I’ve found some conflicting information about this online. Some people seem to think this has to do with how difficult it is to rank organically in Google for that keyword, however, it’s actually a metric to gauge competition in Google Ads for that keyword on Google’s Search Network.
So basically, it’s a scale from 0-100, “0” being very low search advertiser competition and “100” being very high search advertiser competition.
Here’s the math used by Google to calculate Competition (indexed value):
Number of ad slots filled / the total number of ad slots available
This is the definition directly from Google:
“Competition (indexed value)” shows how competitive ad placement is for a keyword, specific to the location and Search Network targeting options that you’ve selected. The level of competition from 0-100 is determined by the number of ad slots filled divided by the total number of ad slots available. If not enough data is available, you’ll see a dash (-)”
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Thank you very much for taking time to write a wonderful article on Google keyword competition. This article helped us a lot.
Thanks for the article it was beneficial for me.
Excellent Blog! I would like to thank for the efforts you have made in writing this post.
I was working for a site to create content and then I increase the columns for keyword planner and was in worry what it actually is. You cleared me. Thanks for such useful post.
Regards….
It was helpful to see how you explained Google Keyword Planner’s competition (indexed value) concept.
Your content is very valuable, thanks
Thanks for having this article up. I have been asking myself for a while now exactly what competition (indexed value) meant when using the Keyword Planner tool and now I know. Greatly appreciate your time to find out the info and put it up.
I’m glad that I landed here.
I’m doing SEO for a Client and thought that, this “competition indexing” has something to do with Organic Search Ranking or how many High Quality URLs are already indexed against these Keywords ( silly me lols ).
Thank you explaining this, now I know that it’s a Google Ad Factor, it has nothing to do with Organic SEO.
Great explain
Just what i was looking for. Landed here from the first page.
These metrics can be confusing sometimes.
Nice article Matt, thanks for explaining the clear concept of “Competition (indexed value)” in Google Keyword Planner.
Does the rule apply for the organic rank or it should be on the ads?
Competition (indexed value) applies to Google Ads, not organic rankings.
Hi matt,
Like others, I too confused.
My state forward query is , Whether “Low” Competition With “Low” Index Value would be good combination ??.
Best Regards,
Surya
Yes – if you’re running Google Ads “Low” Competition and a low Competition (indexed value) would mean that the ads you run for that keywords would have low competition, which is typically a good thing.
Very useful information. i am working on ads on google for our firm it will helpful for me. thank you
Hi Matt,
Asking this question from a firm’s perspective who wants to advertise, would a higher Competition (Indexed value) score be good or a low score be better. How would you interpret these scores.
You would likely want it to be low since lower competition typically equates to less expensive clicks. That being said, sometimes it makes sense to target more competitive (more expensive) keywords if they are directly related to your client’s products or service.
Matt, I am a little confused. I am a blogger and i want a keyword with less competition and more searches, so competition index should high or low?
You would want it to be low…lower competition typically equates to less expensive clicks. If you’re looking for keywords with a high amount of searches, you should also pay close attention to the Avg. monthly searches column for each keyword.
Hello
Can I use keywords sourced in Google Keyword Planner to use in a Bing Campaign?
Thank you
I do not recommend using Google Keyword Planner for a Bing Campaign. Bing has its own Keyword Planner tool. I recommend using that one: https://about.ads.microsoft.com/en-us/solutions/tools/keyword-planner
what is the benefit of competition index value when we write a blog , Either we have to chose the higher level or lower level
You would want a low Competition (indexed value) for keywords your targeting for your blog. Lower Competition typically equates to lower cost-per-click. Note that this is a metric related specifically to Google Ads campaigns.
Is it good if competition indexed value is higher or bad
If you’re advertising on Google, you want a lower Competition (indexed value) for your target keywords. The lower the number, the fewer advertisers you’re competing against, and therefore the clicks will likely be less expensive.
That’s a knowledgeable about keyword planner. I used to confuse on the competition value thanks pal.
I’m glad this post was helpful!
I have got information about my exited question
Thanks
Mahesh Maurya
Digital Marketing Expert
Thanks for your valuable content
This content was really helpful, i was confused on what the term meant while trying to submit a keyword research report i conducted for a real estate client . thanks
I’m glad you found the post valuable!