To learn how to find striking distance keywords in Search Console, open the Performance report, turn on Average position, and filter for queries ranking between 8 and 20. These are searches where Google already shows your page near the bottom of page one or on page two. A small, clear signal on the page is often all they need.

A striking distance keyword is a search query where your page ranks just outside the top results. You do not need a new article or new backlinks. You need to make the match between the query and the page obvious.

How to find striking distance keywords in Search Console

  1. Open Search Console › Performance › Search results. Set the date range to the last 3 months and tick Average position next to Clicks and Impressions.
  2. Filter position 8 to 20. Click the filter icon above the table, choose Position, and keep rows greater than 7.9. Then sort the Queries table by Impressions, highest first, and ignore rows above 20.
  3. Pick three queries and the page that ranks for each. Click a query, then open the Pages tab. Choose queries that clearly fit the page. Skip anything off-topic.
  4. Add the exact query to one H2 and the first paragraph. Rewrite one existing heading so it contains the query, and answer it in the first two sentences of the article. One mention in each place is enough.
  5. Request indexing and set a reminder. Use URL Inspection › Request indexing, then compare the same queries in four weeks.

Copy-paste template

<h2>{query}: what you need to know</h2>
<p>Looking for {query}? Here is the short answer: …</p>

What to expect

Pages that already sit at position 8 to 20 often climb a few places within a few weeks. Results vary by page and by competition, so treat this as a nudge, not a promise.

Don't

Don't add the same query five times. One heading and one paragraph is the whole cheat. Repeating it reads as keyword stuffing.

Why it works

Google already ranks the page for the query, so it already sees the page as relevant. Search Console shows Average position as the position of your topmost result for that query. When a heading and the opening paragraph state the topic clearly, readers and search engines can see the answer faster.

This is also the cheapest win in SEO. You work with pages that already have some trust. Once the heading matches, the CTR Cheat helps the same page earn more clicks. I use only Search Console and Keyword Planner for my own sites, and this report is the one I open first.

If you want a clear starting point for your next 10 minutes of SEO work, learning how to find striking distance keywords in Search Console gives you a short list of pages that are closest to more clicks. Repeat it every month with fresh data. Need a quick refresher on reading the report? Start with how to check if a page is indexed, then come back here.

Frequently asked questions

What position counts as striking distance?

Most people use positions 8 to 20. That covers the bottom of page one and all of page two. Pages in that range already rank, so small changes can show up quickly.

How many queries should I change at once?

Start with three. Changing a few pages at a time makes it easier to see which change helped when you check the report again a few weeks later.

Do I need a paid tool to find striking distance keywords?

No. Google Search Console is free and shows real queries for your own site. Paid tools estimate positions, but Search Console data comes straight from Google.