See how a domain's ranking keywords are spread across SERP positions — Top 1, 2–3, 4–10, and deeper pages. Spot quick-win keywords and competitive gaps — no login required.
Keyword Position Distribution shows how many of a domain's ranking keywords sit in each SERP band — position 1, positions 2–3, 4–10, 11–20, 21–50, 51–100, and 101+. Instead of one average rank number, you see where visibility actually lives across the search results page.
This matters because not all rankings are equal. A site with 500 keywords in the top 3 behaves very differently from a site with 500 keywords stuck on page two. Distribution reveals concentration of strength, not just keyword volume. Pair it with Organic Keywords Checker when you want the individual keyword list, and with Website Authority Checker when you want overall domain strength context.
Important: Counts are Semrush estimates for the tracked keyword set. They are excellent for competitive benchmarking, but they are not identical to Google Search Console exacts.
Average position compresses every ranking into one blended number. That can hide problems. A domain might look stable on average while quietly losing page-one keywords and gaining weak page-three rankings. Bucket counts expose that shift immediately.
Marketers use buckets to answer practical questions: How many true #1 wins do we have? How large is the top-10 footprint? How many near-page-one opportunities sit in positions 11–20? Those answers drive content refreshes, internal linking, and outreach priorities more clearly than a single average.
When you compare two rivals side by side with Compare Domains, then drill into each with this tool, you can see whether the leader wins on top-3 depth or simply owns a bigger mid-pack inventory.
Use this checker to make faster SEO decisions without signup.
✅ Find quick wins — Keywords in positions 4–10 and 11–20 are often easier to push into the top 3 with focused updates.
✅ Benchmark competitors — Compare Top 3 and Top 10 counts across rival domains in your niche.
✅ Prioritize content updates — Deep positions (51–100) may need refreshes, stronger internal links, or better matching intent.
✅ Track progress — Re-check after optimizations to confirm more keywords moved into higher buckets.
✅ Connect ranking shape to traffic — A top-heavy distribution usually supports stronger organic visits. Validate with Website Traffic Checker and Traffic Growth Checker.
1. Open the Keyword Position Distribution page.
2. Enter a domain such as example.com.
3. Complete the security check and click Check positions.
4. Review summary cards for Ranking Keywords, Top 3, Top 10, and Positions 11–20.
5. Study the Position Buckets bar chart to see how rankings spread across SERP bands.
6. Run the same check on 2–3 competitors and note where the biggest gaps appear.
For a full keyword list behind those buckets, continue with Organic Keywords Checker. For intent mix across those rankings, use Search Intent Analyzer.
Each search returns a Semrush-powered report designed for clear competitive reading:
Estimated total organic keyword positions tracked for the domain. This is your inventory size.
Keywords ranking in positions 1–3. These usually drive the largest share of organic clicks.
Keywords ranking on page one. Growth here often precedes traffic gains.
Near-page-one rankings. A strong opportunity band for content and link upgrades.
A multi-color bar chart for Pos 1, 2–3, 4–10, 11–20, 21–50, 51–100, and 101+. Different colors make each band easy to scan.
Start with Pos 1 and Pos 2–3. If those bars are thin while 11–20 and 21–50 are thick, the site has reach but not enough dominance. That usually means more pages almost rank — but few pages win the click.
Next compare Top 10 versus deeper buckets. A healthy growing site often shows a rising Top 10 share over time. If Top 10 shrinks while 51–100 grows, visibility is decaying even if total keyword count stays flat.
Finally, look at 101+. Large deep inventories can be normal for big sites, but for smaller domains they can signal thin or poorly targeted pages. Combine that insight with Website Health Score and Backlink Checker to see whether authority or on-page quality is the bottleneck.
Positions 1–3: Protect winners. Keep content fresh, monitor SERP feature changes with SERP Features Checker, and watch AI Overview presence with AI Overview Positions.
Positions 4–10: Push for podium spots. Improve titles, deepen coverage, add supporting cluster pages, and earn a few relevant links.
Positions 11–20: Treat as sprint opportunities. These pages often need clearer intent match, better internal links from money pages, and stronger evidence sections.
Positions 21–50: Rebuild or consolidate. Many pages here underperform because they compete with stronger cluster pages or miss commercial/informational intent.
Positions 51–100 / 101+: Audit ruthlessly. Merge thin pages, improve topical focus, or leave low-value terms and reinvest in higher-potential clusters.
Refresh near-page-one pages first. Small gains from 12 to 7 or from 5 to 2 can move traffic more than creating brand-new weak pages. Improve titles, intro clarity, supporting media, and internal links from related articles.
Build topical clusters so supporting content lifts the main ranking pages. Map clusters with tools like Search Intent Analyzer so each page matches the right demand stage.
Earn relevant referring domains. Authority gains often move many keywords upward together. Prospect linkers with Referring Domains Checker and inspect link quality with Backlink Types Checker.
Track weekly after major updates. Re-run this tool, then confirm traffic direction with Traffic Growth Checker.
Enter your domain and note Top 3, Top 10, and 11–20 counts. Then check your top two competitors. If a competitor has far more Top 3 keywords, study their strongest pages and link profile. If they mainly win in 11–20, you may still be ahead on click share even if they have a larger total keyword count.
Next open Branded Traffic Share for each domain. A competitor with high branded share may look strong in rankings because of brand demand, not only SEO execution. That changes how you interpret the gap and where you invest next.
Run this checker monthly in steady state and weekly during major content or PR pushes. Log Top 3, Top 10, and 11–20 counts in a shared sheet with ship notes. Assign content owners to near-page-one pages and link-building owners to authority gaps found via Referring Domains Checker.
At the end of each sprint, confirm whether bucket gains translated into visits using Traffic Growth Checker and Website Traffic Checker. If rankings improved but traffic did not, inspect SERP features and AI overlays with SERP Features Checker and AI Overview Positions.
Launching a new content hub: Check distribution before and 30 days after launch. Success looks like growth in Top 10 and shrinkage of weak 51–100 pages for that topic family.
Recovering from a traffic drop: If Top 3 shrinks while 11–20 grows, you may be losing click-winning positions rather than losing the whole keyword set. That is a recoverability signal.
Competitive displacement: If a rival suddenly gains many Top 3 keywords, inspect their new referring domains and content clusters immediately. Use Backlink Checker and Compare Domains in the same session.
Start with overview tools like Website Authority Checker and Compare Domains. Use this page to diagnose ranking-band shape. Confirm demand quality with Search Intent Analyzer and Branded Traffic Share. Then execute with content updates and link acquisition tracked through Referring Domains Checker and Backlink Types Checker.
Browse every free option from the SnapWordz SEO tools hub whenever you need another angle on the same competitor set.
1. Note Top 3, Top 10, and 11–20 counts for your domain and one rival.
2. Confirm traffic direction with Traffic Growth Checker.
3. Pick the largest bucket gap and assign one page-level action this week.
4. If authority seems to be the blocker, review Backlink Checker and Referring Domains Checker.
5. Schedule a follow-up check so improvements are measured, not assumed.
Use these free tools together for a fuller competitive picture. Browse the full list on our SEO tools hub.
• Organic Keywords Checker — See the actual ranking keywords behind each bucket.
• Search Intent Analyzer — Understand informational vs commercial mix.
• Traffic Growth Checker — Confirm whether ranking shifts are lifting traffic.
• Website Authority Checker — Benchmark overall domain strength.
• Compare Domains — Side-by-side overview before deep drills.
Yes. You can check any domain without creating an account or signing in.
No. This report counts keywords in each position band. Average position is a single blended number that can hide important shifts.
Weekly is useful during active campaigns. Monthly is enough for maintenance monitoring. Re-check after major content, PR, or technical changes.
No. They are Semrush estimates designed for competitive benchmarking across domains you do not own.
Start with positions 4–20 pages that already have impressions. They usually convert ranking effort into traffic faster than brand-new deep pages.
Yes. Enter the subdomain you want to analyze. Compare subdomain results with the root domain when ownership is split across properties.