How to find keyword ranking opportunities using existing site data

Executive overview

Many pages already rank on page 2 or 3 of Google without the site owner realising. Small on-page edits can push those pages to the front page. The fastest wins come from keywords your site already has traction on, not new ones.

Target keywords you almost rank for, then fix the on-page basics.

Three keyword research approaches

1. Brainstorm terms customers search and validate volumes in Google Keyword Planner
2. Check what competitors rank for to find gaps you can target
3. Check what your own site already ranks for and improve those pages

Finding opportunities in Ahrefs Position Explorer

• Open Position Explorer and enter your site's URL
• Go to the organic keywords report
• Filter by volume: 1,000–10,000 searches/month to surface viable targets
• Look for keywords where you rank on pages 2–5 — these are the easiest wins

On-page fixes to push rankings up

• Update the URL slug to include the exact keyword (e.g. /blog/link-building)
• Move the keyword to the front of the headline title
• Confirm the keyword appears in the first 100 words of the article
• Add promotion to support the page after edits

What to expect

• These changes alone can move a page from position 29 to 15–18
• Position 15–18 is not page one, but signals the keyword is competitive — keep expectations realistic
• One site can yield many such opportunities across different keywords