Content Strategy Gap Analysis

Website bcliquorstores.com
Date January 19, 2026
Focus Content Strategy & Editorial Planning
Score 35/100

Executive Summary

This analysis evaluates BC Liquor Stores' existing content for structure, clarity, and topical coverage, identifying optimization opportunities for both search visibility and engagement. The findings present recommended keyword clusters, content gaps, and editorial strategy for current and future content.

Content Opportunities

12
New content types to develop for search visibility

Critical Gaps

5
High-priority content areas with zero coverage

Keyword Clusters

8
Strategic topic clusters for content development

Current Score

35/100
Content strategy maturity assessment

Current Content Evaluation

Content Assets Identified

Content Type Format Frequency SEO Value Assessment
TASTE Magazine Digital flipbook Quarterly Low Not indexable - content trapped in interactive viewer
Product Catalog Database-driven pages Ongoing Medium Functional but lacks educational context
FAQ Section Static HTML Infrequent updates Low Limited scope - only 8-10 basic questions
Wedding Guide PDF download Static Very Low Not indexable - PDF format limits discoverability
Gift Guide Microsite Seasonal Medium Good concept but limited to holiday season

Structure Analysis

Key Structural Issues

Strengths
  • Well-organized product taxonomy
  • Strong regional/category navigation
  • Established brand authority (government operation)
  • Quarterly magazine shows content commitment
Weaknesses
  • No dedicated blog or content hub
  • Magazine content not web-indexable
  • Minimal evergreen educational content
  • No structured FAQ schema markup
  • PDF guides invisible to search engines

Topical Coverage Assessment

Analysis of content breadth across key topic areas relevant to alcohol retail:

Topic Area Coverage Competitor Benchmark Gap Status
Wine Education (basics, tasting, regions) 10% 80% Critical Gap
BC Local Producers (wineries, breweries, distilleries) 25% 95% Critical Gap
Food & Beverage Pairing 15% 75% Major Gap
Cocktail Recipes & Mixology 20% 70% Major Gap
Buying Guides (by occasion, budget, gift) 5% 85% Critical Gap
Spirits Education (whisky, gin, tequila) 10% 60% Major Gap
Beer & Craft Beer Guides 5% 90% Critical Gap
Non-Alcoholic Options 15% 45% Moderate Gap

Recommended Keyword Clusters

Strategic keyword groupings organized by search intent and content opportunity. High-value keywords marked for priority targeting.

1. BC Local & Regional

Capitalize on growing "buy local" sentiment and trade war-driven preference for Canadian products.

BC wine regions Okanagan wine guide BC craft beer BC distilleries Vancouver Island wineries Similkameen Valley wine BC craft spirits Canadian whisky BC best BC wines 2026 local BC gin

2. Wine Education (Beginner Focus)

High-volume educational queries with strong conversion potential for new wine buyers.

wine for beginners how to choose wine wine types explained red vs white wine wine pairing guide wine terminology how to taste wine wine sweetness chart what wine goes with wine under $20

3. Occasion-Based Buying

High-intent commercial queries tied to specific events and celebrations.

wedding wine calculator wine for Thanksgiving dinner Christmas party drinks birthday gift whisky Super Bowl beer Valentine's Day wine summer BBQ drinks New Year's champagne Lunar New Year drinks graduation celebration drinks

4. Cocktails & Mixology

Recipe-driven content with high engagement and repeat visit potential.

easy cocktail recipes classic cocktails whisky cocktails summer cocktails gin drinks margarita recipe winter cocktails low alcohol cocktails home bar essentials cocktail ingredients list

5. Spirits Education

Educational content for enthusiasts exploring premium and craft spirits.

whisky vs whiskey types of whisky bourbon vs scotch tequila types gin botanicals how to drink whisky rum varieties cognac guide mezcal explained single malt vs blend

6. Beer & Craft Beer

Tap into BC's strong craft beer culture and tourism opportunities.

BC craft beer guide IPA vs lager beer styles explained best craft beer Vancouver beer and food pairing craft beer for beginners seasonal beer releases BC Ale Trail beer tasting notes sour beer guide

7. Food Pairing

Evergreen content with cross-selling opportunities and high engagement.

wine and cheese pairing steak wine pairing seafood wine pairing pizza and wine Thanksgiving wine pairing sushi wine pairing BBQ beer pairing dessert wine pairing spicy food drinks holiday dinner pairings

8. Mindful Drinking & Alternatives

Growing segment with 40%+ annual search growth - early mover advantage available.

non-alcoholic wine NA beer zero alcohol spirits mocktail recipes dry January drinks low alcohol wine alcohol free cocktails sober curious drinks dealcoholized wine mindful drinking

Content Gaps Analysis

Critical content types that competitors offer but BC Liquor Stores lacks, representing missed search visibility and customer engagement opportunities.

Critical

Evergreen Educational Guides

Long-form, searchable content that ranks for informational queries and builds authority.

Missing Content Examples
  • Wine 101: A Beginner's Complete Guide
  • Understanding Wine Labels
  • The Complete Guide to Whisky Types
  • Beer Styles Explained
  • How to Build a Home Bar
Critical

BC-Focused Content Hub

Comprehensive coverage of local producers, regions, and BC alcohol tourism.

Missing Content Examples
  • Complete Guide to Okanagan Wine Regions
  • BC Craft Brewery Directory
  • Vancouver Island Wine Trail
  • BC Distillery Profiles
  • Annual "Best of BC" Awards/Lists
Critical

Seasonal Buying Guides

Timely content targeting high-intent commercial queries around events.

Missing Content Examples
  • Summer BBQ Beer & Wine Guide
  • Holiday Entertaining Drinks Guide
  • Valentine's Day Gift Guide
  • Father's Day Whisky Picks
  • Lunar New Year Celebration Guide
Major

Searchable Recipe Library

Indexed cocktail and food pairing recipes with structured data markup.

Missing Content Examples
  • Classic Cocktail Collection (50+ recipes)
  • Easy 3-Ingredient Cocktails
  • Seasonal Recipe Roundups
  • Party Punch & Batch Cocktails
  • Wine Pairing Recipe Cards
Major

Interactive Tools

Utility content that drives repeat visits and provides user value.

Missing Content Examples
  • Party Drink Calculator
  • Wine Pairing Finder
  • Gift Recommendation Quiz
  • Flavor Profile Matcher
  • Alcohol Unit Calculator
Major

Expanded FAQ/Help Content

Comprehensive answers targeting long-tail search queries.

Missing Content Examples
  • Wine storage & serving temperatures
  • How long does wine last after opening?
  • Understanding alcohol content
  • Decanting guide
  • Glassware guide

Competitor Content Comparison

BC Liquor Stores vs. Key Competitors

Content Type BC Liquor Total Wine Wine Folly BC Ale Trail
Beginner Guides None Extensive Best-in-class Limited
Searchable Blog None Yes Yes Yes
Recipe Database PDF only Searchable Limited None
Regional Guides Magazine only Extensive Extensive Core focus
Video Content YouTube only Embedded Extensive Limited
Interactive Tools None Multiple Flavor map Trail planner

Editorial Strategy Recommendations

Priority Actions (Immediate)

Priority 1 Launch Searchable Content Hub

Create a dedicated /learn or /guides section with indexable HTML content. Convert best TASTE Magazine articles to web-native format. This single action addresses the fundamental discoverability issue.

Priority 2 Develop BC Local Content Series

Capitalize on "buy local" sentiment with comprehensive BC producer coverage. Create region guides (Okanagan, Vancouver Island, Fraser Valley) and producer profiles. This content has low competition and high local relevance.

Priority 3 Build Beginner Education Library

Create foundational guides for wine, beer, and spirits beginners. Target high-volume educational queries ("wine for beginners," "how to choose wine") with comprehensive, authoritative content.

Content Calendar Framework

Q1 2026 (Foundation)

Core Infrastructure

  • Launch /learn content hub
  • Publish 5 cornerstone guides (Wine 101, Beer 101, Spirits 101, BC Wine Regions, Home Bar Essentials)
  • Convert top 10 TASTE articles to web format
  • Implement FAQ schema markup
Q2 2026 (Expansion)

Seasonal & Recipe Content

  • Launch searchable recipe database (50 cocktails)
  • Summer entertaining guide series
  • BC craft beer regional guides
  • Father's Day / graduation buying guides
Q3 2026 (Engagement)

Interactive & Community

  • Party drink calculator tool
  • Wine pairing finder
  • BC producer video series
  • Fall harvest / Thanksgiving content
Q4 2026 (Optimization)

Holiday & Review

  • Comprehensive holiday gift guide
  • "Best of BC 2026" annual roundup
  • Non-alcoholic alternatives guide (Dry January prep)
  • Content performance audit and 2027 planning

Content Types to Prioritize

Content Type Volume Frequency Primary Purpose
Cornerstone Guides 15-20 total Create then update annually Rank for high-volume educational queries
BC Producer Profiles 50+ over time 2-4 per month Local SEO, community building
Seasonal Guides 8-12 per year Aligned with calendar Commercial intent, timely relevance
Recipe Content 100+ library 4-6 per month Engagement, repeat visits, cross-selling
Expert/Staff Picks Ongoing Weekly Social content, authority building

Technical Content Recommendations

Implement Schema Markup

Add Recipe schema for cocktails, FAQPage schema for expanded FAQ content, Product schema for featured products, and LocalBusiness schema for store pages. This enables rich snippets and improves CTR from search results.

Create Content Interconnection

Link product pages to relevant educational guides ("Cabernet Sauvignon" product → "Guide to Red Wine Varietals"). Cross-link regional content with producer profiles. Add "You May Also Like" content recommendations.

Repurpose TASTE Magazine Content

Extract articles from the digital flipbook format and republish as indexable web content. The magazine contains valuable content that currently provides zero search visibility. Prioritize evergreen pieces first.

Success Metrics

Track these KPIs to measure content strategy effectiveness:

Metric Current Baseline 6-Month Target 12-Month Target
Organic traffic to content pages ~0 (no content hub) 15,000 sessions/month 50,000 sessions/month
Keywords in top 10 (content) ~0 50+ 200+
Content pages indexed <10 75+ 200+
Avg. time on content pages N/A 2:30 min 3:30 min
Content → product page navigation N/A 15% 25%

Summary & Next Steps

BC Liquor Stores has strong brand authority and an established content production capability through TASTE Magazine. However, the current content strategy has critical gaps that prevent search visibility and limit customer engagement:

  1. Magazine content is not indexable - valuable articles trapped in digital flipbook format
  2. No educational content hub - missing foundational guides that competitors offer
  3. BC local content underutilized - massive opportunity given buy-local sentiment
  4. Seasonal content gaps - losing high-intent commercial traffic to competitors
  5. No recipe database - cocktail/pairing content drives engagement and repeat visits

Recommended Immediate Action

Launch a /learn content hub and publish 5 cornerstone guides within Q1 2026. This single initiative addresses the fundamental discoverability gap and creates the foundation for ongoing content development. Prioritize: Wine 101, BC Wine Regions Guide, Easy Cocktails, Beer Styles Explained, and Holiday Entertaining Guide.