How can you analyze search results to assess keyword competition?

To assess keyword competition, use difficulty scores as a starting point, then examine the content types on the first page of search results, the strength of the ranking pages, and how much space ads and special search features occupy. Look beyond whether your competitors are big brands. Can your content meet searchers’ needs and fill gaps in competing content? Do you have the resources to compete? Assess your chances of ranking separately from your chances of attracting clicks.

Identify what searchers want, then find your actual competitors

Examine the top results for your target keyword rather than simply listing your offline competitors. Search competitors may include media outlets, forums, or other types of websites. A 2019 Screaming Frog article suggests inferring search intent from the types of results: if most are guides, blog posts, and lists, searchers are likely looking for information rather than seeking to buy immediately.

• Record whether the ranking results are informational articles, service pages, or product pages.
• Compare each page’s topic coverage, content depth, structure, and alignment with search intent.
• Check whether elements such as images and FAQs help answer searchers’ questions, rather than comparing word counts alone.

At Procrustes, we continually plan, write, and update articles around the questions customers genuinely care about.

Compare page strength without treating tool scores as thresholds

Keyword difficulty scales and calculation methods vary across tools, so a score alone cannot tell you whether a keyword is worth pursuing. Also compare the ranking pages’ backlinks and referring domains, along with the strength of both the websites and the individual pages.

Authority scores can be used for relative comparisons, but they are not official Google ratings. Screaming Frog’s 2019 analysis also cautions that a single large website can inflate the average number of referring domains. That average should not be interpreted as “you must acquire this many links to compete.” Examine the quantity and quality of referring domains for each page, then assess which gaps you need to close.

Distinguish ranking difficulty from competition for visibility

Semrush distinguishes between two types of competition: in paid search, advertisers bid against one another; in organic search, websites compete for top unpaid rankings. A large number of ads therefore does not directly translate into high SEO difficulty. However, placements such as ads, videos, reviews, and AI summaries may still affect the visibility of organic results.

If a tool reports “4 SERP features,” the count alone cannot tell you whether that is a lot or a little, or whether those features present obstacles or opportunities. First identify the four types and where they appear, then assess whether your content suits those formats. The sources used in this article do not provide a universally applicable numerical threshold.

If big brands dominate the first page, investigate the gaps rather than giving up immediately

In the “Tax Services” example, a search volume of 27k, a keyword difficulty (KD) of 60%, and big brands on the first page are still not enough to decide whether to invest. Opinions differ in the Warrior Forum discussion: dave_hermansen considers it difficult to break through in this situation, while MikeFriedman argues that big brands are not necessarily difficult to outrank, especially when their internal pages are ranking. However, even with a high ranking, an unfamiliar brand may struggle to attract clicks.

Start by comparing your pages with the pages actually ranking to identify gaps in content and links. If the required content quality and resources clearly exceed your capabilities, consider more specific, less competitive phrases. Do not invest solely because search volume is high, or rule out a keyword solely because the competing brands are well known.