You have a new website, but you’re not getting any traffic.
It’s hard to get out of the google sandbox when your site is brand new. Even if you do all the right SEO tactics, it can take months before you start seeing results.
The Keyword Golden Ratio (KGR) will help you break out of that sandbox and rank in Google within days (if not hours)!
With this method, we’ve seen sites go from zero search engine traffic to rank on page 1 in less than a week!
In this SEO tutorial, you’ll learn what KGR is, how to calculate it, and how to use it to find keyword opportunities to rank quickly.
What is the keyword golden ratio (KGR)?
The Keyword Golden Ratio (KGR) is a data-driven approach created by Doug Cunnington for discovering long-tail keywords that are underserviced on the internet.
It’s calculated by dividing the keyword’s monthly search volume (250 or less for new sites) by the number of “allintitle” keyword results that show up on Google.
The result of this calculation will allow SEOers to easily find keywords that have more demand than supply on the internet.
Keyword Golden Ratio Formula
Here’s the formula for the keyword golden ratio:
KGR = (Number of “Allintitle” Results on Google) / (Monthly Search Volume)
What is “allintitle”?
The phrase “allintitle” is an advanced Google search operator used to find pages that have your keyword in the title of the page.
Where can I find “Allintitle” search results?
You can find the # of allintitle search results by entering your keyword into Google following this format: “allintitle:your keyword”.
Simply type allintitle:your keyword into Google as such:
This can be helpful when doing keyword research as it shows you how many competitors are targeting that specific keyword.
How to get the search volume for your keyword
To find out the search volume for your particular keyword, you’ll need an SEO tool like Ahref or SEMrush to figure out a particular keyword’s global search volume
Once you have both the # of allintitle search results and the search volume, you can now calculate your keyword golden ratio.
General Rule of Thumb:
The closer the KGR number is to 0, the less competition your keyword will have and the quicker you will rank on Google.
If your keyword has a ratio higher than 1, it’s probably too difficult to rank on Google. You’re better off finding another more realistic (and less competitive) longtail keyword.
- If KGR is less than 0.25: Once your page is indexed by Google, it should appear in the top 100 within a few days. This is considered a good KGR
- If KGR is between .25 and 1: You’ll still rank fairly quickly in the top 250 spots on Google.
- If KGR is greater than 1: This tells you that the keyword is competitive, even though the search volume is low (<250)
Why does the keyword golden ratio work?
People are always searching for keywords in Google, but not all of them are readily available to rank.
This is because these keyword opportunities have already been discovered by other people and the competition has made it difficult or impossible to get into that top spot.
But there’s still hope!
The Keyword Golden Ratio helps you find keyword opportunities that you can rank for quickly which is great for sites that are new or don’t have many backlinks.
How does it work?
There are several reasons why SEOers think the Keyword Golden Ratio approach works.
Building a successful niche site takes a lot of work and time, and it can be hard to stay motivated. The KGR method allows new site owners to get quick wins by targeting keywords that have more search volume vs competition.
Which will help build confidence and keep beginners motivated as they see their work pay off.
By posting content targeting KGR keywords, the article should rank in the top 50 positions on Google within a few days or hours.
The KGR approach can also be used to prioritize content. It provides a clear goal for users by narrowing down keyword lists and focusing on low-hanging fruit, so you’re not just blindly looking for keywords.
Finally, the KGR method is a technical and manual process. Meaning that SEOers that implement this technique will stand out from the crowd compared to others using regular keyword research methods.
In other words, the KGR method is helpful for three main reasons.
- New website owners get traffic faster than usual. The KGR method will help newbies experience results quicker and keep them motivated to continue growing their niche site.
- Keyword prioritization. After doing extensive keyword research, you’ll end up with 100s if not 1000s of keywords. The KGR method can help SEOers prioritize which low competition keywords to go for during the early stages.
- Technical advantage. Due to the manual nature of this technique, those using the KGR method will have better insights and data than those using traditional keyword research methods.
Why does the KGR method emphasize 250 search volume or less?
The reason why the KGR method focuses on keyword search volumes that are 250 or less is because:
Lower search volume terms tend to rank faster than higher search volume terms.
Most SEOers out there target keywords with higher search volume due to traditional KW research techniques. Meaning that there are more competitors in the game for the same long tail keywords.
The KGR method cuts through that by identifying long tail keywords with more search demand than there is supply.
Now that we know what KGR is and why it works, let’s go through some examples of how to use the KGR method.
How to use the KGR method to identify low competition keywords
The best way to understand the keyword golden ratio is by using an example.
Let’s use the keyword: “keyword golden ratio calculator” as an example to figure out whether we can rank for this keyword easily.
Example: Keyword Golden Ratio Calculator
Based on Ahref, “keyword golden ratio calculator” has a global search volume of 200/month
and 25 current results for “allintitle:keyword golden ratio calculator”
Following the formula of KGR = # of allintitle results/search volume:
25 divided by 200 = 0.125
Since the KGR is 0.125 (under 0.25), this means that this keyword is considered a good keyword. Since this keyword meets all the requirements of being low competition, high search volume and a low number of results for “allintitle”.
Meaning that if we were to try and rank for this particular keyword, we should expect to rank in the top 50 within a few days (or even hours!).
This is a great way to get started if you’re just starting out with SEO, as it gives you quick wins and keeps you motivated while you continue building your site’s authority.
What happens if the KGR value is more than 0.25?
If you stumble upon a keyword that has a KGR higher than 0.25, it means that this keyword is considered a medium to high competition keyword.
For newer sites, we would recommend not targeting this particular keyword and moving on to other keywords that have a lower KGR value to secure those quick wins.
The Bottom Line
SEO is all about patience and hard work in the long run. However, this can be discouraging for newcomers who want quick results.
Thankfully, with the KGR method, you can get quick wins by targeting keywords that are easier to rank for while still getting a lot of search traffic. Which will help build confidence and keep beginners motivated as they see their work pay off.
That said, the KGR method isn’t perfect.
Keyword research is still an art and science, so don’t expect to get the “perfect” keyword using this technique alone.
The KGR method can give you a rough idea of whether or not it’s worth targeting a particular keyword but there are other factors that come into play as well such as a website’s overall authority, backlinks profile, On-page optimization, User intent, Competition level, etc.
So while the KGR method is a great way to get started, it’s still important to consider all aspects of SEO – like everything else in life, there are no shortcuts to success.
Just remember that when it comes to SEO and building your website authority – it is a marathon, not a sprint; if you put the time into making your site better, then over time more people will find out about you!
If all of this seems like too much work and would rather let someone else handle it, you can get in touch with my link building agency, we’ll be more than happy to help you out.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Does the KGR Method help cut the Google Sandbox?
There is no clear answer as to whether or not the KGR Method helps get rid of the Google Sandbox.
What we can say however, is that targeting low competition keywords with high search demand (KGR), will help your site rank faster and give you an early edge against competitors.
This is because you’re not just blindly targeting high competition keywords with a lot of SEOers vying for the same spots.
You’re going after low competition keywords that most people wouldn’t even think of ranking for.
That’s where the KGR method comes in handy!
What Should You Do If You Have Similar Keyword Golden Ratio Terms?
If you have similar keyword golden ratio terms that are within the same KGR range, then it’s best to go for the one with more search demand.
This is because you’ll have a higher chance of ranking for that keyword and getting more organic traffic.
If you’re still not sure which one to choose, then go with the lower competition term.
What if the keyword volume is over 250, but has great KGR. Should you still go for the keyword?
Yes! As long as the keyword has a KGR below 0.25, then you should probably go for it.
This is because even though this particular term will have more search demand than supply, there are still fewer people competing against you in comparison to keywords with higher KGR.
However, 250 KW volume or less is the default parameter you should go with especially if you have a new website. This is because it takes longer to rank for keywords with a higher search volume.
How Important is the Keyword Golden Ratio (KGR) in SEO?
The KGR is important, but not as important as other ranking factors such as on-page optimization, backlinks, and domain authority.
That said, targeting low competition keywords with a high KGR will give you an early edge against competitors and help you rank faster.
KGR is especially beneficial to newer sites without high authority, the method can help new niche sites to overtake competitions that have been around for years.
What are the Pitfalls with the KGR Method?
The KGR Method isn’t perfect and there are a few things you need to keep in mind:
This is because there are many other factors that come into play such as website authority and backlinks profile – just to name a few.
So don’t rely on this method alone in order to get more organic traffic.
You need to do your research and analyze other aspects of SEO such as on-page optimization, website authority, backlinks profile, etc. before you can determine the overall competitiveness of a particular keyword.
This is because link building (especially from high DR sites) is still one of the top-ranking factors in SEO.
So even if you have a low competition keyword with a low KGR, if your competitor has more links from high DR websites, they are still going to be able to outrank you.