changed? In simple terms, if there is nothing for search crawlers to crawl, there is little reason to deploy valuable search resources to double-check.
The Double Whammy
Unsurprisingly, a static website will have lots of content gaps by default. You need fresh content and updated pages to create new pathways to attract new website visitors and potential customers. Even worse, search engines are less likely to notice any minor updates you make. It’s a lose-lose situation.
Where Do Your Customers Go?
Pay attention to your competition. If your competitors are on top of their website presence and you allow your site to languish, it doesn’t take a genius to figure out where potential customers will end up. They’ll go straight to the competition, who are providing the answers and solutions they need.
Revitalize Your Older Content: It’s Like Time Travel for Your Blog!
Old content is often like an aged wine; it’s got value but might need a little refreshing to bring out its best qualities. If you think your older posts have lost their sparkle, think again. These pages present a unique opportunity to spruce things up!
Sprucing Up: The Opportunity To Add Value
Can’t travel back to that blog post you wrote in 2019? No problem! You can still update it to meet today’s standards. Infuse it with fresh statistics, recent developments, or newly learned insights. And remember to check those page links; broken links can hurt your search engine rankings.
The Power of Updating
A good makeover does wonders. By updating old content, you’re not just filling content gaps; you’re essentially re-launching the page. Think about it: with just a few tweaks, that old content can become a new magnet for traffic, social shares, and conversions.
How Google Search Console Can Help
Want to know which pages are crying out for your attention? Google Search Console is your best friend here. Look for tags like “Crawled Not Indexed” or “Discovered Not Indexed.” These labels can provide clues about which pages have lost the favor of search engines. Once you know, you can prioritize which articles or pages need your magic touch first.
How To Fill Content Gaps: A Step-by-Step Guide
Ready to patch up those content holes? Here’s your action plan:
1. Audit Your Website Content
First things first, you have to know where all of your existing content stands. Check your site’s pages and note where information might need to be added or updated. Remember, content gaps can be anything from unmentioned products to underdeveloped placeholder pages.
2. Keyword Research
Found your gaps? Awesome! Now it’s time to determine what terms your audience uses to look for your stuff. Knowing this helps you fill in gaps with the correct information.
3. Fill In The Gaps
Finally, start patching up those content gaps. You can create new content, like blog posts and web pages, or refresh the old ones. Here are some generic examples of potential content gaps.
New Content: Say you run a bike store and realize you’ve never discussed how staying hydrated affects performance and health.
Consider creating a new post on the topic and fill that gap with helpful content. And while you’re writing, think about products you sell that help solve the problem.
In this case, it could be a water bottle cage with a mount, a bicycle water bottle bag, or a cycling water bag. Not only do you help raise awareness about the dangers of dehydration, but you also offer direct solutions that readers can use.
Update Existing Content – Do you have old blog posts gathering digital dust? If you’ve been managing a website for a while, the chances are good that you do! Don’t overlook the power of a good refresh.
For example, if you’ve previously written about a product that has seen several updates since it was published, now’s the perfect time to go back and edit that post to make it relevant for today, whether adding new images, updating the original content, or improving it with a supporting video.
The Double Benefit: Enhancing Information And Relevance
Refreshing an old post is about more than just keeping the information current. It’s making the most of your digital assets and adapting to modern operating environments. Adding new features or updated advice makes that old post relatable to today’s consumers.
Make It A Win-Win Situation.
Here’s a thought: why not mention complementary products or services you offer while updating that post?
Let’s go back to the bike store example. If you’re updating an article on bike maintenance, include a section about cleaning products to help your audience keep their bikes in tip-top shape. Not only do you provide added value, but you also create an opportunity for additional sales.
Helpful Tips For Filling Content Gaps
Content Updates: Keep tabs on any changes in your industry. New high-quality content keeps your site current and authoritative.
Unoptimized Content: Have you ever skipped optimizing a post for search engines? These details can indicate poor quality if your pages or posts need focus keywords, meta descriptions, or alt tags. But the good news is that you can make the improvements and updates needed to quickly get them up to speed.
Don’t Let Content Gaps Hold You Back!
Filling in content gaps is not just a one-time task; it’s ongoing maintenance for your website. The benefits are clear: you attract more visitors, offer more value, and stay ahead in search engine rankings.
Are you looking for help in identifying content gaps and filling them? Let’s chat! We’re all about helping you create a website and fresh content to advance on a competitive internet.
Updated: 9/28/2023