Use Perplexity AI to Find Content Gaps Between You and Your Competitors

Most competitive analysis focuses on one question:

What are they doing that we’re not?

But the smarter question is often:

What is no one doing?

Perplexity is sweet for this kind of analysis — not just finding opportunities among competitors, but across your entire category.

This article walks through how to use Perplexity to identify white space opportunities and build a smarter, more differentiated content strategy.

Why Use Perplexity for Content Gap Analysis?

Perplexity is especially strong for competitor research because:

• It searches the live internet in real time
• It requires minimal hand-holding
• It doesn’t require massive prompt engineering
• It synthesizes trends quickly
• It surfaces source-backed insights

Unlike traditional SEO tools that focus heavily on keywords, Perplexity acts as a strategic research assistant. It evaluates positioning, trends, and coverage — not just rankings.

That makes it ideal for identifying conceptual gaps in a market.

The Goal: Identify White Space

This exercise is not about:

• Finding what your competitor ranks for
• Copying competitor blog topics
• Competing on the same saturated ideas

It’s about identifying:

• Emerging trends in your industry
• Topics gaining traction
• Strategic positioning shifts
• Areas where no one is clearly “owning” the narrative

That’s where differentiation lives.

The Simple Prompt Framework

Here’s the exact structure used:

I sell air purifiers at aeroasis.com. One of my competitors is IQAir at iqair.com. What are the latest trends in air purifiers that neither we nor IQAir are covering?

That’s it.

Notice:

• The company domain is included.
• The competitor domain is included.
• The request is focused on latest trends.
• The question specifically asks for trends neither brand is covering.

You can adapt this format to any industry.

What Perplexity Does Behind the Scenes

Perplexity will:

1. Search current web content.
2. Analyze category-level trend movement.
3. Review public positioning and content from both companies.
4. Identify white space areas where coverage appears weak or absent.
5. Present structured insights.

The output often includes strategic synthesis — not just links.

Example: Air Purifier Market White Space

In the example analysis comparing Aeroasis and IQAir, Perplexity identified several key white space areas neither company appeared to fully own.

1. Outcome-Based and Wellness Positioning

Instead of focusing only on filter technology, there’s an opportunity to shift toward:

• Air purifiers for better sleep
• Air quality for baby health
• Long-term cognitive performance
• Air quality and productivity

This reframes the product around outcomes, not specs.

That’s a positioning shift — not just a content idea.

2. Service and Subscription Models

Rather than focusing solely on hardware:

• Filter replacement subscription models
• Air quality monitoring as a service
• Maintenance programs
• Bundled air wellness packages

This creates recurring engagement rather than one-time sales messaging.

3. Emerging Technology Integration

White space included emerging innovations such as:

• Hybrid plasma systems
• Photocatalytic purification
• Smart HVAC integration
• Embedded IoT monitoring

If competitors are staying in “HEPA box” positioning, this becomes differentiation territory.

4. Sustainability and Circularity

Opportunities included:

• Low-waste filter systems
• Energy efficiency benchmarking
• Carbon footprint transparency
• Circular manufacturing processes

Sustainability positioning is often under-leveraged in product categories like this.

5. Data Transparency and Third-Party Proof

Another opportunity:

• Independent lab comparisons
• Real-world performance data
• Transparent metrics dashboards
• Public testing documentation

Trust is often won through proof, not claims.

Why This Matters Strategically

This type of analysis reveals something powerful:

Even major competitors often cluster around the same talking points.

If both brands are heavily emphasizing:

• HEPA filtration specs
• CADR ratings
• High-end engineering

But neither is leaning into:

• Sleep optimization
• Cognitive performance
• Subscription ecosystems
• Sustainability positioning

That’s white space.

And white space is where category leadership is built.

How to Turn This Into a Content Roadmap

Perplexity doesn’t just identify trends — it often suggests how to operationalize them.

To move from insight to execution:

Step 1: Validate the Trend

Ask follow-up prompts:

• “How fast is this trend growing?”
• “Who is currently leading this positioning?”
• “What keywords are associated with this trend?”

Step 2: Expand Competitor Scope

Add more competitors:

I sell air purifiers at aeroasis.com. My competitors include iqair.com, brand3.com, brand4.com. What trends in air purification are none of us covering?

The broader the comparison set, the clearer the white space becomes.

Step 3: Build Topic Clusters

Turn each white space area into:

• Blog pillars
• Landing pages
• Lead magnets
• Email campaigns
• Social positioning angles

For example:

Pillar Topic: Air Quality and Sleep Optimization

• Blog: “Can Poor Air Quality Disrupt Deep Sleep?”
• Guide: “The Science of Air and REM Cycles”
• Tool: Sleep Environment Optimization Checklist
• Webinar: Air Quality for High-Performance Living

This moves you from product-focused marketing to category leadership.

Beyond Keywords: Strategic Differentiation

Traditional SEO tools tell you:

• What people are searching for
• Where competitors rank
• Keyword difficulty scores

Perplexity tells you:

• Where your category is moving
• Where positioning gaps exist
• Where narrative ownership is open

That’s a different level of strategy.

Advanced Use Case: Full Market Gap Analysis

Take this further:

• Add 6–8 competitors.
• Ask for conceptual coverage gaps.
• Request breakdown by:
  • Content themes
  • Product positioning
  • Service models
  • Technology narratives
  • Sustainability messaging

You can even ask:

Where is the entire industry under-serving customer education?

This is how you move from competitive parity to competitive leadership.

Final Takeaway

If you’re only analyzing what competitors are doing, you’ll always be reacting.

If you analyze what no one is doing, you can lead.

Perplexity makes it easy to:

• Compare domains
• Identify trend shifts
• Surface white space
• Build differentiated content strategies

And it requires surprisingly little prompt complexity.

One clear question.
Two domains.
One category.

The insights can reshape your entire roadmap.

Want a Smarter, AI-Driven Content Strategy?

At Winsome Marketing, we help brands leverage AI tools like Perplexity to uncover white space, strengthen positioning, and build category-leading content ecosystems.

If you’re ready to stop competing on crowded topics and start owning strategic narrative territory, connect with Winsome Marketing today.

Let’s find — and occupy — your white space.