What is Keyword Competition?
Keyword competition refers to how difficult it is to rank for a specific keyword in search engines like Google. It helps businesses understand their potential to drive traffic by targeting certain keywords, with higher-ranking results typically receiving more clicks.
Keyword Competition in PPC
In pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, high competition means you’ll face increased costs and higher standards for your ads to be displayed. For example, consider bidding on a keyword like “luxury skincare products.” The top results are typically paid advertisements from well-known brands, and securing ad space for this term would require a higher budget.
Keyword Difficulty in SEO
In search engine optimization (SEO), keyword competition is often referred to as keyword difficulty. The higher the difficulty, the more challenging it is to rank organically. For instance, trying to rank for “fitness tracker reviews” would put you in competition with authority websites such as tech review platforms or established fitness blogs.
How is Keyword Competition Calculated?
Various tools measure keyword competition differently. Let’s explore how Google Keyword Planner and Semrush calculate this metric.
Google Keyword Planner
In Google Keyword Planner, keyword competition is expressed in two ways:
- Competition: A “High,” “Medium,” or “Low” indicator that shows how many advertisers are bidding on the keyword compared to other keywords.
- Competition (indexed value): A percentage indicating the number of ad slots filled versus the total available. For example, an indexed value of 80 means 80% of the ad spaces are occupied for that keyword.
Semrush Keyword Competition Metrics
If you search for “organic pet food” in Google Keyword Planner, you might see high competition due to the growing demand for natural pet products.
In Semrush, competition is represented by two key metrics:
- Competitive Density: Ranges from 0.0 to 1.0 and tells you how competitive a keyword is in PPC. For example, a competitive density of 0.92 for “online yoga classes” shows that many advertisers are bidding on this term.
- Keyword Difficulty (KD%): A percentage that measures how hard it is to rank organically for a keyword. For instance, a KD% of 65% for “vegan meal plans” means it’s quite difficult to rank without significant SEO efforts.
You can also get a Personal Keyword Difficulty (PKD%) score, which factors in your domain’s authority and backlink profile. This allows you to see how challenging it would be for your specific site to rank for a term.
Why Are Some Keywords More Competitive Than Others?
The competitiveness of a keyword is often influenced by two factors: search volume and purchase intent.
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Keyword Search Volume
Keywords with higher search volumes naturally attract more competition. For example, “eco-friendly home products” is a high-volume keyword, with many businesses competing to capture consumers interested in sustainable living. However, more specific keywords, like “eco-friendly bathroom cleaners”, will likely have lower search volume and competition.
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Purchase Intent:
Keywords with strong purchase intent, such as “buy wireless headphones online,” are highly competitive in both SEO and PPC. This is because users are more likely to convert into customers, making these keywords valuable for advertisers. On the other hand, informational keywords like “how to choose wireless headphones” may have less competition but are still important for attracting users in the research phase.
How to Check Keyword Competition
To assess keyword competition, you can use tools like Semrush’s Keyword Overview or Google Keyword Planner. These tools give insights into competitive density, keyword difficulty, and search volumes.
Using Semrush Keyword Overview
For example, entering “vegan protein powder” in Semrush’s Keyword Overview tool will show you its competitive density for PPC and difficulty score for SEO. These metrics help you determine whether the keyword is worth pursuing based on your goals.
In the discovery phase, you can use Semrush’s Keyword Magic Tool to find related terms, keyword variations, and competition levels. For instance, searching for “home workout equipment” might lead you to lower-competition, long-tail keywords like “best home workout equipment for small spaces.”
How to Compete for High-Value Keywords
In SEO, targeting keywords with a Keyword Difficulty score of 0%-49% is a good starting point. These keywords are often easier to rank for and can drive immediate results.
To effectively compete for desirable keywords:
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Create High-Quality, Relevant Content:
Focus on providing in-depth, valuable information that directly addresses user intent. For example, if you’re targeting “beginner yoga tips,” create comprehensive guides that cover all aspects of starting a yoga practice, from poses to breathing techniques.
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Boost Your Website’s Authority:
Building authority through backlinks from reputable websites can help improve your site’s ability to rank. Additionally, becoming a topical authority in your niche—by covering a range of related topics—can enhance your credibility. If you’re focusing on “sustainable fashion,” for instance, make sure you cover all aspects, from eco-friendly fabrics to sustainable brands.
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Follow Technical SEO Best Practices:
Ensure your website is technically sound with fast load times, mobile responsiveness, and clean code. Improving your technical SEO ensures search engines can crawl and index your pages efficiently, giving you a competitive edge.
If a keyword is too competitive for SEO, consider using PPC to bid on high-competition terms. While bidding on keywords like “luxury watches” might be costly, creating targeted, high-quality ads and landing pages can increase your chances of conversion. Just remember, it’s not only about outbidding your competitors—it’s also about providing a great user experience with tailored content.
Track Your Performance
Once you’ve started targeting competitive keywords, track your rankings and performance to evaluate the effectiveness of your strategy. Tools like Semrush’s Position Tracking allow you to monitor your rankings in Google’s paid and organic results, helping you fine-tune your approach.
Monitoring Keyword Rankings with Position Tracking
For instance, if you’re tracking “best coffee machines for home use,” you can see how your content ranks and where improvements are needed. Tracking these metrics helps you make informed decisions about future keyword strategies.
By focusing on the right keywords and consistently improving your content and site authority, you can succeed in both SEO and PPC, even for competitive keywords.
Conclusion
Understanding keyword competition is essential for optimizing both SEO and PPC campaigns. Whether you’re targeting competitive keywords with high search volumes or focusing on long-tail keywords to attract a niche audience, having a clear strategy will help you achieve better results.
Use tools like Google Keyword Planner and Semrush to gauge competition levels, and ensure your site is ready to compete with quality content and sound technical SEO practices.
Looking for expert help to take your SEO and PPC strategies to the next level? Tech Trappers Ltd. is here to guide you through every step. Contact us today to boost your rankings and drive more traffic!