I’m new to blogging. When I created The Hindsight Investor I hadn’t the slightest clue what I was doing. I just knew I wanted to create helpful content about investing, money and life. And to share information I wish someone had shared with me earlier in life.
That’s great, and still the mission. But it’s all for naught if no one’s reading the content. Putting 3 hours into an article only to have my wife (begrudgingly) and mom read it isn’t exactly the vision.
School Of Hard Knocks
So, I started doing some digging and discovered there’s this thing called “keyword research” and “Domain Authority.” I quickly learned a few things:
- On Google, some keywords are more difficult to rank for than others
- A site with little Doman Authority (DA) will have a hard time making page 1 of Google
- Coupling low DA with high keyword difficulty (KD) topics is a great way to write for an audience of one
If I wanted to grow my blog, I needed to land on the first page of Google. And to land on the first page of Google, I needed to target low competition, low KD topics.
But how is someone to find low competition, low KD topics? I’d heard about Semrush and Ahrefs, but who has $100+ per month to spare, especially as a new blogger?
That’s when I discovered Rank IQ, and decided to give it a try. At $50 per month, it was half the cost of Semrush and Ahrefs. Plus, it offered something the others didn’t – low competition, low KD topics on a platter. Or at least that’s what was advertised.
In this article, I’ll review my experience as a subscriber. And answer the question, “Is Rank IQ worth the money?”
About Rank IQ
I first learned of Rank IQ after listening to Nick Loper’s The Side Hustle Show podcast. On Episode 506, Nick featured an individual named Brandon Gaille. It was a great interview.
I learned a lot about Brandon. He’s the owner of a number of successful blogs, receiving over 6 million visits per month! And his life story is quite inspiring. He’s also a podcaster, and hosts The Blogging Millionaire show.
On Side Hustle Nation, Brandon spoke a lot about how he grew his blog. His primary focus? Keyword research, and writing content on low competition, low KD topics within his niche.
Brandon discussed his approach to keyword research. And the amount of time he put into finding low hanging fruit. Hint – it’s not so easy.
After a while, it dawned on Brandon that there isn’t a tool on the market that does the research for you. So, he teamed up with some developers to create Rank IQ.
Rank IQ differs from the competition in that it’s focused on keyword research only. It does NOT run domain analytics, backlink profiles, site audits, etc… like Semrush and Ahrefs.
How It Works
Rank IQ is designed to deliver subscribers a curated list of keywords to create content around. It’s more of a service than a product. And it saves content creators a lot of time by performing keyword research for them.
Each month, subscribers are granted 18 credits which they can exchange for detailed Reports on keywords (1 credit = 1 keyword Report). Credits refresh each month, and are “use or lose.” If 18 isn’t enough, you can upgrade your subscription to a plan that receives more.
Here’s how it works.
Step #1: Use the Keyword library to find your niche
Rank IQ provides low competition, low KD keywords within most niches. Keywords are grouped within a Keyword Library. Creating content around one of these keywords is supposed to be a fast track (30 to 180 days) to a first page Google ranking.
Here’s an example of the Personal Finance category. Notice all the sub-niches within Personal Finance? And this isn’t even all of them. The number in parentheses is the number of keywords within each niche.
The “Personal Finance: Frugal Living” category has 287 keywords. You can start here, then narrow down your search with additional filters.
Step #2: Use Keyword filters to narrow down the search
One of my favorite features on Rank IQ are the keyword filters. These allows users to filter on:
- Competition – based on the Doman Authority of your site
- Time to Rank (on 1st page of Google) – from average (180 days) to ultra fast (30 days)
- Visits per year – estimated page views per year with a 1st page Google ranking (differs from search volume)
As a new blogger with no DA, you’ll be most interested in low competition keywords (DA <20) for which you can rank quickly (Fast or Ultra Fast). And which offer a large number of annual page views (sort highest to lowest).
After applying the filters, you’re left with a paired down list of low competition, low KD topics you have a chance of ranking for. If any of the topics are within your area of expertise, click “Run Report.”
Step #3: Review Rank IQ Report
Rank IQ’s reports are nice for a couple reasons. One, they provide an estimated word count needed to rank on page one of Google. And two, they provide a list of keywords you need to work into your post. This gives creators a head start on a post outline.
The Report also provides a target Grade from F to A++, but I’m not a huge fan of it. I’ll explain why later.
Step #4: Draft post in the Content Optimizer
Now that you know the target word count and most important keywords, you can draft the article within Rank IQ’s Content Optimizer.
As you write, the content grade will improve as word count increases and suggested keywords are added.
Once you hit the target word count and grade, you’re done. Simply copy and paste into WordPress.
Pros
Lots of keyword ideas
Rank IQ has a lot of keyword ideas, many of which have been hand picked by Brandon. You won’t be able to create content around each of the keywords in your niche, but you’ll find enough to keep you busy for a while.
Ability to filter to low competition keywords
Bloggers want to rank on page one of Google. Leveraging Rank IQ to find keyword ideas can help get them there. I love using Rank IQ’s filters to find keywords which I can rank for quickly, even with low DA.
Suggested word count
This may seem simple, but it’s a hot topic in blogging. How long should a post be? Rank IQ takes the question out of it. Its AI platform reviews the top 30 URLs currently ranking on Google, then suggests a word count based on its review.
List of keywords to include in post
The same AI platform that scans URLs for suggested word count also scans for the most important keywords. This is helpful when it comes to building an outline. And helps draw attention to what matters most.
Cons
Content Optimizer is misleading
Earlier, I mentioned how I’m not a huge fan of Rank IQ’s Content Optimizer. It’s advertised as being able to help bloggers create epic content. But it does little more than count words and check off which keywords have been added to the post.
Check out the example below. I simply typed in a bunch of keywords it recommended, then copy and pasted the same sentence over and over again. The Content Optimizer graded it as an A+.
Keyword topics not the best
Most of the keyword ideas on Rank IQ are what I would call low quality and non value-added. Meaning, if I were to create a post around it, it wouldn’t provide much value to the reader.
Most of the keywords don’t inspire me to cover the topic. I’d only cover it for the sole purpose of hoping to rank on Google. And I don’t want that to be the only motivating factor.
For example, within the Frugal Living category of Personal Finance, some of the top ideas are:
- Cheapest Greek island to visit
- DIY bowling ball cleaner
- Cheapest places to live in Japan
These ideas don’t exactly strike me as exciting. Nor do they inspire me to start writing.
Limited on number of Keyword reports
Perhaps I didn’t read the fine print well enough. But before signing up, I didn’t realize I’d be limited on the number of Keyword reports I’d be able to run. For me, 18 reports per month is plenty. But it wasn’t well advertised, so I felt a bit shorted.
Does It Work?
The jury is still out on this one. Thus far, I’d say not very well. But more time is needed before I can say for certain.
I’ve written 7 posts on low competition, low KD topics recommended by Rank IQ. I used the Content Optimizer to ensure each met the target word count and grade, if not better.
Here are the 7 articles along with my Google stats to date. As you can see, the results are less than impressive.
Okay clicks and impressions
Do You Get Paid To Host An Exchange Student? (published Oct. 2022):
- Rank IQ Time to Rank = Very Fast (90 days)
- My Google rank = top of page 2
- Google Impressions = 1,900
- Clicks = 16
Okay impressions but few clicks
How To Short A Stock On TD Ameritrade (published Oct. 2022):
- Rank IQ Time to Rank = Fast (120 days)
- My Google rank = page 3 or 4
- Google Impressions = 350
- Clicks = 0
How To Sell Put Options On TD Ameritrade (published Nov. 2022):
- Rank IQ Time to Rank = Fast (120 days)
- My Google rank = page 3 or 4
- Google Impressions = 110
- Clicks = 1
Few impressions and no clicks
15 Ways To Make Money Fishing (published Oct. 2022):
- Rank IQ Time to Rank = Ultra Fast (<60 days)
- My Google rank = bottom of page 2
- Google Impressions = 12
- Clicks = 0
US vs International Stocks: Where Are The Hidden Gems? (published Nov. 2022):
- Rank IQ Time to Rank = Fast (120 days)
- My Google rank = bottom of page 3
- Google Impressions = 14
- Clicks = 0
Do You Get Paid For Jury Duty? (published Nov. 2022):
- Rank IQ Time to Rank = Very Fast (90 days)
- My Google rank = bottom of page 2
- Google Impressions = 4
- Clicks = 0
Foster Parenting: Everything You Need To Know (published Nov. 2022):
- Rank IQ Time to Rank = Fast (120 days)
- My Google rank = page 4
- Google Impressions = 2
- Clicks = 0
Is It Worth The Money?
I realize Rank IQ isn’t an easy button. With zero Domain Authority, it can’t work miracles. But it’s advertised as a tool that can get you on page one of Google search results, regardless of DA.
I’m still early in the journey, but Rank IQ hasn’t delivered so far. It’s possible my 7 posts will rise in the rankings over time, so I’m not writing it off just yet. But Rank IQ has a lot to prove.
My conclusion? Rank IQ is worth the money for 2-3 months. Use those months to build a list of keywords and create content as recommended. Then, watch how your posts perform on Google Search Console.
If you’re pleased with the results, re-subscribe. But there’s no need to pay $50 per month for a tool that doesn’t work. Make Rank IQ prove its worth.
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