Striking Distance Keywords: Boost Rankings With Near Wins

What Are Striking Distance Keywords?

Striking distance keywords are search terms for which your website already ranks on page two or early page three of search results (typically positions 11-30). These keywords are significant because they represent your most immediate opportunities for improvement—with relatively modest optimization efforts, you can push these rankings onto page one, dramatically increasing your click-through rates and traffic.

Think of them as the “low-hanging fruit” of your SEO strategy—terms where Google already recognizes your relevance but needs a bit more convincing to put you in the spotlight.

The beauty of striking distance keywords is in their efficiency—they offer the best return on investment for your SEO efforts because Google has already determined your content is somewhat relevant for these terms.

Why Striking Distance Keywords Matter for Your SEO Strategy

Focusing on striking distance keywords isn’t just a clever tactic—it’s a fundamental shift in how you approach search engine rankings. Here’s why they should be central to your SEO strategy:

• Faster results – Improving from position 15 to position 8 typically requires less work than moving from position 50 to position 40
• Higher ROI – Your optimization efforts yield more significant traffic increases when crossing the page one threshold
• Clear direction – They provide a focused strategy rather than trying to improve everything at once
• Momentum building – Early wins can create positive ranking signals that help your overall domain authority

The traffic difference between page one and page two is dramatic. According to multiple studies, the first page of Google captures 71-92% of all clicks. This means moving from position 11 to position 10 isn’t just a one-position improvement—it can represent a traffic increase of 100% or more for that keyword.

I’ve seen businesses transform their organic traffic by focusing exclusively on striking distance keywords for just three months, while their competitors continued to spread their efforts too thin across hundreds of keywords.

How to Find Your Striking Distance Keywords

Identifying your striking distance keywords requires access to ranking data, but the process is straightforward. Here’s how to uncover these valuable opportunities:

Method 1: Using Google Search Console

1. Log into Google Search Console and navigate to the Performance report
2. Set the Average Position filter to show rankings between 11 and 30
3. Sort by impressions to see your highest-potential keywords first
4. Look for keywords with high impressions but low clicks (these represent your biggest opportunities)

Method 2: Using SEO Tools

1. Access your rank tracking tool (SEMrush, Ahrefs, Moz, etc.)
2. Filter for keywords ranking in positions 11-30
3. Prioritize based on search volume, competition, and relevance to your business goals

When evaluating your striking distance keywords, consider these additional factors:

• Search intent alignment (do you have content that truly matches what searchers want?)
• Conversion potential (will traffic from this keyword likely convert?)
• Seasonal trends (some keywords may be worth prioritizing based on upcoming seasons)
• Competitive difficulty (some position 15 keywords might be easier to improve than others)

I typically recommend creating a spreadsheet with your top 20-30 striking distance keywords, including current position, search volume, current page URL, and notes on initial optimization ideas. This becomes your action plan for the coming weeks.

Optimization Techniques That Move the Needle

Once you’ve identified your striking distance keywords, it’s time to implement targeted optimization strategies. The good news is that since these pages are already ranking reasonably well, small changes can often yield significant results.

On-Page SEO Refinements

• Title tag enhancements – Ensure your target keyword appears early in the title, and consider adding power words or emotional triggers
• Content depth expansion – Add comprehensive sections that address related questions and subtopics
• Heading structure optimization – Incorporate your target keyword and related terms in H2s and H3s
• Featured snippet optimization – Structure content to capture position zero opportunities with clear definitions, lists, or tables
• Image optimization – Add relevant images with descriptive alt text containing target keywords

Technical SEO Improvements

• Page speed enhancements – Compress images, leverage browser caching, and minimize HTTP requests
• Mobile optimization – Ensure perfect rendering on all devices
• Schema markup – Implement relevant structured data to enhance SERP appearance
• URL structure improvement – Consider shortening URLs to include only the target keyword if needed

Content Quality Upgrades

• Search intent alignment – Ensure your content truly matches what users are looking for
• Readability improvements – Break up text, add bullet points, use shorter paragraphs
• Content freshness – Update statistics, examples, and references
• User engagement elements – Add interactive elements like calculators, quizzes, or videos

One often overlooked strategy is internal linking. By identifying pages on your site with high authority and creating relevant links to your striking distance pages, you can significantly boost their ranking potential. This distributes link equity throughout your site and helps Google better understand your content structure.

Measuring Success and Tracking Progress

Implementing changes is just the beginning. To truly capitalize on striking distance keywords, you need to track results and make data-driven decisions. Here’s how to measure your success:

Establish Your Baseline

Before making any changes, document your current metrics for each striking distance keyword:

• Current ranking position
• Monthly impressions
• Click-through rate
• Associated traffic
• Conversion metrics (if applicable)

Set Up Tracking Systems

• Configure rank tracking for daily or weekly position monitoring
• Set up Google Analytics segments to isolate traffic from striking distance keywords
• Create custom dashboards to visualize progress

Define Success Metrics

Different keywords may have different goals:

• Position improvement (e.g., moving from position 15 to top 10)
• Traffic increases (e.g., 50% more organic traffic to the page)
• Conversion improvements (e.g., 25% more leads from organic traffic)
• SERP feature acquisition (e.g., winning a featured snippet)

I typically recommend a 4-6 week evaluation cycle for striking distance keywords. This timeframe allows for Google to recrawl your content, reassess your page, and adjust rankings based on your optimizations. It’s also short enough to pivot quickly if certain approaches aren’t yielding results.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Even experienced marketers make mistakes when optimizing for striking distance keywords. Here are the pitfalls to watch out for:

• Trying to optimize too many keywords at once – Focus on 5-10 keywords at a time for best results
• Ignoring search intent – Ranking improvements won’t last if your content doesn’t satisfy the searcher’s needs
• Over-optimizing content – Keyword stuffing can trigger penalties; focus on natural inclusion
• Neglecting competitor analysis – You need to understand what the top-ranking pages are doing right
• Making too many changes simultaneously – This makes it difficult to determine which optimizations worked
• Expecting overnight results – Even striking distance keywords typically take 2-4 weeks to show movement
• Stopping at page one – Don’t settle for position 10; continue optimizing to reach the top 5

One pattern I’ve observed repeatedly is that businesses often abandon their striking distance strategy too early. They make optimizations, see some initial movement, then switch focus to other keywords without fully capitalizing on their progress. Remember that moving from position 9 to position 3 can often double your clicks, so don’t stop optimizing once you reach page one.

Case Study: From Page 2 to Position 3

Let me share a real-world example that illustrates the power of focusing on striking distance keywords:

The Client

A mid-sized accounting firm was struggling to generate leads from their website despite having high-quality content. Their site had decent traffic but wasn’t ranking well for their most valuable service-related keywords.

The Approach

After conducting a comprehensive rank analysis, we identified 12 striking distance keywords related to specific accounting services. These keywords were ranking between positions 12-25 and had significant search volume.

Our strategy included:

1. Restructuring page titles to include the exact keywords and compelling click triggers
2. Expanding content depth on each page by 40-50% with expert insights
3. Adding FAQ sections that addressed common questions related to each keyword
4. Implementing strategic internal linking from high-authority blog posts
5. Adding service-specific case studies to increase engagement and time on page

The Results

• Within 4 weeks, 9 of the 12 keywords moved to page one
• Within 8 weeks, 7 keywords were ranking in positions 1-5
• Organic traffic to service pages increased by 142%
• Lead generation from organic traffic improved by 89%
• Client calculated a 315% ROI on their SEO investment within 3 months

The key takeaway from this case study is that a focused approach on striking distance keywords delivered more business value in 8 weeks than their previous general SEO efforts had achieved in a full year.

Frequently Asked Questions

How quickly can I expect to see results from striking distance keyword optimization?

In most cases, you can expect to see movement within 2-4 weeks after implementing optimizations. The time frame varies based on your site’s crawl frequency, the competitiveness of the keywords, and the extent of your optimizations. Some less competitive keywords may show improvement in as little as one week, while more competitive terms might take 6-8 weeks.

Should I focus on striking distance keywords instead of long-tail keywords?

It’s not an either/or situation. Striking distance keywords offer more immediate returns, making them ideal for achieving quick wins. Long-tail keywords are excellent for capturing specific intent and often have higher conversion rates. The best approach is to prioritize striking distance keywords for short-term gains while continuing to build content around valuable long-tail keywords for long-term success.

What if I don’t have any keywords ranking on page two?

If you don’t have keywords ranking on page two, expand your definition of “striking distance” to include keywords ranking early on page three (positions 21-40). These will require more work to improve but still represent better opportunities than keywords ranking beyond position 40. Additionally, focus on creating more comprehensive content around your existing topics to expand your keyword footprint.

How many striking distance keywords should I optimize at once?

For most businesses, focusing on 5-10 striking distance keywords at a time yields the best results. This allows you to dedicate sufficient resources to each keyword while still making meaningful progress across multiple terms. If you have a large team, you might be able to handle more, but quality optimization is always preferable to quantity.

Do striking distance keywords work for new websites?

Striking distance keywords are most effective for established websites that already have some ranking traction. New websites typically need to focus first on building authority and ranking for less competitive terms. That said, even newer sites will eventually develop striking distance opportunities as they begin to gain traction in search results.

How does Google’s helpful content update affect striking distance keyword strategy?

Google’s helpful content initiatives make optimizing striking distance keywords even more effective when done properly. Focus on genuinely improving content quality and user experience rather than just keyword placement. Websites that demonstrate expertise, authority, and trustworthiness will see better results from their striking distance optimizations.