{"id":154326,"date":"2023-03-06T00:17:50","date_gmt":"2023-03-06T05:17:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/?p=154326"},"modified":"2024-12-03T11:19:18","modified_gmt":"2024-12-03T16:19:18","slug":"keyword-analysis-for-seo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/keyword-analysis-for-seo\/","title":{"rendered":"Keyword Analysis for SEO: Deciding if (And How) to Target a Keyword"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"intro-txt\">If you\u2019re <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/how-to-choose-keywords-for-seo\/\">choosing keywords<\/a> based on search volume alone, you\u2019re making a mistake. You also need to consider whether the keyword makes sense for your business and whether you can realistically rank for&nbsp;it.<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Here\u2019s the process:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"2318\" class=\"wp-image-154335\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/keyword-analysis-process.png\" alt=\"How to decide whether to target a keyword\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/keyword-analysis-process.png 1600w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/keyword-analysis-process-293x425.png 293w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/keyword-analysis-process-768x1113.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/keyword-analysis-process-1060x1536.png 1060w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/keyword-analysis-process-1414x2048.png 1414w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s go through the steps in more detail.<\/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=\"1. Will the keyword send me enough traffic?\" data-section=\"traffic\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. Will the keyword send me enough traffic?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>People usually rely on search volumes for this, but they can be misleading.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, \u201cpheasant breast recipes\u201d gets an estimated 1.9K monthly searches in the U.S. But the top-ranking page gets far less traffic:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1448\" height=\"584\" class=\"wp-image-154336\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image2-2.png\" alt=\"The top-ranking page for &quot;pheasant breast recipes&quot; gets less traffic than the keyword's search volume\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image2-2.png 1448w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image2-2-680x274.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image2-2-768x310.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1448px) 100vw, 1448px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s the opposite for \u201cbacklink checker.\u201d The top-ranking page gets an estimated 27K monthly visits despite the keyword having only 5.9K monthly searches.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1426\" height=\"472\" class=\"wp-image-154337\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image8-4.png\" alt=\"The top-ranking page for &quot;backlink checker&quot; gets lots more traffic than the keyword's search volume\n\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image8-4.png 1426w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image8-4-680x225.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image8-4-768x254.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1426px) 100vw, 1426px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Here are a few reasons why this can happen:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Search volume &gt; traffic potential:<\/strong> Google shows instant answers in the search results and people don\u2019t need to click. People may also be clicking SERP features like \u201cTop stories\u201d instead.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Search volume &lt; traffic potential<\/strong>: The top-ranking page also ranks for other keywords.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>What\u2019s the solution?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Use the top-ranking page\u2019s as a proxy for traffic potential instead of search volumes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re an Ahrefs user, the Traffic Potential (TP) metric in <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/keywords-explorer\">Keywords Explorer<\/a> tells you this. You can even sort and filter keyword ideas by TP to make sure you focus on keywords that are likely to send you decent traffic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-154341\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image19-1.png\" alt=\"Filtering for keywords with high Traffic Potential (TP) in Ahrefs' Keywords Explorer\" width=\"511\" height=\"602\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image19-1.png 852w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image19-1-361x425.png 361w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image19-1-768x905.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 511px) 100vw, 511px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re not an Ahrefs user, plug the top-ranking page\u2019s URL into <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/traffic-checker\">our free traffic checker<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n        <div class=\"tool-widget-outer\">\n            <div class=\"tool-widget\">\n                <div class=\"body\">\n                    <div class=\"title\">Website Traffic Checker<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t                        <div class=\"heading\">See search traffic estimates for any website or webpage<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t                    <div class=\"icon  icon-website-traffic-checker\"><\/div>\n                <\/div>\n                <form action=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/traffic-checker\" method=\"GET\">\n                    <div class=\"form\">\n                        <input type=\"text\" class=\"input\" name=\"input\" placeholder=\"Enter domain or URL\" required>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t        <select name=\"mode\" class=\"domains-choice\" required>\n            <option value=\"exact\">Exact URL<\/option>\n            <option value disabled>Path<\/option>\n            <option value disabled>Domain<\/option>\n            <option value=\"subdomains\" selected>Subdomains<\/option>\n        <\/select>\n\t\t                        <button type=\"submit\" class=\"button\">Check traffic<\/button>\n                    <\/div>\n                <\/form>\n            <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n\t\t\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"984\" class=\"wp-image-154344\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image3-3.png\" alt=\"Estimated global search traffic to the top-ranking page for &quot;best arugula recipes,&quot; via Ahrefs' free traffic checker\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image3-3.png 1600w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image3-3-680x418.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image3-3-768x472.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image3-3-1536x945.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"recommendation\"><div class=\"recommendation-title\">Tip: check the search volume trend<\/div><div class=\"recommendation-content\">If interest in the topic is waning, you may not get anywhere near the current top page\u2019s traffic by the time you rank #1. You can check this in <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/keywords-explorer\">Keywords Explorer<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/trends.google.com\/trends\/\">Google Trends<\/a>.\n\n\n\n<p>For example, Keywords Explorer shows that searches for \u201chow does wordle work\u201d are declining:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1168\" height=\"742\" class=\"wp-image-154378\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image18-2.png\" alt=\"U.S. searches for &quot;how does wordle work&quot; are declining, according to Ahrefs' Keywords Explorer\n\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image18-2.png 1168w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image18-2-669x425.png 669w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image18-2-260x166.png 260w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image18-2-768x488.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1168px) 100vw, 1168px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>This is echoed in Google Trends:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1289\" class=\"wp-image-154379\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image12-1.png\" alt=\"U.S. interest in &quot;how does wordle work&quot; is declining, according to Google Trends\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image12-1.png 1600w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image12-1-528x425.png 528w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image12-1-768x619.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image12-1-1536x1237.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/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=\"2. Can I give searchers what they want?\" data-section=\"search-intent\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. Can I give searchers what they&nbsp;want?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Google wants to rank the type of content that searchers are looking for. Unless you can create that, your chances of ranking on the first page are slim to&nbsp;none.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here are five common content types and the resources you\u2019ll need to create them:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1125\" class=\"wp-image-154383\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/content-creation-resources.png\" alt=\"Resources required to create different types of content\n\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/content-creation-resources.png 1600w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/content-creation-resources-604x425.png 604w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/content-creation-resources-768x540.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/content-creation-resources-1536x1080.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>How do you know which one searchers are looking for?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The answer is pretty obvious for some keywords. For example, people searching for \u201cloan calculator\u201d clearly want an interactive tool, while those searching for \u201cbuy homepod mini\u201d want a product page.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If it isn\u2019t obvious for your keyword, the first page of results usually paints a pretty good picture.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, all first-page results for \u201cdays between dates\u201d are interactive calculators:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"979\" height=\"627\" class=\"wp-image-154386\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image10.gif\" alt=\"A few top-ranking pages for &quot;days between dates,&quot; all of which are interactive calculators\n\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>This means that unless you have access to a developer and designer, you can\u2019t create what searchers want and will struggle to&nbsp;rank.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On the other hand, most first-page results for \u201cexcel difference between two dates\u201d are essentially blog&nbsp;posts:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1120\" height=\"699\" class=\"wp-image-154388\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image11.gif\" alt=\"A few top-ranking pages for &quot;excel difference between two dates,&quot; all of which are blog posts\n\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>This means that all you need is a writer to create the kind of content searchers want.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"recommendation\"><div class=\"recommendation-title\">Tip: always pull unpersonalized search results<\/div><div class=\"recommendation-content\">Google personalizes search results in all kinds of ways, so you should always analyze first-page results in an incognito tab. It\u2019s also best to run the search from the location where you want to rank, as this can influence results too. There are a few ways to do&nbsp;this:&nbsp;\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Use a&nbsp;VPN<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Use Ahrefs\u2019 <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/seo-toolbar\">SEO Toolbar<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Use Ahrefs\u2019 <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/keywords-explorer\">Keywords Explorer<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re using our <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/seo-toolbar\">SEO Toolbar<\/a>, click the extension icon in your browser, toggle \u201cSERP tools\u201d on, then choose a location in the \u201cLocal search simulator\u201d section.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1400\" height=\"1036\" class=\"wp-image-154390\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image4-2.png\" alt=\"Using the local search simulator in Ahrefs' SEO Toolbar\n\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image4-2.png 1400w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image4-2-574x425.png 574w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image4-2-768x568.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1400px) 100vw, 1400px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re using Ahrefs\u2019 Keywords Explorer, choose a country from the dropdown.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-154392\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image17-3.png\" alt=\"Choosing a country in Ahrefs' Keywords Explorer\n\" width=\"414\" height=\"366\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image17-3.png 552w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image17-3-481x425.png 481w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 414px) 100vw, 414px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/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=\"3. Does the keyword have value for my business?\" data-section=\"value\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. Does the keyword have value for my business?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>If you ranked the type of content searchers are looking for, would it be valuable for&nbsp;you?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The most common way of answering this is to map keywords to the <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/buyers-journey\/\">buyer\u2019s journey<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1380\" class=\"wp-image-154489\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/keyword-analysis-05.png\" alt=\"The buyer's journey\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/keyword-analysis-05.png 1600w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/keyword-analysis-05-493x425.png 493w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/keyword-analysis-05-768x662.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/keyword-analysis-05-1536x1325.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The idea is simple: The earlier people are in their journey, the less likely they are to buy your product or service (and the less value the keyword has for&nbsp;you).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here\u2019s an example for our business:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1378\" class=\"wp-image-154395\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/buyers-journey-keyword-mapping.png\" alt=\"Mapping keywords to the buyer's journey\u2014an example\n\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/buyers-journey-keyword-mapping.png 1600w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/buyers-journey-keyword-mapping-493x425.png 493w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/buyers-journey-keyword-mapping-768x661.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/buyers-journey-keyword-mapping-1536x1323.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>This model is OK, but it has some flaws, as <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/timsoulo?lang=en\">Tim Soulo<\/a> covers in <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/seo\/keyword-research\" data-ahr=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/keyword-research\/\">his keyword research guide<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For that reason, we developed our own model for determining the so-called \u201cvalue\u201d of a keyword. It\u2019s called \u201cBusiness Potential,\u201d and it scores keywords between 0 and 3\u2014depending on how easy it will be to pitch your product or service in your content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here\u2019s an example for Ahrefs:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1502\" class=\"wp-image-154490\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/keyword-analysis-06.png\" alt=\"How the &quot;business potential&quot; scoring system works\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/keyword-analysis-06.png 1600w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/keyword-analysis-06-453x425.png 453w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/keyword-analysis-06-768x721.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/keyword-analysis-06-1536x1442.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s up to you which model you prefer; just make sure to keep search intent in mind when judging a keyword\u2019s value.<\/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=\"4. Can I rank for it?\" data-section=\"competition\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">4. Can I realistically rank for this keyword?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Some keywords are harder to rank for than others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here are three questions to ask to decide how likely you are to rank for a keyword.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A. How many backlinks do I&nbsp;need?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Backlinks are one of Google\u2019s main ranking factors. This means that if you\u2019re competing against pages with lots of backlinks already, you\u2019ll need to build lots of backlinks to your page\u2014and that\u2019s hard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For a super rough idea of how many backlinks you\u2019ll need to rank, check the hint below the Keyword Difficulty (KD) score in Ahrefs\u2019 <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/keywords-explorer\">Keywords Explorer<\/a> (or use <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/keyword-difficulty\">our free Keyword Difficulty checker<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-154398\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image5-2.png\" alt=\"The estimated number of backlinks you'll need to rank for &quot;schema generator,&quot; via Ahrefs' Keywords Explorer\n\" width=\"403\" height=\"374\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image5-2.png 806w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image5-2-458x425.png 458w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image5-2-768x713.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 403px) 100vw, 403px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>However, there are two important caveats to this number:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>It estimates how many backlinks you need to rank in the top 10, not #1 <\/strong>\u2013 You\u2019ll probably need at least this <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/high-quality-backlinks\/\">many high-quality backlinks<\/a>, if not more, to crack the first position.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>It doesn\u2019t take link quality into account <\/strong>\u2013 Some backlinks cast stronger \u201cvotes\u201d than others. If the top-ranking pages have lots of low-quality or mediocre links, you probably won\u2019t need that many high-quality links to rank in the top&nbsp;10.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>For a much better sense of how many good backlinks you need, you\u2019ll need to <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/backlink-audit\/\">audit the backlink profiles<\/a> of the top-ranking pages.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here\u2019s a good starting point courtesy of <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/viperchill?lang=en\">Glen Allsopp<\/a>, founder of Detailed.com:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">https:\/\/twitter.com\/ViperChill\/status\/991340035503865856<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/keywords-explorer\">Keywords Explorer<\/a> tells us that the top-ranking page for \u201cschema generator\u201d has backlinks from almost 2.6K domains.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1270\" height=\"344\" class=\"wp-image-154400\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image9-2.png\" alt=\"The top-ranking page for &quot;schema generator&quot; has backlinks from almost 2,600 referring domains, according to Ahrefs' Keywords Explorer\n\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image9-2.png 1270w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image9-2-680x184.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image9-2-768x208.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1270px) 100vw, 1270px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>But if we plug that URL into Ahrefs\u2019 <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/site-explorer\">Site Explorer<\/a>, check the <strong>Backlinks<\/strong> report, and apply Glen\u2019s filters (along with a couple of others to exclude links from low-authority domains without traffic), that number drops by ~66% to&nbsp;879.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1888\" height=\"470\" class=\"wp-image-154401\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image13-2.png\" alt=\"Filtering for strong backlinks in Ahrefs' Site Explorer's Backlinks report\n\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image13-2.png 1888w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image13-2-680x169.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image13-2-768x191.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image13-2-1536x382.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1888px) 100vw, 1888px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>In this case, that\u2019s still <em>a lot<\/em> of backlinks, but you can see how these filters could take some keywords from \u201cI\u2019ll never get that many backlinks\u201d to \u201cI think I can manage that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">B. How \u201cauthoritative\u201d are the websites in the search results?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Google has consistently <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=gS4_JH-QqSg&amp;t=2567s\">denied<\/a> using any kind of website authority metric in its ranking algorithms. Yet, when Tim <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/timsoulo\/status\/1519156156786044929\">surveyed<\/a> his audience of SEOs on Twitter, almost two-thirds said they take it into account when analyzing their chances of ranking for a keyword.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">https:\/\/twitter.com\/timsoulo\/status\/1519156156786044929<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>If you want to do the same, eyeball the Domain Rating (DR) column in <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/keywords-explorer\">Keywords Explorer<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1204\" height=\"898\" class=\"wp-image-154403\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image21.png\" alt=\"Checking DR for the top-ranking pages in Keywords Explorer\n\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image21.png 1204w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image21-570x425.png 570w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image21-768x573.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1204px) 100vw, 1204px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>If the top-ranking websites have the same or lower DR than you (use <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/site-explorer\">Site Explorer<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/website-authority-checker\">our free website authority checker<\/a> to check), that\u2019s a good sign. If their DR scores are way higher, their high authority may indirectly be helping them to rank for a couple of reasons:<\/p>\n\n        <div class=\"tool-widget-outer\">\n            <div class=\"tool-widget\">\n                <div class=\"body\">\n                    <div class=\"title\">Website Authority Checker<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t                        <div class=\"heading\">Check the authority of your domain<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t                    <div class=\"icon  icon-website-authority-checker\"><\/div>\n                <\/div>\n                <form action=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/website-authority-checker\" method=\"GET\">\n                    <div class=\"form\">\n                        <input type=\"text\" class=\"input\" name=\"input\" placeholder=\"Enter domain or URL\" required>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t                        <button type=\"submit\" class=\"button\">Check Authority<\/button>\n                    <\/div>\n                <\/form>\n            <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n\t\t\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">They have more&nbsp;PR<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>High-authority websites have lots of high-authority pages. If they have lots of <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/internal-links-for-seo\/\">internal links<\/a> pointing from those pages to the one you see ranking for your target keyword, that may be in part why it\u2019s ranking so&nbsp;high.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">They\u2019re a familiar brand<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>People often want to see results from familiar brands, so it\u2019s likely that Google\u2019s algorithms take this into account either directly or indirectly. This is likely in part why you see big brands like Target and Macy\u2019s ranking for some terms even with few backlinks.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1292\" height=\"734\" class=\"wp-image-154405\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image20-1.png\" alt=\"Familiar brands ranking on the first page for &quot;black cardigan&quot;\n\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image20-1.png 1292w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image20-1-680x386.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image20-1-768x436.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1292px) 100vw, 1292px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"recommendation\"><div class=\"recommendation-title\">Tip: find keywords where similar caliber sites&nbsp;rank<\/div><div class=\"recommendation-content\">Here\u2019s how to find keywords where at least one site with a DR the same or lower than yours ranks in the top&nbsp;five:\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Enter a topic into <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/keywords-explorer\">Keywords Explorer<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Go to the <strong>Matching terms<\/strong> report<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Enter your site\u2019s DR into the \u201cLowest DR\u201d filter and choose \u201cIn top 5\u201d from the dropdown<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-154406\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image1-2.png\" alt=\"Filtering for keywords with low-DR sites ranking in the top five\n\" width=\"432\" height=\"380\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image1-2.png 864w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image1-2-483x425.png 483w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image1-2-768x676.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 432px) 100vw, 432px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">C. How good is the content?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Even if you can create the kind of content searchers are looking for with relative ease, beating the competition on quality may not be so&nbsp;easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is important, as Google\u2019s algorithms are designed to surface pages that demonstrate <a href=\"\/blog\/eeat-seo\/\" data-ahr=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/eat-seo\/\">E-E-A-T<\/a>, which stands for experience, expertise, authoritativeness, and&nbsp;trust.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here\u2019s a quick breakdown of these four things:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Experience<\/strong> \u2013 Do you have firsthand or life experience on the&nbsp;topic?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Expertise<\/strong> \u2013 Do you have the necessary knowledge or skill for this&nbsp;topic?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Authoritativeness<\/strong> \u2013 Are you known as a go-to source for the&nbsp;topic?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Trust <\/strong>\u2013 Is the page accurate, safe, honest, and reliable?&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>In short, the higher the top-ranking pages score when it comes to these things, the harder it\u2019ll be to create content that stands a good chance of outranking them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, the top three results for \u201clump on neck\u201d are written or reviewed by doctors and registered nurses:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"456\" class=\"wp-image-154408\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image7.gif\" alt=\"Examples of top-ranking pages for &quot;lump on neck,&quot; all of which are written or reviewed by doctors and nurses\n\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>These websites are also arguably go-to sources for information about medical conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As a result, unless you\u2019re a doctor and your website has a similar reputation, you won\u2019t be able to demonstrate anywhere near the same level of E-E-A-T in your content.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, if you look at the top results for a keyword like \u201cbest projectors under 300,\u201d it\u2019s pretty obvious from the use of stock images that the authors have no firsthand experience with any of the recommended products:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1596\" height=\"984\" class=\"wp-image-154409\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image6-2.jpg\" alt=\"Example of a low-quality blog post that doesn't demonstrate E-E-A-T\n\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image6-2.jpg 1596w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image6-2-680x419.jpg 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image6-2-768x474.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image6-2-1536x947.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1596px) 100vw, 1596px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>This would be much easier to beat on quality. You just need to demonstrate firsthand <em>experience<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Final thoughts<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Keywords with the potential to send you lots of traffic aren\u2019t always worth trying to rank for. They also need to make sense for your business, and you need to give searchers the best quality version of what they\u2019re looking for to stand a chance at competing. Read this article if you want even more tips on <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/how-to-choose-keywords-for-seo\/\">choosing keywords for SEO<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Got questions? Ping me <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/author\/joshua-hardwick\/\">on Twitter<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Here\u2019s the process: Let\u2019s go through the steps in more detail. &nbsp; People usually rely on search volumes for this, but they can be misleading.&nbsp; For example, \u201cpheasant breast recipes\u201d gets an estimated 1.9K monthly searches in the U.S. But<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":114,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wp_typography_post_enhancements_disabled":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[328],"tags":[],"coauthors":[336],"class_list":["post-154326","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-keyword-research","odd"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Keyword Analysis for SEO: Deciding if (And How) to Target a Keyword<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"You can&#039;t just depend on keywords with high search volumes\u2014there&#039;s so much more to it than that! 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