Striking distance keywords finder.
Find the searches you already rank for just off the top of Google, the low-hanging fruit on page two, where an edit to an existing page can move you up. Drop in your Search Console export and get them sorted by the clicks each one could bring. It runs in your browser; your data is never uploaded.
How to use it
- Export from Search Console
Open your property and set the date range. Three months smooths out day-to-day swings.
Performance›Search results›Export›Download CSV - Drop in Queries.csv
Unzip the download and drop the Queries file below. Pages.csv works too, by page.
- Work down the list
Pick a position range. The top rows are where moving up is worth the most clicks. Download the list as CSV.
Or paste the rows
| Search | Position | Impressions | Clicks | CTR | Extra clicks |
|---|
How the finder works
A striking distance keyword is a search your site already ranks for, close enough to the top that improving an existing page can move it, rather than writing something new. The finder keeps the rows whose average position falls in the range you pick and that have at least the impressions you set, so one-off searches do not crowd the list.
The extra clicks column is an estimate from your own data, not an industry average. The finder takes the click-through rate of the searches in your export that already sit in positions 1 to 3, and asks: if this search reached that rate, how many more clicks would its impressions have brought? That is its impressions times your top-3 rate, minus the clicks it already gets. When your export has fewer than five searches in the top three, there is not enough to go on, so the list is sorted by impressions instead and the column is left blank.
Position in Search Console is an average across every time you appeared, so a 12 can mean you were sometimes 6 and sometimes 18. Treat the estimate as a way to rank the list, not a forecast.
What to do with the list
- Find the page that ranksSearch the query in Search Console's Pages tab to see which page shows up. Work on that page, not a new one.
- Answer the search directlyPut the answer near the top, and use the words people search in a heading where it reads naturally.
- Fix the title and descriptionA search with many impressions and few clicks often has a title that does not match what people asked.
- Link to it from your own pagesLinks from related posts, with words close to the search, help the page that should rank.
Then give it a few weeks before judging. Positions move slowly, and one week of data is mostly noise.
Striking distance questions
Something else? Email us.
What is a striking distance keyword?
A search your site already ranks for just below the top results, usually somewhere from position 4 to 20. It is close enough that improving the page that ranks can move it up, which is often faster than ranking a new page.
Are striking distance keywords the same as low-hanging fruit keywords?
Mostly, yes. Both mean searches you already rank for but not quite at the top, where a small change to a page you have can bring more clicks. Some people use low-hanging fruit more loosely, for any search with many impressions and few clicks, which the finder also shows in its CTR column.
How do I find keywords on page 2 of Google?
Export the Queries report from Search Console and keep the rows with an average position from 11 to 20. Pick "11 to 20 (page two)" above and the finder does it for you, sorted by what moving up is worth.
Which position range should I use?
Page two, 11 to 20, is the classic choice: those searches get impressions but almost no clicks. 4 to 20 adds the bottom of page one, where moving up a few places still matters. Try both.
Is my Search Console data uploaded?
No. The file is read by your browser and never sent anywhere. Close the tab and it is gone.
Why are some searches missing from my export?
Search Console leaves out searches that only a few people made, to protect their privacy, and an export stops at 1,000 rows. Filtering the report before exporting gets you more of the long tail.
How is this different from the Search Console report itself?
Search Console can filter by position, but it does not rank searches by what moving up is worth. The finder does that with your own click-through rate, and lets you download the list.
Can I track this over time?
LopeBase reads Search Console and Bing for every site you run, lists the searches sitting on page two, and drafts content for them if you want. It is free for one product.
Does this work with a Bing Webmaster Tools export?
Usually. Any CSV with a keyword or query column, impressions, and an average position works, and Bing's keyword export has those.
How long does it take to move up from page two?
It varies with the search and the competition, so give a change a few weeks before judging. Search Console updates daily, but one week of positions is mostly noise.
Should I write a new page or improve the one that ranks?
Improve the one that ranks first. Google already connects it with the search, so a better answer, title, and internal links on that page usually move it faster than a new page starting from nothing.