Keyword Metrics Explained

Understanding Keyword Metrics

Surva.ai provides multiple metrics for each tracked keyword. Understanding what each metric means helps you prioritize keywords and make better decisions.

Search Volume

What it is: The estimated number of monthly searches for a keyword.

How to use it:

  • Higher volume means more potential traffic
  • Consider volume alongside competition
  • Seasonal keywords may show average volume
  • Long-tail keywords typically have lower but more targeted volume

Cost Per Click (CPC)

What it is: The average amount advertisers pay per click on Google Ads.

How to use it:

  • Higher CPC indicates commercial intent
  • Useful for estimating ad budgets
  • High CPC keywords are often worth organic investment
  • Compare CPC across similar keywords

Trend Score

What it is: A measure of whether search interest is growing, stable, or declining.

How to use it:

  • Positive trend = growing opportunity
  • Negative trend = declining interest
  • Stable trend = consistent demand
  • Use to identify emerging topics early

Keyword Difficulty

What it is: An estimate of how hard it is to rank in the top 10 organically.

How to use it:

  • 0-30: Low difficulty - good for new sites
  • 31-60: Medium difficulty - requires solid content
  • 61-100: High difficulty - needs authority and time
  • Balance difficulty against potential value

Organic Position

What it is: Where your website ranks in organic search results.

How to use it:

  • Positions 1-3 get the majority of clicks
  • Positions 4-10 are still valuable (page 1)
  • Positions 11-20 are page 2 (low visibility)
  • Track position changes over time

Ad Count

What it is: The number of advertisers running ads on this keyword.

How to use it:

  • More advertisers = more competitive
  • Indicates commercial viability
  • Zero ads may mean low commercial intent
  • Track changes in advertiser activity

AI Visibility Score

What it is: A percentage showing how often your brand appears in AI responses for this keyword.

How to use it:

  • 100% = mentioned on all tracked AI platforms
  • 0% = not mentioned anywhere
  • Compare to competitor AI visibility
  • Prioritize improving low-visibility keywords

Opportunity Score

What it is: A composite score indicating overall keyword opportunity.

How it is calculated:

  • Combines volume, trend, difficulty, and current position
  • Higher score = better opportunity
  • Factors in competitive gaps
  • Use to prioritize which keywords to focus on

Using Metrics Together

Best keywords typically have:

  • Decent search volume (relevant to your market)
  • Positive or stable trend
  • Reasonable difficulty for your site authority
  • Commercial intent (if revenue-focused)
  • Gaps in competitor coverage

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