\u201cBut will we <\/span>rank<\/span><\/i>?\u201d the client\u2019s message reads. <\/span><\/p>\n We\u2019d inherited the Australian-based startup from a solid referral source. With a steady team of contributors, beautiful branding, and an energetic founder, we were excited to amplify the brand\u2019s reach and drive\u00a0organic search traffic<\/strong><\/span>\u00a0by ranking for valuable keywords.\u00a0 \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n We\u2019d recently on-boarded the startup and had begun initial research tasks: surveying the competitive landscape, performing technical audits, identifying influencers and investing in keyword research to determine keyword difficulty<\/a><\/strong>, to name a few. Strategy ramp-up was in full swing. <\/span><\/p>\n While we had performed solid keyword research, our client wanted reassurance that they had a shot at ranking for a specific high-value keyword. As a startup, their budget line put pressure on them to justify the precious hours that would be spent on keyword research, implementing optimizations, and performing targeted page promotions. \u201cIs there ROI in this keyword?\u201d is <\/span>really<\/span><\/i> what they were asking. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n But as any rational data scientist will tell you, consulting a magic\u00a0crystal ball isn\u2019t standard protocol in SEO strategy or, for that matter, forecasting of any kind. <\/span><\/p>\n Now, I\u2019m sure we can find a magic 8 ball lying around somewhere; you know, for giggles. But even they aren\u2019t that accurate. <\/span><\/p>\n — <\/span><\/p>\n Me: \u201cDo I have a shot with that dreamy actor, Milo Ventimiglia?\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n Magic 8 Ball: \u201cConcentrate harder and ask again\u201d. <\/span><\/p>\n So… you\u2019re saying there\u2019s a chance? \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n —<\/span><\/p>\n But unlike predicting the future or serendipitous celebrity meetings, here at CanIRank, our <\/span>Keyword Difficulty Tool<\/span><\/a> can provide a clear understanding and probability of ranking for a particular keyword<\/strong>, and what it will take to get you there. But beyond that, it\u2019s designed to educate you on keyword ROI<\/strong>, which we\u2019ll get into later.<\/span><\/p>\n In the ultra-glamorous and slightly mysterious land of SEO, we get this question a lot. So, if you\u2019re an SEO noob wondering, “what is keyword difficulty?<\/strong>” or how to interpret a keyword difficulty score<\/strong>, you\u2019re in good company. <\/span><\/p>\n Clients often ask our team, \u201cWhat does keyword difficulty entail? And what does it mean for my SEO strategy?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Using the same machine learning techniques that power Google, CanIRank<\/a> doesn\u2019t just give you a keyword difficulty score, we show you which keywords offer the best balance between traffic potential and ranking difficulty specifically for your website. <\/span><\/p>\n Like Google, CanIRank\u2019s Ranking Probability predictions are based on machine learning algorithms evaluating over 200 factors to determine whether or not your site can compete. Better data science means you don\u2019t lose time chasing \u201cfalse positives\u201d that are actually too difficult for your site. <\/span>CanIRank provides one of the <\/span>most accurate keyword difficulty tools<\/span><\/a> on the market currently.<\/span><\/p>\n Predictive, machine learning algorithms? Created by data scientists? <\/span>Better<\/span><\/i> than a magic, crystal ball. \u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Analyzing keyword competition as you would a traffic signal within your SEO strategy is an effective way for startups, consultants, and SEO newbies alike, to understand what keyword difficulty is and why it\u2019s important. All it takes is the understanding of a few key elements that we\u2019ll walk you through next. Then you\u2019ll be on your way to evaluating keyword competitiveness and successfully ranking for keywords specific to your<\/span> website. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n A scale of which keywords offer the best balance between traffic potential and ranking difficulty specifically for your website. Since this isn’t a post on how to calculate keyword difficulty, well avoid going down the technical rabbit hole and stick to what’s most important.<\/span><\/p>\n True story: In the spring of 2017 when we performed keyword research for our rad, Australian client, one of the high-value keywords we wanted to rank for returned a 61% ranking probability<\/a> on our keyword difficulty checker. The keyword was worth $38,016 of free advertising every year and difficulty clocked in as a \u201cyellow light\u201d. These factors indicated that ranking wasn’t completely out of the realm of possibility, but it would require smart and diligent SEO to seal the deal.<\/span><\/p>\n Much like a traffic light, keyword difficulty indicates when it\u2019s in your best interest to proceed (green), when to proceed with <\/span>exceptionally<\/span><\/i> smart and diligent SEO (only after you\u2019ve opened your eyes to the competitive landscape- yellow), and red, when the climate is highly unfavorable and detrimental to resources for you to proceed. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Your primary goal shouldn\u2019t be to find the easiest keyword. Find keywords that offer the most \u201cbang for your buck\u201d: lots of quality traffic relative to the ranking difficulty. Only<\/strong> CanIRank calculates Keyword ROI<\/strong> to show you the best opportunities specifically for your website.<\/span><\/p>\n While other tools give you a single keyword difficulty score, CanIRank\u2019s search engine results page analysis shows you <\/span>why<\/span><\/i> a keyword is challenging so you can understand what you\u2019d need to improve in order to compete. <\/span><\/p>\n The best keyword difficulty tool should analyze the health of your website\u2019s strength, page strength, website relevancy, and page relevancy, in addition to how your competition ranks in those areas. This analysis will give you a clear understanding of why a keyword is challenging for your website and where you can improve so you can <\/span>crush your competition<\/span><\/a> in the rankings.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Oh, and we know you\u2019re still wondering if our rad client ranked for their high-value keyword. <\/span><\/p>\n After performing smart and diligent SEO, our rad client did indeed rank on page 1. <\/span><\/p>\n Boo-yah.<\/span><\/p>\n![\"analyze](\"http:\/\/blog.canirank.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/grow-my-content.png\")
<\/p>\nKeyword difficulty, traffic potential, and ranking probability \u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n
What is keyword difficulty?<\/h3>\n
![\"what](\"http:\/\/blog.canirank.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/ranking-probability.png\")
![\"how](\"http:\/\/blog.canirank.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/how-valuable-is-this-keyword.png\")
<\/p>\nWhy is keyword difficulty important?<\/h3>\n
Why keyword ROI is even more important than keyword difficulty<\/h3>\n
![\"keyword](\"http:\/\/blog.canirank.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/keyword-ROI.jpg\")
<\/p>\nAnd finally…will you rank?<\/h3>\n