Even if you’ve decided on a keyword, it might be too competitive. If you pick one that is in high demand, you might never make it on to the first page of Google let alone the top three.

However, if you pick a word that isn’t searched that often, you will be able to move up the pages, but the reader interaction might not be great. You need to find the sweet spot of a competitive keyword, with a unique spin on it.

What Length Should I Pick?

There are three standard categories of keywords that most people in SEO agree on. Firstly, you have the head terms – these are single-word keywords that are regularly searched and in high demand.

These can be hard to pin down as a person searching the word ‘coffee’ might be looking to buy some beans but instead is bogged down in lists of cafes. It can be hard to tailor the correct audience to your site with just one word.

Secondly, you have body keywords. They are two to three-word phrases that get a good amount of traffic but are more specific. So the search for ‘coffee’ turns into ‘coffee beans’ and stays popular, yet is less competitive.

Thirdly there are long-tail keywords that are four-plus words and can be very specific to the customer. You will find phrases like ‘order plus size ladies tights online’ or ‘affordable insurance for my pet dog’.

These terms won’t get a lot of searches individually, but the long tail sentence makes up the majority of online searches. There is also so much variety that you can count on there being less competition.

Where Should I Start?

If you have just started a website or want to pick keywords that aren’t in high demand, then you should pick long-tail keywords as they are less competitive. A good way to assess this is by Googling the phrases and reading the top page.

If it is all large businesses then you may have trouble making ground, but if smaller websites are there as well then you are onto a winner. Watch out for ads and Featured Snippets on the first page as well because even if you did make it to number one, you won’t get many clicks.

It is recommended to use a CTR tool to see the clicks of a topic. Even if the number is low, if lots of people are searching for it, and it is the best keyword for your business then go for it – you have nothing to lose.