Do You Go After Keywords or Find Pages That Can Actually Rank?
- Thread starter jimmigelx
- Start date
root.samth
Newbie
- Jul 17, 2026
- 27
- 11
Monthly checks serve as an excellent basis, but I would still monitor GSC in-between audits. An abrupt decrease in clicks, problems with indexing, or any other unexpected changes in rankings can be checked prior to the next monthly check.
Larryblack
Registered Member
- Jul 18, 2024
- 61
- 40
Low competition doesn't always mean easy to rank. I will first check the SERP to see what type of pages Google is ranking, then match the search intent.
I will also analyze competitors content, back links, and domain strength. If I can create a better page and compete with the current results, the keyword is worth targeting.
I will also analyze competitors content, back links, and domain strength. If I can create a better page and compete with the current results, the keyword is worth targeting.
typically, I would usually look at the serp results first since sometimes the keyword difficulty is deceptive, tbh. at times it is the less authoritative website with better intent match that trump a more authoritative one. do you look at the GSC stats prior to proceeding further?
- Mar 2, 2021
- 4,348
- 1,414
if i am being honest even low competition keyword is even hard to rank now i think majority of people are now focusing on that and its getting harder to work on
josh.phliphi
Junior Member
- Jun 17, 2026
- 102
- 37
Sure, the SERP analysis reveals much more useful information than difficulty scores. If smaller websites are ranking well with content similar to yours, this is a good indicator.
syedsaad005
Newbie
- May 10, 2025
- 20
- 3
Focus on your website interface and website content keep the organic and knowledgeable content and trendy topics !!
moazzamhs12
Junior Member
- Aug 15, 2026
- 105
- 22
Exactly! I always analyze search intent, SERP competition, and competitor page quality before targeting a keyword. Low competition alone isn’t enough; the key is finding keywords where you can create better content and realistically rank.
- Feb 28, 2019
- 7,640
- 8,082
Great keywords are not always great for your site. You should find keywords that match your site authority so that you can rank. Eventually, you can upgrade to high difficulty keywords over time.
ZyvaraMedia
Newbie
- Aug 4, 2026
- 20
- 1
I check competitor pages and look for topics they have not covered well.
alarichaye
Newbie
- Aug 11, 2026
- 20
- 2
i think identifying pages that can really perform well ranks higher than just researching the keyword difficulty. even a seemingly simple keyword can be hard to rank for, if the pages dominating the search engine results page have high page authoritty. nnowing what google is already ranking for nd what customers expect to find when searching is very important.do u always check the top 10 pages by hand first?
Digital Crown Agency
Registered Member
- Jan 5, 2026
- 72
- 21
i chased a keyword once just because the tool showed low difficulty and wasted a month on it. when i finally looked properly, the whole first page was big brands and the intent was nothing like the page i'd written. now i open the actual serp before anything else — if i can't honestly make a better page than what's there, i drop it and move on.
- Apr 20, 2018
- 5,414
- 3,032
I focus on finding keywords where I have a realistic chance to rank.
Search volume and low keyword difficulty don't mean much if the SERP is dominated by strong sites or the intent doesn't match my content. I always check the top results before deciding.
Pax Digital
Registered Member
- Oct 4, 2026
- 61
- 45
I would take a keyword that brings a few real customers over one that just brings traffic. i have had pages with thousands of visits and zero sales.
Luca Armani
Newbie
- Oct 26, 2026
- 14
- 15
I prefer checking the SERP first to understand search intent and competition before choosing keywords to target
It is vry normal for me that while starting with my project, I check the rankings on google before deciding the keyword. although the keyword seems to be very simple based on the rankings suggested by the SEO software, there are still lots of high-ranking web sites. It is very imprtant that these websites relate to the subject.