How to Run a LinkedIn Content Gap Analysis

• Learn what a LinkedIn Content Gap Analysis Is (and Isn't): Understand how this process differs from traditional SEO and why it’s critical for B2B brands.
• A Step-by-Step Playbook: Learn the exact process for identifying competitors, collecting data, and spotting strategic content gaps.
• Turning Insights into Action: Discover how to translate your findings into a smarter, more effective LinkedIn content calendar.

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Most B2B marketing teams try to optimize their LinkedIn strategy by looking in the dark. They focus only on their own metrics—likes, comments, and follower growth—without understanding the broader competitive landscape. This internal focus creates a significant blind spot.

A LinkedIn content gap analysis is the process of comparing your LinkedIn presence against key competitors and industry leaders to identify missing topics, underperforming formats, or engagement gaps in your strategy. This analysis provides the crucial context needed to create content that not only performs well but also stands out in a crowded feed.

LinkedIn is different from other platforms. It’s not enough to simply analyze your own posts and keywords. To truly win the feed and influence decision-makers, you need to understand the gaps between your brand's voice and the larger conversations happening in your industry. This guide will provide a step-by-step playbook for conducting a thorough LinkedIn content gap analysis to build a more impactful strategy.

What is a LinkedIn Content Gap Analysis?

A LinkedIn content gap analysis is a systematic process of evaluating your company’s content performance against that of your competitors to uncover strategic opportunities. It moves beyond vanity metrics to identify specific topics your audience cares about that you aren't addressing, content formats that are resonating with them, and share of voice across key industry conversations.

For B2B organizations, this process is critical. LinkedIn is the primary platform where industry conversations happen, and where decision-makers form opinions about brands. A gap analysis helps you understand:

• Topical Gaps: What relevant subjects are your competitors owning that you're ignoring?
• Format Gaps: Are competitors finding more success with video, carousels, or polls while you stick to text-only posts?
• Share of Voice Gaps: Which brand is the go-to authority on core industry themes?

Unlike a traditional SEO gap analysis, which focuses on ranking for specific keywords on search engines, a LinkedIn gap analysis measures your influence within dynamic, real-time conversations. The goal isn’t just to be found; it’s to lead the discussion. For example, discovering that a competitor’s posts on "AI in financial services" receive 3x more engagement than any other topic is a powerful insight that keyword tools alone won't reveal.

Why a LinkedIn Gap Analysis is Hard Without the Right Tools

Many teams recognize the need for competitive insights, but struggle to execute a gap analysis effectively. The primary reason is a reliance on inadequate tools and manual processes.

LinkedIn’s native analytics are siloed by design. They provide a detailed view of your own page's performance but offer no data on competitors. You can see how your content performs, but not the context of the wider industry conversation it exists within.

This limitation forces many marketers into a slow, manual tracking process. They create spreadsheets to log competitor posts, formats, and engagement metrics. This approach is not only time-consuming but also fragmented and prone to human error. It’s nearly impossible to manually track the full spectrum of content, especially when accounting for the personal profiles of key executives, which often drive more engagement than brand pages.

This is where most teams fail. They think the solution is to simply "post more often," but without knowing what to post more of, they end up amplifying a strategy that isn't working. They are shouting into the void, while their competitors are strategically capturing audience attention.

The Step-by-Step Playbook for Running a LinkedIn Gap Analysis

To move from guesswork to a data-driven strategy, follow this actionable playbook. Each step will help you systematically deconstruct the competitive landscape and uncover high-impact opportunities.

1. Define Your Competitors and Peers

Your first step is to identify who you are measuring yourself against. Think beyond just your direct business competitors. Your list should include:

• Direct Competitors: Companies offering similar products or services.
• Industry Leaders: Aspirational brands that set the standard in your space, even if they aren't direct competitors.
• Challenger Brands: Smaller, agile companies that are gaining traction with innovative strategies.
• Executive Voices: The personal profiles of influential CEOs, VPs, and thought leaders in your industry. These profiles often have a more authentic voice and higher engagement than corporate pages.

2. Collect Baseline Data

Once your list is defined, gather baseline performance data for each entity. Focus on metrics that measure resonance, not just reach. Key data points include:

• Posting Frequency: How often do they post? Is there a correlation between frequency and engagement?
• Average Engagement Rate: What is the typical number of likes, comments, and reposts per post? This is a far better indicator of content quality than impressions alone.
• Audience Growth: How quickly are they growing their follower base?
• Primary Content Themes: What are the core topics they consistently discuss?

Impressions can be misleading, as they only show how many times a post was seen, not if it resonated. A post with high impressions but low engagement is just noise.

3. Identify Gaps in Topic Coverage

Map the content themes your competitors are focusing on and compare them against your own content pillars. Are they dominating the conversation around "AI in B2B marketing" while your brand has never mentioned it?

Look for both saturated topics and "blue ocean" topics. Saturated topics are crowded, but you may need to participate to be seen as a credible player. Blue ocean topics are underserved areas where you have an opportunity to become the leading voice.

4. Analyze Gaps in Content Format

Content format can have a huge impact on engagement. Analyze what formats your competitors are using most effectively.

• Are they leveraging multi-image carousels to tell a story or explain a complex idea?
• Do their videos generate significant discussion in the comments?
• Are they using polls to spark conversation and gather audience insights?

If your strategy is heavily reliant on text-and-link posts while competitors are winning with more dynamic formats, you have identified a clear gap to address.

5. Benchmark Your Share of Voice

Share of Voice (SOV) on LinkedIn measures which brand "owns" the conversation around key industry topics. To calculate this, you'll need to track mentions and engagement related to specific themes across all your defined competitors.

For example, if "supply chain resilience" is a core topic, measure which company's posts on that subject generate the most cumulative engagement over a month. This reveals who the market perceives as the authority. LinkedIn-native tools fail here, as they cannot track content or engagement beyond your own page.

6. Turn Gaps into Opportunities

The final step is to translate your findings into an actionable plan. Prioritize the gaps that align with your business objectives and where you have a credible right to win.

For example, if a competitor is succeeding with a meme-based strategy that doesn't fit your brand voice, mimicking them would be a mistake. Instead, focus on a thought leadership gap you identified, such as a lack of in-depth content on a new technology in your industry. This allows you to differentiate sustainably.

Turning Insights into Action

A gap analysis is only valuable if it leads to change. Use your findings to adjust your content calendar, refine your executive thought leadership programs, and inform your campaign themes.

Remember to avoid the pitfall of chasing every competitor's move. The goal is not to copy but to find your unique position in the market. Focus on building a sustainable strategy that highlights your brand's strengths and provides genuine value to your audience. A successful LinkedIn strategy is built on differentiation, not imitation.

The Best Tool for LinkedIn Gap Analysis

Manually executing a comprehensive LinkedIn gap analysis is a monumental task. This is where a dedicated competitive intelligence tool becomes indispensable.

Stack Rank is the only platform built specifically for LinkedIn competitive benchmarking. It automates the entire process, providing real-time insights without the need for manual tracking in spreadsheets.

Key advantages of using Stack Rank include:

• Tracking Personal Profiles and Company Pages: Unlike other tools, Stack Rank monitors both corporate pages and the influential personal profiles of executives, giving you a complete picture of the competitive landscape.
• Automated Reporting: Instantly generate reports on topic gaps, engagement trends, and share of voice.
• Real-Time Data: Stay ahead of the curve with up-to-the-minute insights on what's resonating in your industry.

Want to see your LinkedIn content gaps? Book a demo of Stack Rank and get your gap analysis instantly.

A Data-Driven Path Forward

To win on LinkedIn, your benchmark should be your competitors, not just your past performance. A LinkedIn content gap analysis is an essential practice for any B2B brand that wants to move beyond simply posting content and start owning the conversations that matter. It provides the roadmap to a more strategic, impactful, and data-driven presence.

Don’t just post. Post with purpose—and let Stack Rank show you the roadmap.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a LinkedIn content gap analysis?

A LinkedIn content gap analysis is the process of comparing your LinkedIn content strategy and performance against your competitors. The goal is to identify underserved topics, underperforming content formats, and opportunities to capture a greater share of voice within key industry conversations.

How do you run a LinkedIn gap analysis?

A successful LinkedIn gap analysis involves several key steps:

1. Define your competitors, including direct rivals, industry leaders, and key executive profiles.
2. Collect baseline performance data, focusing on engagement rates and posting frequency.
3. Identify gaps in topic coverage by mapping competitor content themes.
4. Analyze which content formats (e.g., video, carousels) are performing best.
5. Benchmark your share of voice on core industry topics.
6. Prioritize the identified gaps to create an actionable content strategy.

Why is a LinkedIn gap analysis important for B2B?

For B2B companies, LinkedIn is a primary channel for building brand authority and influencing decision-makers. A gap analysis is important because it provides the data-driven insights needed to create content that stands out, addresses audience needs, and positions your brand as a thought leader in a competitive environment.