SERP features<\/a>. This includes featured snippets, rich results, etc.<\/p>\n\n\n\nIn our example below, we see a keyword with a featured snippet on Google. (Unfortunately, it\u2019s not one of the keywords we\u2019d target because there are no weak spots.)<\/p>\n\n\n\nFeatured snippets are displayed at the top of Google\u2019s organic results in what SEOs call \u201cposition zero.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This type of search results aims to answer the user\u2019s question directly on the SERP.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
4. Evaluate Competitors\u2019 Content<\/h3>\n\n\n\n At this stage, we want to learn about the ranking competitors\u2019 content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some questions we should consider include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nWhat is the average word count of the competing content?<\/li>\n\n\n\n Have they optimized for this specific keyword?<\/li>\n\n\n\n Does the content align with the search intent?<\/li>\n\n\n\n How relevant are the websites for this kind of keyword?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\nUsing LowFruits to analyze one of our prospective content ideas, we can see that:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nThe average word count is around 2,000<\/strong>, with low DA websites writing around 4,000 and high DA websites producing around 1,000-word articles<\/li>\n\n\n\nNo website on the 1st page has included the exact keyword<\/strong> \u201dbest attractions in southern germany\u201d.<\/li>\n\n\n\nThe competing articles are fairly relevant <\/strong>for this query and they most likely dedicated their content towards answering this query.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\nThese insights suggest that our new travel website could very likely rank between the 3-7th position by covering the topic more in-depth than the competition as well as optimizing the title.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
5. Check for Any Other SERP Signals<\/h3>\n\n\n\n Finally, there are other SERP signals to look for when evaluating the search results. These include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nAre the top-ranking websites forum pages or user-generated content?<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\nEarlier, we discussed that there is a higher probability to outrank these pages, despite their high DA, since they are not very optimized.<\/p>\n\n\n\nIt\u2019s possible to outrank this forum page by producing structured and useful content for the readers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Is the query location-specific?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nKeywords could have the obvious \u201duk\u201d or \u201dusa\u201d at the end, but some keywords could have \u201dnl\u201d at the end, which would stand for \u201dNetherlands\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Is the query with navigational intent?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nWhen you are researching a foreign market, it\u2019s important to know the local brands. It could be retailer websites such as Tesco or Walmart, or it can be more subtle, such as \u201cchanel boots\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBoots\u201d as in not<\/em> shoes, but as a retailer of cosmetics.<\/p>\n\n\n\nIn the example below, there\u2019s mixed intent, so search engines serve results for both.<\/p>\n\n\n\nSERP Analysis Examples: Should We Target These Keywords?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n That was our SERP analysis process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In this section, we\u2019ll walk through 3 keywords, analyzing the SERP for each and evaluating which ones to pursue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For our examples, we\u2019ll imagine we have a small bike shop and are looking to start a blog.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here are some keywords we\u2019re interested in:<\/p>\n\n\n\nExample 1: \u201cbest bike for nica racing\u201d<\/h3>\n\n\n\n After analyzing the keywords with LowFruits, we can see that \u201cbest bike for nica racing\u201d has 2 weak spots<\/strong>, aka websites ranking on the 1st page that our small bike shop would be able to beat.<\/p>\n\n\n\nOne of them is a forum page<\/strong> ranking on 4th position, which means we could look to optimize our content better than it to outrank it.<\/p>\n\n\n\nNow, we want to see what the competitive landscape actually looks like on the SERP:<\/p>\n\n\n\nWe could see that there is no particular dominant content type<\/strong> in the SERPs, as we can see both product pages and listicles ranking in the top positions.<\/p>\n\n\n\nThe average word count<\/strong> for this query is 900, and we can see that pages that wrote over 2,000 words didn\u2019t do much better.<\/p>\n\n\n\nThat means we could combine a listicle with a product page by creating an article with multiple bikes and then positioning our bike as the best value-for-money option.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We could also see that the exact keyword does not seem to appear in any of the titles<\/strong>, which would further give us a ranking boost since we are most accurately targeting the topic.<\/p>\n\n\n\nUnfortunately, for this topic, there is no featured snippet<\/strong>, but that\u2019s not a big problem. We were still able to see that we have realistic chances of breaking the top 3 for this query, even as a newer website.<\/p>\n\n\n\nWe were able to spot a forum page on the 4th position and a low-word-count product catalog in the 2nd position, which means we should be able to break the top 3.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As for the relevancy of the ranking content, we\u2019re in an even better position than the competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here are the top pages for our keyword:<\/p>\n\n\n\nThe first result discusses mountain bikes for kids, the third result is unrelated to the topic of bikes, and the seventh position covers regular bikes for high school.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Additionally, there\u2019s a NICA discount program featured.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Given the limited competition and low content relevance to the main query, this keyword is worth pursuing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
VERDICT: <\/strong>We can target this keyword with confidence.<\/p>\n\n\n\nExample 2: \u201cbest bike for gravel racing\u201d<\/h3>\n\n\n\n When we start to evaluate this keyword, we can already see that LowFruits hasn\u2019t found any weak spots<\/strong> on the SERPs.<\/p>\n\n\n\nThat means every website that ranks on the first page in Google has some authority.<\/p>\n\n\n\nUpon further analysis, we can see that the top websites that are ranking have over 75 DA<\/strong>, and most of the competitors have written extensively on the topic<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\nThere is a clear dominant content type, listicle content, but the competing websites have optimized for the main keyword.<\/p>\n\n\n\nThe competitor articles have relevant titles and content and high domain authority.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Additionally, these authoritative websites specialize in the bike niche<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\nIn essence, we\u2019ve likely lost this contest from the outset. While we could create content, it may take years to reach the first page and match their authority.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
VERDICT: <\/strong>We should not pursue this keyword, as this article idea would be too hard to rank for.<\/p>\n\n\n\nExample 3: \u201cbest bike for drag racing\u201d<\/h3>\n\n\n\n For this keyword, we can see that there are 2 forum websites <\/strong>ranking on the 1st page, 1 of which is in 3rd position.<\/p>\n\n\n\nThis keyword shows 2 weak spots for forum websites.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nWe can also see that it has an opportunity for a featured snippet<\/strong> and that the average word count<\/strong> is 950 words.<\/p>\n\n\n\nAs we dive deeper into the competitors on the SERPs, we can see that a website with a DA of 29<\/strong> is ranking in 1st position, and the forum we spotted earlier is in the 3rd position.<\/p>\n\n\n\nThe dominant content type is listicles, and competitors have optimized properly for this keyword.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Word count, in this case, seems to matter.<\/strong> Articles over the average word count rank higher than others with more thin content, but the 1st result is an outlier.<\/p>\n\n\n\nThe reason behind the first result\u2019s success is the article\u2019s relevancy to the topic. The other queries include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nMotorcycles<\/li>\n\n\n\n 1st Bike<\/li>\n\n\n\n Fastest Drag Bikes<\/li>\n\n\n\n Most popular<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\nBut in this case, the search intent reveals that users are searching for the best bike for drag racing<\/strong>. It doesn\u2019t have to be the fastest, the most popular, or the 1st one.<\/p>\n\n\n\nFor this reason, we are going to pursue this topic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We\u2019ll need to produce an article that covers the search intent better<\/strong> than our medium-level competitors.<\/p>\n\n\n\nEven in the face of authoritative websites, Google would prioritize content that answers the search query better than high-DA websites.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
VERDICT: <\/strong>We\u2019ll pursue this keyword by better aligning our content with the search intent than the competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\nExample 4: \u201cbest bike for xc racing\u201d<\/h3>\n\n\n\n Looking at our next keyword, we see a website ranking in the 9th position that we could overtake due to its low domain authority.<\/p>\n\n\n\nThis keyword reveals a weak competitor in position 9.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nEven though that sounds promising, we\u2019re dealing with a low-volume keyword <\/strong>(<10 volume\/mo), which means that the 9th position isn\u2019t very intriguing.<\/p>\n\n\n\nAfter closely analyzing the SERPs and the competition, we see that the average word count hovers around 3,000<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\nThe website in the 1st position also has content well over 2,000 words<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\nThe competition is made up of websites with medium-to-high domain authority, and they seem to have covered the topic extensively and accurately with their listicle content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But the reason why we\u2019re not pursuing<\/strong> this keyword is because it\u2019s not worth the effort<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\nAt best, we would be able to rank at the bottom of the first page by covering the topic as extensively as everyone else (3,000+ words).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But for a keyword that has less than 10 searches per month, the bottom of the first page doesn\u2019t sound like something that would be worth such a large content piece.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
VERDICT: <\/strong>We will not pursue this keyword because the efforts far outweigh the potential reward.<\/p>\n\n\n\nFinal Thoughts & Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n\n\n\n Knowing how to do a SERP analysis is immensely valuable to your SEO and business goals. I hope the above tutorial and real-world examples gave you a clear picture of how to perform one yourself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here are a few key takeaways from this article:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nA SERP analysis is the process of evaluating if a website can rank for a specific keyword or topic.<\/li>\n\n\n\n There are plenty of keywords that we can\u2019t rank for, at least not easily, and that\u2019s fine. You should prioritize creating content on topics you can realistically rank for.<\/li>\n\n\n\n Carefully weigh effort versus reward when evaluating which keywords to target. Even if you can rank for a keyword in the 7-8th position, it might not be worth your time if it\u2019s high effort and low search volume.<\/li>\n\n\n\n Tools such as LowFruits can help you analyze the SERPs in bulk and save you time from doing it manually.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"When conducting keyword research, we often come up with dozens, if not hundreds, of keyword ideas. Some are attainable for ranking, while others may be well out of reach. A SERP analysis will help you differentiate between keywords worth pursuing and those that are too competitive to target. In this article, you’ll learn how to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":248,"featured_media":2815,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"am_check_title_format":true,"am_check_permalink_format":true,"am_check_check_categories":true,"am_check_image_links_new_tab":true,"am_check_links_new_tab":true,"am_check_flifdn_i_zdilyghwmc3q":true,"am_check_bw5lhchtaays6phnuxaab":true,"am_check_7xjfkeyllswtlb8m4geli":true,"am_check_mmpyavkpnvqakyoa0pswp":true,"am_check_nwzd0q2luski4upg5xkib":true,"am_check_phrpfzy7iv6_4sb6gtmfe":true,"am_check_dt_uokjr34nmlp5i4mai5":true,"am_check_ck0ix72zhwrmtntdo09mi":true,"am_check_m0uc7nzckg1x33rffydya":true,"am_check_joaqzpt1pujl4bkkyurpx":true,"am_check_wmavsh39a3yxl49ptxfe7":true,"am_check_v_r5yh0urz2icvtljws0m":true,"am_check_00ob2jv86fnniwqec_pzr":true,"footnotes":""},"categories":[128],"tags":[97],"class_list":["post-1229","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-serp-analysis","tag-serp-analysis"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lowfruits.io\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1229","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lowfruits.io\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lowfruits.io\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lowfruits.io\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/248"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lowfruits.io\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1229"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/lowfruits.io\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1229\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5015,"href":"https:\/\/lowfruits.io\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1229\/revisions\/5015"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lowfruits.io\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2815"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lowfruits.io\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1229"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lowfruits.io\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1229"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lowfruits.io\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1229"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
![\"KWFinder](\"https:\/\/lowfruits.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/kwfinder-search.jpg\" "\\"KWFinder")
![\"Weak](\"https:\/\/lowfruits.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/weak-spots-forums-copy.jpg\" "\\"KWFinder")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"View](\"https:\/\/lowfruits.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/view-the-serp-example.jpg\" "\\"View")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"SERP](\"https:\/\/lowfruits.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/ranking-content-on-serp.jpg\" "\\"Top")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"Various](\"https:\/\/lowfruits.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/search-intent-example.jpg\" "\\"Examples")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"LowFruits](\"https:\/\/lowfruits.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/featured-snippet-lowfruits-1024x188.jpg\" "\\"Featured")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"Top](\"https:\/\/lowfruits.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/competitor-content-analysis.jpg\" "\\"Top")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"Tripadvisor](\"https:\/\/lowfruits.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/tripadvisor-page-min-1024x626.jpg\" "\\"Forum")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"Google](\"https:\/\/lowfruits.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/mixed-intent-example-min.jpg\" "\\"Search")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"Bike](\"https:\/\/lowfruits.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/serp-analysis-bike-shop-example-1024x394.jpg\" "\\"Keyword")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"Keyword](\"https:\/\/lowfruits.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/easy-keyword-example-bike-shop.jpg\" "\\"Keyword")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"Top](\"https:\/\/lowfruits.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/1st-keyword-2nd-image-1024x546.png\" "\\"Top")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"Not](\"https:\/\/lowfruits.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/not-optimized-title.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"Search](\"https:\/\/lowfruits.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/serp-analysis-example-results.jpg\" "\\"Titles")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"LowFruits](\"https:\/\/lowfruits.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/best-bike-for-gravel-racing-1024x64.jpg\" "\\"Keyword")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"Top](\"https:\/\/lowfruits.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/serp-bike-bike-for-gravel-racing-1024x576.jpg\" "\\"Top")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"Keyword](\"https:\/\/lowfruits.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/3rd-keyword-1-image.png\" "\\"Keyword")
![\"SERP](\"https:\/\/lowfruits.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/keyword-3-image-2-1024x556.png\" "\\"Top")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"SERP](\"https:\/\/lowfruits.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/best-bike-drag-racing-serp.jpg\" "\\"Top")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"Weak](\"https:\/\/lowfruits.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/4th-keyword-1st-image-1024x146.png\" "\\"Weak")
![\"Google](\"https:\/\/lowfruits.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/best-bike-for-xc-racing-serp-1024x620.jpg\" "\\"Top")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n