Not all keywords are worth writing for. Here is the 3-criteria framework I use to pick winners.
The 3 criteria
- Search volume (higher = better). I target keywords with 100-10,000 monthly searches. Below 100 = too niche. Above 10,000 = too competitive.
- Competition (lower = better). I check the top 10 Google results. If 5+ are DA-70+ domains, skip. If 5+ are DA-30- or forums, write it.
- Buyer intent (higher = better). I classify each keyword as informational (just looking) or transactional (ready to buy). Transactional keywords convert 5-10x higher.
The scoring
Each criterion gets a 1-5 score. Total score = volume × 1 + competition × 1 + intent × 2 (intent counts double). I only write articles that score 12+ out of 15.
Examples
- “best Roblox lore game 2026” — volume 4, competition 3, intent 5 = 4+3+10 = 17 ✅
- “how to write fantasy lore” — volume 5, competition 4, intent 1 = 5+4+2 = 11 ❌ (too informational)
- “EFURC v0.2 launch” — volume 2, competition 1, intent 5 = 2+1+10 = 13 ✅
What this means for your SEO
If you are writing articles to drive sales, score every keyword. The 12+ threshold is what separates “writing for fun” from “writing for revenue.”
See all 67 articles ranked by keyword score.
