Best Practices for Analyzing Keyword Competition

Understand Keyword Intent

Identify what people want when they type a term. Do they want to buy, learn, or compare?

• Informational: “keyword research in digital marketing tutorial” they want info.
  
• Navigational: “Moz keyword explorer login” they have a specific destination.
  
• Transactional: “hire digital marketing service cost” they may buy.
  

Matching content to intent avoids wasted traffic. If you choose terms with the wrong intent, your conversion suffers.

Check Search Volume Vs Difficulty

Use tools like Ahrefs, SEMrush, or Google Keyword Planner. Compare:

• Search volume : how often a phrase is searched monthly.
  
• Keyword competitiveness : how hard it is to rank.
  

Pick a balance. High volume isn’t worth it if the difficulty is steep. Choose mid-volume, low-competition terms.

Some marketers make the mistake of going after high-volume keywords without considering their domain’s authority. If your website is new or has fewer backlinks, it’s smarter to go after low to medium-volume keywords where your content can rank faster.

Also, don’t ignore the potential of long-tail keywords. These phrases are more specific, face less competition, and often reflect a strong intent to act. For example, instead of targeting “digital marketing,” go for “digital marketing service for small businesses.” You may get fewer visitors, but more conversions.

Analyze Current Top‑Ranking Pages

Search your target keyword and review the top 10 results:

• Do they have detailed content?
  
• Are their domains authoritative?
  
• Do they use visuals or videos?
  
• How fresh is the content?
  
• How many backlinks do they have?
  

If results are outdated or light, you have a good chance to outrank them.

Use “Keyword Competitiveness” Metrics

Some tools give difficulty scores (0–100). Don’t chase low scores only:

• Target low‑to‑mid scores that match your site’s strength.
  
• Track updates monthly—competition changes fast.
  
• Compare across multiple tools.
  

Not all tools calculate difficulty the same way. Some factor in backlinks alone, while others consider on-page SEO and content quality. When you’re comparing tools, understand what inputs they’re using so you can make better judgments.

Also, don’t chase “easy” keywords that no one searches for. A 10 difficulty score with zero traffic doesn’t help. Strike a balance between demand and attainability.

Look for Keyword Gaps

Find subtopics other articles miss. For example:

• “Keyword research in digital marketing” lacks a voice‑search angle.
  
• “SEO keyword strategy” misses question‑based terms.
  

Cover those gaps. That gives you an edge.

Track Competitor Content Strategies

Subscribe to competitor emails. Use tools like SimilarWeb or SpyFu to observe:

• Keywords they rank for
  
• Content formats they use
  
• Publishing frequency
  

That insight helps you find overlooked keywords or formats.

Look at the structure of their articles, do they use a lot of subheadings? Are they including stats, case studies, or expert quotes? These elements often help improve engagement and boost SEO value.

You can also reverse engineer their most successful pages using tools like BuzzSumo. Identify what earned the most shares or backlinks, and figure out what made it work. Then do it better, more clearly, and with updated information.

Assess Backlink Profiles

Backlinks still matter. For each top page:

• Note the number and quality of links.
  
• Check anchor text, does it use the target term?
  

If they have many strong links, build better content and visuals.

Consider On‑Page Optimization Effort

Think about what you’ll need:

• Tables, charts, or media
  
• A 1,500 + word article
  
• Outreach for backlinks
  

Choose keywords your team can support.

Monitor Trends and Seasonality

Keywords change with time. Use Google Trends to spot peaks.

• “SEO keyword strategy for Black Friday” spikes Oct to Nov.
  
• “Keyword research in digital marketing 2025 trends” picks up early in the year.
  

Update your content just as interest grows.

Don’t limit yourself to seasonal trends alone. Look at how interest in a keyword grows over time. A rising interest in a topic is a sign that you should create content now and update it regularly.

You can also use trends data to inform your content calendar. For instance, if queries related to “local SEO” increase in January due to New Year planning, publish or refresh your content by December.

Keyword Scorecard Example

 

Track, Measure, and Iterate

After publishing, monitor:

• Rankings
  
• Traffic
  
• Click‑through rate (CTR)
  

If a keyword is flat after 60 days:

• Refresh content
  
• Add visuals or data
  
• Build a few links
  

If it still lags by 90 days, pivot to a related long‑tail term.

Iteration is not optional. Even top-ranking content needs updates to stay competitive. Refresh stats, expand thin sections, and tweak titles or meta descriptions to maintain or improve your ranking.

Use A/B testing on headlines or intro sections to find what resonates better. If users bounce quickly, maybe your opening lines don’t match searcher expectations.

Scale with Tools and Processes

Build templates for efficiency:

• Content outlines
  
• On‑page SEO checklists
  
• Outreach script templates
  

Use alerts from SEMrush, Ahrefs, or Google Search Console. Review monthly and improve.

Why This Matters to You

• You avoid chasing keywords beyond reach.
  
• You gain steady traffic growth.
  
• You show authority in specific niches.
  
• You generate repeatable wins.
  

Final Take

You don’t need to compete everywhere. Instead, follow this path:

1. Know what searchers want
   
2. Pick realistic targets
   
3. Fill the gaps
   
4. Test and improve
   

That approach helps your site build relevance and visibility naturally.

Call to Action

Need help with competitive keyword research? SRV Media offers strategies that match your goals. We’ll help you find low‑competition keywords that drive real results. Reach out to us to begin.