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Keyword Metrics & Columns Explained

Review each keyword metric and column in your dashboard, including rankings, change, visibility, and SERP features.

Updated this week

What it is

This guide explains every column available in the Keyword Ranking Table in Keyword.com.

It covers:

  • Ranking columns

  • Movement metrics

  • Search metrics (Volume, CPC, Competition)

  • Google Search Console metrics

  • SERP feature indicators

  • Project-level metadata

If you’re unsure what a column represents or how a metric is calculated, this is your reference guide.


Where to find it

You can view these metrics inside any:

  • Project

  • Group

  • Tag

To customize which columns appear:

  • Go to Settings → Table

  • Choose which columns to show in:

    • Ranking Table

    • PDF Reports

    • ViewKey


Ranking columns

Column

Description

Rank

The current Google ranking position of your tracked keyword for the configured:

  • URL

  • Device

  • Region

  • Location

Lower numbers mean higher positions (e.g., #1 is highest visibility).

Best

The highest ranking position your keyword has achieved since it was added to the project.

This does not reset unless the keyword is removed and re-added.

Start

The ranking position of the keyword on the day it was added to the project.

You can manually adjust this value if needed.

Page

Indicates which page of Google search results your keyword appears on desktop results.

Example:

  • Page 1 → positions 1–10

  • Page 2 → positions 11–20


Movement columns

These columns show ranking changes compared to previous timeframes.

Column

Description

1d

Change compared to 1 day ago.

7d

Change compared to 7 days ago.

30d

Change compared to 30 days ago.

Life

Change compared to the rank when the keyword was first added.

‼️ Important:

  • Movement requires valid comparison data.

  • If no historical data exists for that period, the column may show blank or N/A.


Search metrics

These metrics are collected from external data providers (primarily Google Ads data sources).

Column

Description

Search Volume (MSV)

Monthly Search Volume represents the average number of searches for that keyword per month in the selected Country.

  • Country-specific

  • Based on Google Keyword Planner data

  • Reported as exact values (not ranges)

If a dash (-) appears:

  • The value is 0

  • Or data is unavailable

Search Results

The total number of results returned by Google for that keyword.

Note:

  • Available for desktop searches only

  • Not shown for mobile

Competition

Indicates how competitive ad placement is for the keyword in Google Ads.

Levels:

  • Low

  • Medium

  • High

This reflects advertiser bidding density, not organic SEO difficulty.

CPC (Cost Per Click)

The average cost an advertiser pays per click in Google Ads.

  • Based on last 30 days of data

  • Currency is USD by default

  • Currency can be changed in Project settings


Google Search Console metrics

To use these, you must connect your Google Search Console account.

Column

Description

Clicks

Number of clicks from Google Search results that landed on your property.

Impressions

Number of times your link appeared in search results.

An impression counts even if the result was not scrolled into view.

CTR (Click-Through Rate)

Calculated as:

CTR = Clicks ÷ Impressions

If impressions = 0, CTR will show as a dash (-).


All other columns

Column

Description

SERP Features

Shows which special SERP features are present for a keyword.

  • If the icon is blue it means that the SERP feature is present in the SERPs, but you are not the featured in the feature

  • If the icon is green is means that the SERP feature is present in the SERPs and you are the featured URL in that feature

Examples:

  • Featured Snippets

  • Local Packs

  • Image Packs

  • Video Carousels

  • AI Overviews

Search Intent

Displays the dominant intent behind the keyword.

Codes:

  • C → Commercial

  • I → Informational

  • N → Navigational

  • T → Transactional

Hovering shows confidence level.

Ranking URL

Displays the ranking URL.

Behavior depends on project setup:

  • Single-domain project → Shows path only (/page-name)

  • Multi-domain project → Shows full domain

If homepage ranks, it displays as “/”.

Tracked URL

Displays the URL you are tracking.

Search Location

Indicates the location configured for that keyword.

This determines where the ranking is simulated from.

GMB

If tracking local listings, this shows the associated Google Business Profile name.

Tags

Shows all tags assigned to the keyword.

Tags are used for filtering and reporting segmentation.

Date Added

Displays the date the keyword was added to the project.

Movement calculations use this as the baseline for “Life” change.


Customization options

You can:

  • Show or hide columns

  • Change sorting order

  • Set default sorting

  • Modify position buckets

  • Adjust keyword count per page

⚠️ Note:
Loading a very high number of keywords per page may slow table performance.


Best practices

  • Use Search Volume + Rank together for prioritization

  • Use CPC + Competition for commercial value insights

  • Use GSC metrics for real performance validation

  • Use Tags to segment keyword strategy

  • Customize visible columns based on reporting needs

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