Actavero

Methodology · Visibility

How the Keyword gap is calculated

Method version visibility-v2 · Last updated

In short

The keyword gap lists the searches where at least one tracked competitor ranks in Google's top 10 and you don't. For each one Actavero estimates the extra monthly visits you would get if you reached the best competitor's position, and sorts the list by that potential. Searches for one specific other company (its name, login or website) are left out because they are not a real opportunity.

Formula

Gap keyword: best competitor position ≤ 10 and your position > 10 (or not in the top 20)
Potential visits = search volume × (CTR at the best competitor's position − CTR at your position)

How it is calculated, step by step

  1. Take the keywords of the latest measurement, filtered as selected (branded / non-branded, product).
  2. Leave out searches for one specific other company.
  3. Find the best-ranking tracked competitor per keyword and keep the keywords where it is in the top 10 and you are not.
  4. Calculate the potential visits and sort from high to low.

What goes into it

Google positions
Each tracked brand's Google position per keyword (top 20).
Search volume
Monthly searches per keyword in the market.
Click-through rate per position
The same curve as the SEO share of voice.

Data sources

  • DataForSEO Labs (ranked keywords, search volume, keyword difficulty).

How often it is updated

With every SEO measurement: monthly, and on demand at most once a week.

How to read it

  • High potential with low keyword difficulty (below 30) are the quickest wins.
  • Hard keywords (60+) with high potential are long-term content and link-building targets.

Example

'sparen' has 12,100 searches; ING ranks 3rd and you are not in the top 20. Potential: 12,100 × 10% = +1,210 visits per month.

Limitations

  • The potential assumes you would reach the best competitor's position; in practice it depends on content, links and search intent.
  • Only keywords that at least one tracked brand ranks for are included; gaps with untracked sites are not shown.

Frequently asked questions

Why are competitors' brand searches left out?

Someone looking for a competitor's login or website will not click on you; such searches would make the gap look bigger than it is.

  • Competition pressure and head to head — Of the keywords where any tracked brand ranks in the top 3, top 10 or top 20, how many of your competitors rank there too, and per competitor who ranks ahead on the keywords you share.
  • SEO per product cluster — Every search keyword is sorted into one of your product lines, General or Not your market; share of voice is then calculated per product, and Not your market doesn't count.
  • Keyword difficulty (KD) — How hard it is to reach Google's top 10 for a keyword, from 0 to 100: easy below 30, medium 30–59, hard 60 and above.

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