If you’re running a blog or managing content for a business, you’ve probably felt the nagging sense that your site isn’t covering everything it should. Maybe traffic is flat, or your competitors are eating your lunch on important topics. This guide is for folks who want practical, no-fluff steps to use MarketMuse to find and fix those missing pieces in your content strategy—without getting lost in the weeds or wasting money on hype.
Why Content Gaps Matter (and Why Most People Miss Them)
You can churn out blog posts day and night, but if you’re not covering the right topics in enough depth, you’ll always be a step behind. Content gaps are the blind spots—key questions, subtopics, or angles your audience cares about, but you haven’t written about (or haven’t covered well).
Most people either: - Wing it, guessing what to write next. - Obsess over keywords, but miss the bigger picture. - Blindly follow competitor websites without understanding what actually matters for their own goals.
MarketMuse promises to help you spot these content gaps and fill them. But, as with any tool, it’s only as good as the way you use it. Here’s how to cut through the noise and actually get value from it.
Step 1: Get Set Up and Know What You’re Working With
Before you dive in, you’ll need: - Access to MarketMuse (they offer a free trial, but if you’re serious, the paid version is where the real features are) - A list of your website’s main topics or pillars—think: the bread and butter subjects you want to own - Google Analytics/Search Console access (helpful for sanity-checking what’s already working)
Pro tip: Don’t just hand over your entire site at once. Start with one section or topic area you care about. It’s easier to spot wins and avoid overwhelm.
Step 2: Run a Content Inventory (Don’t Skip This)
MarketMuse can crawl your site and build an inventory of your existing content. This is where you’ll see: - What topics you’re already covering (and how well) - Gaps and thin coverage - Duplicate or near-duplicate content
How to do it: 1. Plug your domain into MarketMuse’s inventory or audit tool. 2. Let it analyze your content (this can take anywhere from minutes to hours, depending on site size). 3. Review the map of your content—look for clusters (well-covered topics) and deserts (thin or missing coverage).
What to ignore: Don’t obsess over every single “opportunity” MarketMuse spits out. Some suggestions will be irrelevant for your audience or business. Use your brain—filter aggressively.
Step 3: Identify Content Gaps That Actually Matter
Here’s where most people screw up: They see a big list of gaps or “low authority” topics and try to attack them all. That’s a recipe for burnout and wasted effort.
Focus on: - Topics your audience actually cares about (check your analytics, sales calls, support tickets) - Gaps in your existing content clusters (e.g., you cover “email marketing” but haven’t touched “email segmentation” or “A/B testing subject lines”) - Areas where competitors consistently outrank you
How to use MarketMuse for this: - Use the Topic Inventory to see which areas are under-covered compared to your competitors. - Dig into the “Content Gap” or “Topic Model” feature. It’ll show you related topics and subtopics your content is missing. - Look for topics with decent search demand but low competition—MarketMuse sometimes calls these “quick wins,” but don’t trust that label blindly. Always gut-check with your own research.
What not to worry about: Don’t chase every long-tail keyword or obscure subtopic. Prioritize what will actually move the needle for your goals.
Step 4: Prioritize the Gaps—Don’t Try to Boil the Ocean
Not all gaps are worth filling. Here’s a simple way to prioritize: - High Priority: Core topics you’re missing, or where you’re getting beat by competitors you know you should outrank. - Medium Priority: Supporting subtopics that round out your main content clusters. - Low Priority: Niche or low-value topics, or stuff that doesn’t match your audience’s intent.
Use MarketMuse’s scoring system as a starting point, not gospel. Their “Content Score” and “Topic Authority” can help, but always sanity-check with what’s actually working on your site and in your industry.
Pro tip: Sometimes MarketMuse will flag a gap that’s only relevant for a different region, audience, or intent. Ignore these unless they actually make sense for you.
Step 5: Create (or Update) Content With a Purpose
Now that you know what to tackle, it’s time to fill the gaps. Here’s how to do it without falling into the “SEO-robot” trap.
For New Content
- Pick your topic. Use MarketMuse’s topic suggestions, but tailor them to your voice and expertise.
- Check the Brief. MarketMuse can generate an outline or “content brief” with recommended subtopics, questions, and structure. It’s a decent starting point, but don’t just copy-paste.
- Draft with intent. Cover the main topic and hit important subtopics, but keep it readable. Avoid stuffing keywords or writing robotic sentences just to chase a score.
- Optimize, don’t over-optimize. MarketMuse will show you a “Content Score” as you write. Use it as a guide, but don’t sweat hitting 100. If you’re in the green zone and the article sounds natural, you’re done.
For Existing Content
- Audit the page. Use MarketMuse to analyze the URL. It’ll tell you what subtopics or questions you’re missing.
- Update with purpose. Add sections that fill the gaps, clarify explanations, or answer questions you skipped before.
- Don’t Frankenstein your article. If adding new info makes the page a mess, consider splitting it into multiple pieces or creating a new, focused article.
What doesn’t work: Blindly following every suggestion from the tool. If your readers don’t care about a subtopic, skip it. Remember, algorithms don’t know your audience the way you do.
Step 6: Measure, Iterate, and Don’t Get Obsessed
MarketMuse isn’t magic. You won’t see results overnight, and not every content update will move the needle.
What to do after publishing: - Watch for changes in rankings and traffic over a few weeks or months (not days). - Check Google Search Console for new impressions and clicks. - Listen to reader feedback, comments, or support questions—are you actually answering what people want?
When to revisit: If a page still isn’t performing after a couple of months, re-audit it. Maybe you missed a crucial subtopic, or maybe it’s just not a topic worth your time.
Don’t: - Obsess over hitting every single MarketMuse recommendation. - Waste hours chasing a perfect “score” if the content is already strong. - Forget to write for real humans, not just search engines.
A Few Honest Thoughts: What Works, What Doesn’t, What to Ignore
What works: - Using MarketMuse to spot major topic holes and organize your content plan. - Getting a bird’s-eye view of your site’s topic coverage (which is hard to do manually). - Prioritizing updates so you’re not just guessing what to write.
What doesn’t: - Treating every suggestion as a must-do. The tool is good, but it’s not psychic. - Over-optimizing to chase a higher content score. That’s how you end up with unreadable, keyword-stuffed junk. - Skipping your own research and judgment. MarketMuse is a tool, not a replacement for knowing your audience.
What to ignore: - “Quick win” promises that sound too good to be true. There are no shortcuts—just better systems. - Obscure subtopics with zero relevance to your readers. - Any advice (from MarketMuse or elsewhere) that doesn’t pass the common-sense test.
Keep It Simple: Fill Gaps, Watch Results, Repeat
You don’t need a PhD in content strategy or a fancy AI tool for every move you make. Use MarketMuse to get a clearer picture of your coverage, plug the most important gaps, and keep your content organized. Don’t overthink it—start with one section of your site, see what works, and double down on what actually helps your readers.
Iterate, stay skeptical of magic bullets, and focus on improving a little bit at a time. That’s how you build authority—and traffic—that sticks.