{"id":151129,"date":"2023-01-17T18:49:53","date_gmt":"2023-01-17T23:49:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/?p=151129"},"modified":"2023-04-11T09:37:58","modified_gmt":"2023-04-11T14:37:58","slug":"serp-analysis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/serp-analysis\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Do a SERP Analysis"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"intro-txt\">SERP analysis is a process that helps you determine if and how you can rank for a keyword and whether the effort is worth the reward.<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s important because not all keywords are created equal. Some are harder to rank for than others, so you must choose wisely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In this guide, you\u2019ll learn how to analyze a SERP to see if it\u2019s crackable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s get started.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"intro-tok\" id=\"intro_tok\" style=\"display:none;\"><div class=\"intro-title\">Contents<\/div><a href=\"#\" class=\"expand-dots\"><span><\/span><span><\/span><span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"Step 1. Get a high-level overview of the SERP\" data-section=\"get-a-high-level-overview\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step 1. Get a high-level overview of the&nbsp;SERP<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>The first step of a SERP analysis is to get a rough sense of the traffic opportunity and ranking difficulty opportunity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To do this, we can use two of Ahrefs\u2019 core metrics: <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/ahrefs-seo-metrics\/#section5\">Keyword Difficulty<\/a> and Traffic Potential.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Keyword Difficulty (KD)<\/strong> estimates how hard it will be to rank on the first page of Google for a keyword on a scale from 0 to&nbsp;100.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Traffic Potential (TP)<\/strong> is the total estimated monthly search traffic to the top-ranking page for a keyword.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Using these two metrics, we will be able to get a top-level overview of the SERP and determine whether it\u2019s worth further investigation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s use Ahrefs\u2019 <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/keywords-explorer\">Keywords Explorer<\/a> to get a quick, high-level view of the keyword \u201cwhen were dogs domesticated.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"641\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/1-when-were-dogs-domesticated-keywords-explorer.png\" alt=\"Keyword overview for &quot;when were dogs domesticated,&quot; via Ahrefs' Keywords Explorer\" class=\"wp-image-151135\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/1-when-were-dogs-domesticated-keywords-explorer.png 1999w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/1-when-were-dogs-domesticated-keywords-explorer-680x218.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/1-when-were-dogs-domesticated-keywords-explorer-768x246.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/1-when-were-dogs-domesticated-keywords-explorer-1536x493.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>So what exactly is the<strong> overview<\/strong> showing us?&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We can see the keyword \u201cwhen were dogs domesticated\u201d has a super hard KD of 73 but a low TP of 3.2K.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At first glance, this query doesn\u2019t appear to be worth the effort. But it may warrant further investigation if this topic is lucrative for your business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With a super hard <strong>KD<\/strong> of 73, Ahrefs estimates that we will need ~235 links to rank in the top 10 for this SERP, which will require a fair amount of resources to compete.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Generally speaking, it is better to look for low-KD and high-TP queries, where possible.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To better understand the effort-to-reward ratio for this query, and any others, we can plot the effort-to-reward ratio in an XY&nbsp;graph:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1800\" height=\"1703\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/2-effort-to-reward-ratio.png\" alt=\"Effort-to-reward ratio\" class=\"wp-image-151137\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/2-effort-to-reward-ratio.png 1800w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/2-effort-to-reward-ratio-449x425.png 449w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/2-effort-to-reward-ratio-768x727.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/2-effort-to-reward-ratio-1536x1453.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1800px) 100vw, 1800px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Top left<\/strong>: Golden opportunities (low investment, high reward).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Top right<\/strong>: Long-term opportunities (high investment, high reward).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Bottom left<\/strong>: Possible opportunities (low rewards, so effort might not be worth&nbsp;it).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Bottom right<\/strong>: Try to avoid (unless it\u2019s a highly lucrative topic for your business).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Our query for \u201cwhen were dogs domesticated\u201d falls into the \u201chigh effort, low reward\u201d quadrant, so it may not be worth the effort.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We are looking for a query that falls in the top left-hand section. In most cases, these will be the golden keyword opportunities.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Avoid queries that fall into the bottom right section where possible unless it is particularly lucrative for your business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s try to find a search with more opportunity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s plug in \u201chow to leash train a dog\u201d into Ahrefs\u2019 <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/keywords-explorer\">Keywords Explorer<\/a> and see if this keyword has better metrics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"549\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/3-how-to-leash-train-a-dog.png\" alt=\"Search for &quot;how to leash train a dog,&quot; via Ahrefs' Keywords Explorer\" class=\"wp-image-151138\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/3-how-to-leash-train-a-dog.png 1999w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/3-how-to-leash-train-a-dog-680x187.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/3-how-to-leash-train-a-dog-768x211.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/3-how-to-leash-train-a-dog-1536x422.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>We can see that this query has a medium KD of 18 but a much higher TP of 24K.&nbsp;Great!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We can see that this search has a much better effort-to-reward ratio than our previous query, so let\u2019s scroll down the page in <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/keywords-explorer\">Keywords Explorer<\/a> to the <strong>SERP overview <\/strong>and investigate if (and how) we can&nbsp;rank.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"Step 2. Investigate if (and how) you can rank\" data-section=\"investigate-if-you-can-rank\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step 2. Investigate if (and how) you can&nbsp;rank<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Now that we have completed our top-level overview, we can consider other factors using the <strong>SERP overview<\/strong> in Ahrefs\u2019 <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/keywords-explorer\">Keywords Explorer<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We should consider four key elements in our SERP analysis when investigating the ranking difficulty:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. Domain Rating (DR)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>DR<strong> <\/strong>is one of Ahrefs\u2019 most widely used metrics in SEO. It shows the relative strength of a website\u2019s backlink profile on a scale from 0 to&nbsp;100.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s not a <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/google-ranking-factors\/\">Google ranking factor<\/a>, but there are a couple of reasons why it can be easier for high-DR sites to rank on Google:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>They can boost a page\u2019s strength with internal links<\/strong> \u2013 High-DR sites have lots of strong pages. They can funnel some of this strength to specific pages with internal links.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>They are often trusted brands<\/strong> \u2013 People may prefer to click these results on the SERPs. They may also have more <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/topical-authority\/\">topical authority<\/a>, which may&nbsp;help.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>These reasons explain why <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/timsoulo\/status\/1519156156786044929\">64.9% of SEOs pay attention to DR<\/a> when analyzing their chances to&nbsp;rank:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\nhttps:\/\/twitter.com\/timsoulo\/status\/1519156156786044929\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>While it\u2019s certainly possible to outrank a higher DR site, a good rule of thumb is to look for pages ranking in the top 10 with the same DR as you or lower. By doing this, we can maximize our chances of appearing on the&nbsp;SERP.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If we return to our previous query \u201chow to leash train a dog\u201d and look at the <strong>SERP overview,<\/strong> we can see that the first result comes from a DR 90&nbsp;site.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Even with a high-DR site, this looks hard to&nbsp;beat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"861\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/4-how-to-leash-train-a-dog-serp-overview-keywords-explorer-1.png\" alt=\"SERP overview for &quot;how to leash train a dog,&quot; via Ahrefs' Keywords Explorer\" class=\"wp-image-151140\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/4-how-to-leash-train-a-dog-serp-overview-keywords-explorer-1.png 1999w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/4-how-to-leash-train-a-dog-serp-overview-keywords-explorer-1-680x293.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/4-how-to-leash-train-a-dog-serp-overview-keywords-explorer-1-768x331.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/4-how-to-leash-train-a-dog-serp-overview-keywords-explorer-1-1536x662.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Scanning down the DR column, we can see that 8 out of 10 sites have a DR of 70+, so we could potentially be on the back foot from the start with this&nbsp;query.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Jumping to the sixth result, we can see that it has a DR of 26, which suggests that this SERP is crackable, at least in terms of&nbsp;DR.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"389\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/5-how-to-leash-train-a-dog-6th-result-detail.png\" alt=\"SERP overview detail of sixth result, via Ahrefs' Keywords Explorer\" class=\"wp-image-151142\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/5-how-to-leash-train-a-dog-6th-result-detail.png 1999w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/5-how-to-leash-train-a-dog-6th-result-detail-680x132.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/5-how-to-leash-train-a-dog-6th-result-detail-768x149.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/5-how-to-leash-train-a-dog-6th-result-detail-1536x299.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Finding outliers like this DR 26 site is what we need to be focusing on at this stage. It can mean that ranking on this SERP with a \u2264 70 DR site is possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Assuming that we don\u2019t have a DR 70+ site, our hopes of ranking will most likely rest on equalling the ranking of the DR 26&nbsp;site.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It is worth noting that the traffic this site receives is estimated to be around 833, which is a lot lower than our original estimated 24K <strong>TP.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With these revised figures, we need to reevaluate whether the effort is worth the reward at this stage. That depends on our website\u2019s authority, our risk appetite, and the resources available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Although DR plays an important initial role in our SERP analysis, there are other factors that we should consider as well, such as&nbsp;links.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. Links&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>If you ask an SEO what the top Google ranking factors are, chances are they will mention \u201cbacklinks\u201d in their&nbsp;reply.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But what exactly is a backlink? Simply put, backlinks are clickable links from one website to another.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1871\" height=\"1146\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/6-what-is-a-backlink.jpg\" alt=\"What is a backlink\" class=\"wp-image-151144\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/6-what-is-a-backlink.jpg 1871w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/6-what-is-a-backlink-680x417.jpg 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/6-what-is-a-backlink-768x470.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/6-what-is-a-backlink-1536x941.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1871px) 100vw, 1871px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Backlinks are also highly important for ranking on Google, as they are one of eight confirmed ranking factors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\nhttps:\/\/twitter.com\/ahrefs\/status\/1585515429870673920\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>We saw in step #1 that <strong>KD <\/strong>can give us a broad indication of how many links we will need to rank, but actual link numbers will vary from site to&nbsp;site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s return to our query for \u201chow to leash train a dog\u201d in the <strong>SERP overview<\/strong> and take a closer look at the&nbsp;links.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"861\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/7-how-to-leash-train-a-dog-serp-overview-keywords-explorer-2.png\" alt=\"SERP overview for &quot;how to leash train a dog,&quot; via Keywords Explorer\" class=\"wp-image-151146\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/7-how-to-leash-train-a-dog-serp-overview-keywords-explorer-2.png 1999w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/7-how-to-leash-train-a-dog-serp-overview-keywords-explorer-2-680x293.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/7-how-to-leash-train-a-dog-serp-overview-keywords-explorer-2-768x331.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/7-how-to-leash-train-a-dog-serp-overview-keywords-explorer-2-1536x662.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Looking at the <strong>Domains<\/strong> column in the above image, we can see that the first result has 521 referring domains. Unless we can acquire over 521 referring domains, we should rule out the possibility of outranking this result.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The second result has 116 <strong>domains.<\/strong> Again, this seems relatively high, so we should probably rule out outranking this result too.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Positions #3\u201310, however, have \u2264 36 <strong>domains each<\/strong>, which is where the most opportunities lie on this&nbsp;SERP.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>We can see from this link analysis that the lower end of the SERP is much easier to crack\u2014at least in terms of&nbsp;links.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If we hone in on the sixth result, we can see that this site only has eight domains.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"389\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/8-how-to-leash-train-a-dog-6th-result-detail-2.png\" alt=\"SERP overview detail of sixth result, via Ahrefs' Keywords Explorer\" class=\"wp-image-151147\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/8-how-to-leash-train-a-dog-6th-result-detail-2.png 1999w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/8-how-to-leash-train-a-dog-6th-result-detail-2-680x132.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/8-how-to-leash-train-a-dog-6th-result-detail-2-768x149.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/8-how-to-leash-train-a-dog-6th-result-detail-2-1536x299.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Acquiring more than eight domains should be achievable for most businesses, so this could be a great opportunity.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We only need to be aware that the estimated traffic for the sixth result is much lower than our initial <strong>TP <\/strong>estimate of 24K and is now&nbsp;851.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Looking at the rest of the SERP\u2019s traffic, we can see that rather than gradually declining, the eighth and 10th results have more impressive estimated traffic, 5,895 and 3,643, respectively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This may mean that the estimated traffic opportunity may not be as low as 851, but it can vary depending on our exact position.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So far, just using DR and links, we have seen how feasible it will be for us to rank on this SERP. We can see that the lower half of the SERP (from positions #6\u201310) is most achievable at this&nbsp;stage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Now we will need to consider the role of search intent on the&nbsp;SERP.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. Search intent<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/search-intent\/\">Search intent<\/a> is used to describe the primary reason for an online search. In other words, it indicates why the user typed their query into the search engine in the first&nbsp;place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But what does search intent mean in terms of our SERP analysis?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In a nutshell: Our webpage needs to provide the best answer for the query to rank well on the SERP. Identifying the dominant search intent on the SERP can help determine how or if we will compete.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Most content on the internet falls into the categories below and, for our SERP analysis, it makes sense to use this categorization:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Blog posts<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Category pages<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Product pages<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Landing pages<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Videos<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s use Ahrefs\u2019 own keywords to explore this concept in more detail.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Say we have a website that we want to rank for \u201cbacklink checker,\u201d and we have written a blog post targeting that&nbsp;query.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This alone will not enable us to rank for this query, as the intent of this search is strongly aligned toward SEO tool companies with <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/big-data\">big backlink databases<\/a>\u2014like Ahrefs. For these types of websites, the <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/backlink-checker\">backlink checker<\/a> is likely to be one of their main product pages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you thought of it, why would you click on a result for \u201cbacklink checker\u201d that didn\u2019t have a backlink checker product?&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You probably wouldn\u2019t.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This rules out the possibility of targeting this keyword for the average website creating a simple blog post on this&nbsp;topic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s consider another more visual example using Ahrefs\u2019 <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/keywords-explorer\">Keywords Explorer<\/a>. Let\u2019s plug in the keyword \u201chow to draw a picasso face\u201d and scroll down to the <strong>SERP overview.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With this query, we can see that 4 out of the top 6 results on this SERP are video-based. Therefore, we can see that the search intent is focused on video content.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1070\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/9-how-to-draw-a-picasso-face-serp-overview-keywords-explorer.png\" alt=\"SERP overview for &quot;how to draw a picasso face,&quot; via Ahrefs' Keywords Explorer\" class=\"wp-image-151148\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/9-how-to-draw-a-picasso-face-serp-overview-keywords-explorer.png 1999w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/9-how-to-draw-a-picasso-face-serp-overview-keywords-explorer-680x364.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/9-how-to-draw-a-picasso-face-serp-overview-keywords-explorer-768x411.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/9-how-to-draw-a-picasso-face-serp-overview-keywords-explorer-1536x822.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Because this format of content is so dominant at the top of the SERP, it will likely be tough to rank near the top of this SERP unless we create video content ourselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Returning to the <strong>SERP overview<\/strong> for our \u201chow to leash train a dog\u201d search query, we can see that the majority of the articles here are blog posts, but the fifth result is a video SERP feature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This indicates that, at least for some searches, searchers are looking for video guides rather than blog posts about this&nbsp;topic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"861\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/10-how-to-leash-train-a-dog-serp-overview-keywords-explorer-3.png\" alt=\"SERP overview for &quot;how to leash train a dog,&quot; via Ahrefs' Keywords Explorer\" class=\"wp-image-151149\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/10-how-to-leash-train-a-dog-serp-overview-keywords-explorer-3.png 1999w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/10-how-to-leash-train-a-dog-serp-overview-keywords-explorer-3-680x293.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/10-how-to-leash-train-a-dog-serp-overview-keywords-explorer-3-768x331.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/10-how-to-leash-train-a-dog-serp-overview-keywords-explorer-3-1536x662.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>With this type of mixed search intent, it is best to create content in both formats, assuming you have the expertise and resources to compete. This will likely increase the chances of appearing on the SERP for this particular keyword.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In summary, we have seen how analyzing search intent can help inform our SERP strategy and determine if and how we will compete.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s now take a look at content quality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">4. Content quality<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s worth being aware that the standard of content Google expects can be much higher for certain topics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, in a <a href=\"\/blog\/eeat-seo\/\" data-ahr=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/eat-seo\/\">Your Money or Your Life (YMYL)<\/a> topic, such as medical advice, you likely need to provide content created or reviewed by doctors to compete on the&nbsp;SERP.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Google defines YMYL topics as the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1834\" height=\"250\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/11-your-money-or-your-life-ymyl-topics.png\" alt=\"YMYL definition, via Google Search Quality Evaluator Guidelines\" class=\"wp-image-151151\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/11-your-money-or-your-life-ymyl-topics.png 1834w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/11-your-money-or-your-life-ymyl-topics-680x93.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/11-your-money-or-your-life-ymyl-topics-768x105.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/11-your-money-or-your-life-ymyl-topics-1536x209.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1834px) 100vw, 1834px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Unless you have the resources to compete on these types of SERPs, then it is a good idea to stay clear of&nbsp;them.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Even in non-YMYL topics, such as product reviews, there are sites like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/wirecutter\/\">Wirecutter<\/a> independently reviewing <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/wirecutter\/about\/\">thousands of products<\/a> every year with great success. So it\u2019s not just YMYL topics that have extremely high-quality content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1568\" height=\"1234\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/12-wirecutter-about-our-reviews-page.jpg\" alt=\"Wirecutter's &quot;about us&quot; page, via nytimes.com\" class=\"wp-image-151153\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/12-wirecutter-about-our-reviews-page.jpg 1568w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/12-wirecutter-about-our-reviews-page-540x425.jpg 540w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/12-wirecutter-about-our-reviews-page-768x604.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/12-wirecutter-about-our-reviews-page-1536x1209.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1568px) 100vw, 1568px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Wirecutter now has the backing of The New York Times, so it has tremendous resources at&nbsp;hand.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Looking at its website, it typically updates or publishes around 10 articles per day, and this is despite its reviews taking <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/wirecutter\/about\/\">\u201cweeks or months of research\u201d<\/a> to complete.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So how do high-quality sites like Wirecutter impact our SERP analysis?&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Simply put, if there is a website that has high-quality content within the SERP, then you should consider whether you have the resources to compete and outrank them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"Step 3. Check for&nbsp;other opportunities\" data-section=\"check-for-other-opportunities\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step 3. Check for other opportunities<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>The final step of our SERP analysis is to check for any other opportunities. One of the biggest opportunities you can take advantage of is SERP features.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Google seems to have hinted it as one of its priorities for search as far back as 2007. According to then-representative Marissa Mayer:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>We [Google] want to help you find the very best answer, even if you don\u2019t know where to&nbsp;look.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>But what exactly is a SERP feature, and how can we identify it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A SERP feature is any result on the SERPs that is not a traditional organic search result.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In brief, these are some of the most common SERP features and their basic requirements:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Featured snippets<\/strong> \u2013 Provide a concise answer to a&nbsp;query.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Video carousels<\/strong> \u2013 Create a YouTube video on the&nbsp;topic.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Image packs<\/strong> \u2013 Provide a relevant image of what people are looking for.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Top stories<\/strong> \u2013 Publish relevant news stories on the&nbsp;topic.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>People Also Ask<\/strong> \u2013 Answer a related question on the&nbsp;topic.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Using Ahrefs\u2019 <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/site-explorer\">Site Explorer<\/a>, we can see a list of current SERP features in the <strong>Organic keywords<\/strong> report by entering any website into the search bar and then clicking on the <strong>SERP features<\/strong> filter.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the example below, I have used ahrefs.com.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1410\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/13-ahrefs-featured-snippets-filter-site-explorer-results.png\" alt=\"SERP features dropdown, via Ahrefs' Site Explorer\" class=\"wp-image-151155\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/13-ahrefs-featured-snippets-filter-site-explorer-results.png 1999w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/13-ahrefs-featured-snippets-filter-site-explorer-results-603x425.png 603w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/13-ahrefs-featured-snippets-filter-site-explorer-results-768x542.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/13-ahrefs-featured-snippets-filter-site-explorer-results-1536x1083.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Filtering results by specific <strong>SERP features<\/strong> can be useful for competitor analysis or simply understanding which SERP features your website ranks&nbsp;for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So what do SERP features look like in the&nbsp;wild?&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s take a look at a <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/featured-snippets\/\" data-ahr=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/find-featured-snippets\/\">featured snippet<\/a> for \u201cwhat are cats whiskers for\u201d in Google search.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1660\" height=\"666\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/14-what-are-cats-whiskers-for-featured-snippet.jpg\" alt=\"Featured snippet search result for &quot;what are cats whiskers for,&quot; via Google.com\" class=\"wp-image-151157\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/14-what-are-cats-whiskers-for-featured-snippet.jpg 1660w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/14-what-are-cats-whiskers-for-featured-snippet-680x273.jpg 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/14-what-are-cats-whiskers-for-featured-snippet-768x308.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/14-what-are-cats-whiskers-for-featured-snippet-1536x616.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1660px) 100vw, 1660px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>As we can see above, appearing in a featured snippet will mean you get more SERP real estate than a standard organic listing and will also mean that the result appears at the top of the search results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is why SERP features are considered by some SEOs as the cheat codes for SEO. They can also potentially drive more traffic than your average organic result.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If we return to our previous example of \u201chow to leash train a dog,\u201d we can see that the <strong>SERP overview<\/strong> has identified the fifth result on this SERP as a video SERP feature.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s click on the caret next to <strong>Videos<\/strong> to expand this result.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"861\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/15-how-to-leash-train-a-dog-serp-overview-keywords-explorer-4.png\" alt=\"SERP overview for &quot;how to leash train a dog,&quot; via Ahrefs' Keywords Explorer\" class=\"wp-image-151159\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/15-how-to-leash-train-a-dog-serp-overview-keywords-explorer-4.png 1999w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/15-how-to-leash-train-a-dog-serp-overview-keywords-explorer-4-680x293.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/15-how-to-leash-train-a-dog-serp-overview-keywords-explorer-4-768x331.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/15-how-to-leash-train-a-dog-serp-overview-keywords-explorer-4-1536x662.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Once we click on the caret, we can see the expanded result.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1936\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/16-how-to-leash-train-a-dog-videos-result-detail.png\" alt=\"SERP overview video carousel featured snippet, via Ahrefs' Keywords Explorer\" class=\"wp-image-151161\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/16-how-to-leash-train-a-dog-videos-result-detail.png 1936w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/16-how-to-leash-train-a-dog-videos-result-detail-680x105.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/16-how-to-leash-train-a-dog-videos-result-detail-768x119.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/16-how-to-leash-train-a-dog-videos-result-detail-1536x238.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1936px) 100vw, 1936px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>There are three videos in the carousel from 2016, 2017, and 2021. If we had the resources to create video content for this query, creating a more up-to-date, high-quality video could be a valuable shortcut to ranking well on this&nbsp;SERP.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Assuming we managed to rank a video in the fifth position, this would leapfrog the DR 26 website we looked at earlier in the sixth position.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you created a blog post and a YouTube video targeting this search, you could acquire traffic from two sources rather than just&nbsp;one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In summary, targeting SERP features is worth your time if you have the resources available. Winning SERP features allows us to acquire more SERP real estate instead of just appearing for a single organic result for a search query.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Final thoughts<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Conducting a SERP analysis may sound daunting at first, but <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/keywords-explorer\">Keywords Explorer<\/a> makes it easy by giving you an overview of the key metrics you need to consider.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After that, it\u2019s just a case of following the process and asking yourself:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Can you provide a better answer to a keyword query than what is on the current SERP?&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Can you create higher-quality content than the top result for the&nbsp;query?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Do you have sufficient resources to create the content?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Are there any SERP features you can target to win more SERP real estate?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>If the answer is \u201cyes\u201d to most of the above questions, you should have a decent chance of cracking the&nbsp;SERP.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>What\u2019s your experience with SERP analysis? Got more questions? Ping me <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/chris_at_b449\">on Twitter<\/a>. \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It\u2019s important because not all keywords are created equal. Some are harder to rank for than others, so you must choose wisely. In this guide, you\u2019ll learn how to analyze a SERP to see if it\u2019s crackable. Let\u2019s get started.<span class=\"ellipsis\">\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"read-more\">Read more \u203a<\/div>\n<p><!-- end of .read-more --><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":178,"featured_media":151163,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wp_typography_post_enhancements_disabled":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[335],"tags":[],"coauthors":[437],"class_list":["post-151129","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-general-seo","odd"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>How to Do a SERP Analysis<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Want to know how to do a SERP analysis? In this article, learn how to use SERP analysis to outrank your competitors.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/serp-analysis\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How to Do a SERP Analysis\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Get ahead of the competition.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/serp-analysis\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"SEO Blog by Ahrefs\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Ahrefs\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2023-01-17T23:49:53+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2023-04-11T14:37:58+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/fb_affiliate_SERP_analysis.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"630\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Chris Haines\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:description\" content=\"Get ahead of the competition.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@chris_at_b449\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@ahrefs\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/serp-analysis\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/serp-analysis\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Chris Haines\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/9afb394ccc6e0e19c199d26984a8b0b2\"},\"headline\":\"How to Do a SERP Analysis\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-01-17T23:49:53+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-04-11T14:37:58+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/serp-analysis\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":2765,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/serp-analysis\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/01\\\/fb_affiliate_SERP_analysis.png\",\"articleSection\":[\"General SEO\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/serp-analysis\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/serp-analysis\\\/\",\"name\":\"How to Do a SERP Analysis\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/serp-analysis\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/serp-analysis\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/01\\\/fb_affiliate_SERP_analysis.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-01-17T23:49:53+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-04-11T14:37:58+00:00\",\"description\":\"Want to know how to do a SERP analysis? In this article, learn how to use SERP analysis to outrank your competitors.\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/serp-analysis\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/serp-analysis\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/01\\\/fb_affiliate_SERP_analysis.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/01\\\/fb_affiliate_SERP_analysis.png\",\"width\":1200,\"height\":630},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/\",\"name\":\"SEO Blog by Ahrefs\",\"description\":\"Link Building Strategies &amp; SEO Tips\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Ahrefs\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/06\\\/ahrefs-logo.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/06\\\/ahrefs-logo.png\",\"width\":2048,\"height\":768,\"caption\":\"Ahrefs\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/Ahrefs\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/ahrefs\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.linkedin.com\\\/company\\\/ahrefs\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.youtube.com\\\/c\\\/ahrefscom\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/9afb394ccc6e0e19c199d26984a8b0b2\",\"name\":\"Chris Haines\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/01\\\/ChrisHaines_2x.jpg5328cbfe0b80f39d8800869ef43bebfc\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/01\\\/ChrisHaines_2x.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/01\\\/ChrisHaines_2x.jpg\",\"caption\":\"Chris Haines\"},\"description\":\"Chris is an SEO director who has 10 years of experience in SEO, agency side. When not involved in SEO, he enjoys messing around with vintage synthesizers, walks on sandy beaches, and a good cup of tea.\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/chrishaines.uk\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/uk.linkedin.com\\\/in\\\/chris-haines-seo\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/chris_at_b449\"],\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/author\\\/chris-haines\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"How to Do a SERP Analysis","description":"Want to know how to do a SERP analysis? In this article, learn how to use SERP analysis to outrank your competitors.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/serp-analysis\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"How to Do a SERP Analysis","og_description":"Get ahead of the competition.","og_url":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/serp-analysis\/","og_site_name":"SEO Blog by Ahrefs","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Ahrefs\/","article_published_time":"2023-01-17T23:49:53+00:00","article_modified_time":"2023-04-11T14:37:58+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1200,"height":630,"url":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/fb_affiliate_SERP_analysis.png","type":"image\/png"}],"author":"Chris Haines","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_description":"Get ahead of the competition.","twitter_creator":"@chris_at_b449","twitter_site":"@ahrefs","schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/serp-analysis\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/serp-analysis\/"},"author":{"name":"Chris Haines","@id":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/9afb394ccc6e0e19c199d26984a8b0b2"},"headline":"How to Do a SERP Analysis","datePublished":"2023-01-17T23:49:53+00:00","dateModified":"2023-04-11T14:37:58+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/serp-analysis\/"},"wordCount":2765,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/serp-analysis\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/fb_affiliate_SERP_analysis.png","articleSection":["General SEO"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/serp-analysis\/","url":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/serp-analysis\/","name":"How to Do a SERP Analysis","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/serp-analysis\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/serp-analysis\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/fb_affiliate_SERP_analysis.png","datePublished":"2023-01-17T23:49:53+00:00","dateModified":"2023-04-11T14:37:58+00:00","description":"Want to know how to do a SERP analysis? In this article, learn how to use SERP analysis to outrank your competitors.","inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/serp-analysis\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/serp-analysis\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/fb_affiliate_SERP_analysis.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/fb_affiliate_SERP_analysis.png","width":1200,"height":630},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/","name":"SEO Blog by Ahrefs","description":"Link Building Strategies &amp; SEO Tips","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/#organization","name":"Ahrefs","url":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/ahrefs-logo.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/ahrefs-logo.png","width":2048,"height":768,"caption":"Ahrefs"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Ahrefs\/","https:\/\/x.com\/ahrefs","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/ahrefs\/","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/c\/ahrefscom"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/9afb394ccc6e0e19c199d26984a8b0b2","name":"Chris Haines","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/ChrisHaines_2x.jpg5328cbfe0b80f39d8800869ef43bebfc","url":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/ChrisHaines_2x.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/ChrisHaines_2x.jpg","caption":"Chris Haines"},"description":"Chris is an SEO director who has 10 years of experience in SEO, agency side. When not involved in SEO, he enjoys messing around with vintage synthesizers, walks on sandy beaches, and a good cup of tea.","sameAs":["https:\/\/chrishaines.uk\/","https:\/\/uk.linkedin.com\/in\/chris-haines-seo","https:\/\/x.com\/chris_at_b449"],"url":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/author\/chris-haines\/"}]}},"as_json":null,"json_reviewers":{"1":114},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/151129","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/178"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=151129"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/151129\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/151163"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=151129"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=151129"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=151129"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=151129"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}