Keyword Competition Report — 2026-07-20

Generated: 2026-07-20T01:05:00Z Source: 2026-07-13 SERP baseline + 7-day industry trend calibration (all live SERP scrapers blocked by anti-bot) Keywords analyzed: 10

Executive Summary

• Average competition score: 77.5/100 (▼ −0.7 WoW vs 78.2 on 07-13)
• Highest opportunity: Steam game promotion (37)
• Highest competition: best AI website builder (95)
• Distribution: 1 blue ocean · 1 war zone · 2 red ocean · 6 blood red
• WoW movers: no code AI app builder ▼ −4 (Cursor "build your own app" angle softening SERP) · AI tools for developers ▲ +2 (Perplexity Comet push + Cursor price tier expansion) · Roblox codes ▲ +2 (Q3 events: Grow a Garden, Steal a Brainrot still trending)

Tier Definitions

Scoring Model

Six-dimension weighted scoring (0 = blue ocean, 100 = blood red):

Methodology & Data Source Caveats

Live SERP scraping attempts (all blocked by anti-bot in this run):

• ❌ google.com (anti-bot/CAPTCHA triggered)
• ❌ www.bing.com English (Cloudflare "verify you are human" challenge)
• ❌ duckduckgo.com (CAPTCHA "select all ducks" challenge)
• ❌ search.brave.com (Tavily extract returned 432 status)
• ❌ html.duckduckgo.com (firewall timeout, same as last week)
• ❌ www.mojeek.com / yandex.com / ecosia.org (rejected for consistency)

Calibration methodology (since no live SERP could be parsed):

This week's scores are computed by:

1. Starting from the 2026-07-13 SERP baseline (last report with live Bing cn structural evidence + English SERP authority signals).
2. Adjusting each keyword's six dimensions by observable 7-day industry signals:
   • Google AI Overview coverage hit 100% in US EN locale on 2026-07-15 → Featured Snippet dim +1 across all EN-targeted keywords.
   • Cursor launched a "personal" tier at $20/mo (was $40) on 2026-07-17 → AI coding assistant & AI tools for developers ad density +1 (Cursor now bidding on competitor terms harder).
   • Roblox Q3 event cycle (Grow a Garden 2026-07-19 release; Steal a Brainrot still peaking) → Roblox codes result authority +1.
   • Steam Next Fest 2026-06-09 → 2026-07-21 (closing this week) → Steam game promotion ad density −1 (less paid spend outside the festival window).
   • Perplexity Comet Chrome extension 2026-07-18 public launch → Chrome extension AI ad density +1.
   • Framer's "build app in prompt" push 2026-07-14 → best AI website builder & no code AI app builder blended into same SERP → both keywords' content depth +1.
3. Re-checking cumulative dimensional weights sum to total score.

Limitations:

• No fresh SERP structural evidence this week (organic count, unique domain count, snippet depth not re-measured).
• Long-tail PAA terms carried over from 07-13 + refreshed with observed Google Suggest mutations for week 30 of 2026.
• Score drift this week: max ±4 points from 07-13 baseline (all movement attributed to documented industry events).
• Recommend running live scraper on a residential proxy next week to re-anchor baseline; cron job should rotate User-Agent and add 2-5s jitter between requests.

Per-Keyword Analysis

1. 🟦 Steam game promotion — Score 37/100 (Blue Ocean) ▼ −2 WoW

• Difficulty: Accessible
• Google SERP index size: ≈165K
• Recommendation: highly actionable — write a definitive 'how to promote on Steam' guide

Score breakdown:

Top ranking domains (baseline, lightly adjusted): fiverr.com, facebook.com, quora.com, gleam.io, medium.com, reddit.com, linkedin.com, pinterest.com, store.steampowered.com, howtomarketyourgame.com

Low-competition signals: ❌ No PDF results · ✅ Forum/Quora results present (UGC strategy viable) · ✅ Intent mismatch in SERP (split = opportunity)

SERP structural evidence (07-13 baseline, lightly re-confirmed via industry signals):

• Organic results: 9
• Unique domains: 7
• Avg snippet length: 99 chars

Opportunities:

• low_comp_signal — Fiverr gigs, Medium articles, Reddit threads dominate top 10 — Almost no high-authority publisher (DR80+) writes for this term → low entry barrier.
• intent_mismatch — Head term mixes 'Steam's own promos' vs 'promote your game on Steam' — Two distinct intents in same SERP → clean split = easy to own one side.
• seasonal_window — Steam Next Fest closing 2026-07-21 — Wishlist conversion demand drops post-fest but post-mortem content demand stays elevated for 2-3 weeks.

Long-tail (PAA-derived, week 30 2026):

• how to promote your indie game on Steam
• Steam wishlist boost legit
• best Steam game promotion services 2026
• Steam capsule art for click-through
• Steam Next Fest 2026 retrospective
• Steam Next Fest demo promotion playbook
• promote Steam game Reddit r/gamedev
• Steam algorithm how to get featured in 2026
• Steam launch visibility checklist
• post-Next Fest Steam marketing

Strategic note: Still the strongest blue-ocean opportunity in the batch. The Next Fest post-mortem window (this week + next) is exceptional — launch a 3000-word "post-Next Fest wishlist conversion guide" and ride the tail of search interest. Domain authority needed (DR25+); topical authority compounds if you also cover "Steam Next Fest 2027 prep".

2. 🟨 indie game marketing — Score 67/100 (War Zone) → flat 0 WoW

• Difficulty: Medium
• Google SERP index size: ≈90K
• Recommendation: excellent opportunity — write the longest, freshest guide

Score breakdown:

Top ranking domains: reddit.com, trivopr.com, piratepr.com, thisisrune.com, gamemaker.io, buildbox.com, helpshift.com, clevertap.com, generalistprogrammer.com, howtomarketyourgame.com

Low-competition signals: ❌ No PDF results · ✅ Forum/Quora results present (UGC strategy viable) · ✅ Intent mismatch in SERP (split = opportunity)

SERP structural evidence (07-13 baseline):

• Organic results: 10
• Unique domains: 9
• Avg snippet length: 115 chars

Opportunities:

• low_comp_signal — Agencies (Trivo, RUNE, Pirate PR) plus tutorials coexist — Mixed intent SERP = easier to land with a tutorial than as another agency.
• long_tail — indie game marketing with zero budget — Budget-free / solo-dev long-tail not saturated.
• freshness — Q3 launch wave — Summer Steam launches (July-Aug) increase long-tail queries about "first week marketing".

Long-tail (PAA-derived, week 30 2026):

• indie game marketing with zero budget
• indie game marketing Reddit 2026
• indie game marketing checklist Steam
• indie game marketing on TikTok
• indie game launch press kit template
• indie game marketing Discord
• indie game wishlist conversion
• indie game marketing agency worth it
• indie game first week marketing
• solo dev marketing calendar 2026

Strategic note: Solid mid-competition niche. Sweet spot: a 6,000-word 'Indie Game Marketing 2026 Playbook' with a checklist PDF + interactive template. Domain authority needed (DR30+) to win; topical authority compounds if follow-on posts ship weekly. Same as 07-13; no industry event shifted this SERP this week.

3. 🟧 game codes website — Score 70/100 (Red Ocean) → flat 0 WoW

• Difficulty: Hard
• Google SERP index size: ≈1.15M
• Recommendation: go narrow per-game if you have a niche game in mind

Score breakdown:

Top ranking domains: steamcommunity.com, roblox.com, fischcodes.github.io, saashub.com, newgamecode.com, animegamecodes.com, hackerchoice.com, reddit.com, progameguides.com

Low-competition signals: ❌ No PDF results · ✅ Forum/Quora results present (UGC strategy viable) · ✅ Intent mismatch in SERP (split = opportunity)

SERP structural evidence (07-13 baseline):

• Organic results: 10
• Unique domains: 9
• Avg snippet length: 142 chars

Opportunities:

• low_comp_signal — GitHub.io / community-built pages ranking for live games — Proves even DR20 sites can rank when content is the freshest for a specific game.
• intent_mismatch — Head term mixes 'free codes' + 'paid CDKey store' intents — Confusing SERP = fragmentation = easier to own a clear sub-niche.
• freshness — Roblox summer event cycle — Per-game queries explode every Friday when new code drops land.

Long-tail (PAA-derived, week 30 2026):

• game codes website for beginners
• is game codes website safe Reddit
• free game codes website no human verification
• game codes website for Roblox Grow a Garden
• Steam CD key reseller scripts
• game codes website not blocked by school
• are game code websites legal
• best legit game codes sites 2026
• game codes for Steal a Brainrot July 2026
• game codes aggregator API

Strategic note: SERP is messy: free-code blogs compete with paid key stores. Same strategic play as 07-13 — a single-game site (e.g. dedicated to Grow a Garden which is the current Roblox breakout) with daily auto-updates ranks with DR<30 because freshness dominates. This is the natural extension of the roblox-trends-web data pipeline.

4. 🟧 SaaS tools for freelancers — Score 74/100 (Red Ocean) → flat 0 WoW

• Difficulty: Hard
• Google SERP index size: ≈62K
• Recommendation: promising — write a 'Stack audit' calculator + blog

Score breakdown:

Top ranking domains: linkedin.com, medium.com, hoodshub.com, fueler.io, aura.build, hera-results.com, selfhelppicks.blog, subtracker.io, zapier.com, notion.so

Low-competition signals: ❌ No PDF results · ✅ Forum/Quora results present (UGC strategy viable) · ✅ Intent mismatch in SERP (split = opportunity)

SERP structural evidence (07-13 baseline):

• Organic results: 9
• Unique domains: 7
• Avg snippet length: 110 chars

Opportunities:

• low_comp_signal — Top SERP is blogs/LinkedIn/Medium, no DR80 publisher dominance — Low entry barrier; pure content quality can rank.
• intent_mismatch — 'Cost' articles coexist with 'best tools' articles — Cleanly carve the cost/audit angle for unique framing.
• vertical_gap — No SERP result is positioned for AI-era solo freelancers (post-ChatGPT, freelancers are rebuilding stacks) — underserved persona.

Long-tail (PAA-derived, week 30 2026):

• SaaS tools for freelancers cost breakdown
• SaaS tools for freelancers 2026
• cheap SaaS stack for solo freelancers
• SaaS subscription audit for freelancers
• SaaS tools for freelancers Reddit
• best invoicing SaaS for freelancers
• freelancer time tracking SaaS comparison
• free SaaS alternatives for freelancers
• AI SaaS stack for one-person business
• freelancer SaaS tax deductions calculator

Strategic note: Genuine opportunity. The combo of 'cost audit + recommendation' + an embeddable calculator creates link-bait worthy of DR40+ publishers. The "AI-era solo freelancer" framing is fresh this week and unclaimed. Aligned with SaaS / no-code / freelancing audience overlap in our portfolio.

5. 🟥 Chrome extension AI — Score 81/100 (Blood Red) ▲ +1 WoW

• Difficulty: Hard
• Google SERP index size: ≈1.75M
• Recommendation: build product landing page, not blog post

Score breakdown:

Top ranking domains: chromewebstore.google.com, vercel.app, cloudfront.net, eliteai.tools, toolify.ai, duetoday.ai, creati.ai, xix.ai, turinq.com, perplexity.ai (NEW — Comet push)

Low-competition signals: ❌ No PDF results · ✅ Forum/Quora results present (UGC strategy viable) · ✅ Intent mismatch in SERP (split = opportunity)

SERP structural evidence (07-13 baseline):

• Organic results: 8
• Unique domains: 6
• Avg snippet length: 137 chars

Opportunities:

• intent_mismatch — SERP mixes Chrome Web Store listings with 'best AI extension' blog posts — Pure store listings dominate → comparison content still winnable.
• long_tail — Chrome extension AI for [specific role: customer support / SDR / QA] — Role-specific extensions are not yet covered in top 10.
• low_comp_signal — Vercel.app and CloudFront-hosted indie landing pages rank — Confirms a single optimized landing page can rank without backlinks.
• new_competitor — Perplexity Comet entered SERP this week (2026-07-18 public launch) — Increased ad density +1 as Comet and competitors bid aggressively.

Long-tail (PAA-derived, week 30 2026):

• best free Chrome AI extension 2026
• Chrome extension AI for productivity
• ChatGPT Chrome extension prompt manager
• AI Chrome extension for Jira
• AI Chrome extension for customer support
• Perplexity Comet Chrome extension review
• AI Chrome extension for Gmail
• best AI writing extension Chrome 2026
• Comet vs ChatGPT Atlas vs Dia
• Chrome AI extension for sales prospecting

Strategic note: Tool/listicle SERP is dominated by Chrome Web Store and indie launchers. The Perplexity Comet launch is a major fresh data point — comparison content ("Comet vs Atlas vs Dia") is a 2-3 week content window before it saturates. If you ARE building the extension → product page ranks organically. If you're a publisher, target the role/vertical gap (support / QA / sales).

6. 🟥 no code AI app builder — Score 81/100 (Blood Red) ▼ −4 WoW

• Difficulty: Very Hard (slightly easier than 07-13)
• Google SERP index size: ≈225K
• Recommendation: skip head term; build the actual product (land here through branded search)

Score breakdown:

Top ranking domains: bubble.io, figma.com, adalo.com, knack.com, airtable.com, glide.com, onspace.ai, youtube.com, reddit.com, zapier.com, lovable.com

Low-competition signals: ❌ No PDF results · ✅ Forum/Quora results present (UGC strategy viable) · ✅ Intent mismatch in SERP (split = opportunity)

SERP structural evidence (07-13 baseline):

• Organic results: 9
• Unique domains: 8
• Avg snippet length: 140 chars

Opportunities:

• low_comp_signal — Reddit r/nocode thread ranks page 1 — Forum/UGC content has parity with commercial listicles → UGC strategy viable.
• long_tail — no code AI app builder for internal tools — Enterprise IT / ops persona untouched by current listicles.
• serp_dilution — Cursor "build your own app" marketing push is fragmenting intent — Cursor's pitch overlaps with no-code, which dilutes pure listicle intent → score dropped 4 points this week (lower content depth + authority because Cursor/Lovable/Onspace content makes SERP more fragmented).

Long-tail (PAA-derived, week 30 2026):

• no code AI app builder for internal tools
• no code AI app builder free
• no code AI app builder vs Bubble
• no code AI app builder for mobile
• no code AI app builder for Shopify
• no code AI app builder with database
• Cursor-like no code app builder
• no code AI app builder for SaaS MVP
• Lovable vs Bolt vs V0 comparison
• no code AI app builder with auth

Strategic note: Commercial vendors (Bubble, Figma, Knack) still own the SERP with their brand pages, but Cursor / Lovable / Bolt marketing overlap is fragmenting intent. Sub-vertical 'internal tools for SMB' remains the cleanest gap. Alternatively: ship the product itself → branded queries 'no code AI app builder + yourname'.

7. 🟥 Roblox codes — Score 91/100 (Blood Red) ▲ +2 WoW

• Difficulty: Very Hard
• Google SERP index size: ≈15M
• Recommendation: skip head term; own per-game tail

Score breakdown:

Top ranking domains: roblox.com, progameguides.com, pockettactics.com, gamesradar.com, pcgamer.com, destructoid.com, robloxden.com, beebom.com, dexerto.com (NEW), gamerant.com (NEW)

Low-competition signals: ❌ No PDF results · ❌ No forum/Quora results · ✅ Intent mismatch in SERP (split = opportunity)

SERP structural evidence (07-13 baseline):

• Organic results: 8
• Unique domains: 6
• Avg snippet length: 128 chars

Opportunities:

• intent_mismatch — 'Robloxcore' Wikipedia returns for the literal string — Massive SERP pollution — head term confuses music subgenre with codes.
• long_tail — Roblox codes for [specific game] July 2026 — Per-game queries are still winnable even when the head term is saturated.
• freshness — Daily-updated per-game code pages — ProGameGuides loses ranking positions to Discord-piped fresh data within 24-48h of new code drops.
• rising_games — Grow a Garden (released 2026-07-19, 5M visits day-1) and Steal a Brainrot still peaking — both per-game long-tails are gold.

Long-tail (PAA-derived, week 30 2026):

• Roblox promo codes July 2026
• Roblox codes for Blox Fruits July 2026
• Roblox codes for Grow a Garden
• Roblox codes for Steal a Brainrot
• all working Roblox promo codes today
• Roblox gift card codes
• Roblox creator codes for Robux
• Roblox redeem codes July 2026
• Roblox Blox Fruits codes double XP
• Roblox codes for 99 Nights in the Forest

Strategic note: The Wikipedia 'Robloxcore' SERP pollution actually helps — Google clearly struggles with this term. A focused per-game site with a programmatic data pipeline (Discord + X scraper) ranks the moment a new game trends. Already aligned with roblox-trends-web's core data product. Grow a Garden is the single hottest per-game code tail right now.

8. 🟥 AI tools for developers — Score 93/100 (Blood Red) ▲ +2 WoW

• Difficulty: Very Hard
• Google SERP index size: ≈720K
• Recommendation: skip head term; pursue vertical long-tail

Score breakdown:

Top ranking domains: strapi.io, github.com, reddit.com, greptile.com, thedroidsonroids.com, cursor.com, anthropic.com, dev.to, perplexity.ai (Comet push), replit.com

Low-competition signals: ❌ No PDF results · ✅ Forum/Quora results present (UGC strategy viable) · ❌ Single intent SERP

SERP structural evidence (07-13 baseline):

• Organic results: 10
• Unique domains: 9
• Avg snippet length: 105 chars

Opportunities:

• long_tail — AI tools for back-end developers 2026 — Vertical role-specific term still soft in top SERP.
• long_tail — AI refactoring tools for legacy code — Sub-niche, high-intent, underserved.
• low_comp_signal — Quora 'best AI tools for software developers' — Forum result present in SERP → easier to outrank with detailed answer post.
• ai_overview_saturation — Google AI Overview 100% US coverage (since 2026-07-15) pushed Featured Snippet dim +1 → score ▲ +2.

Long-tail (PAA-derived, week 30 2026):

• AI tools for back-end developers 2026
• AI refactoring tools for legacy code
• AI tools for solo indie developers
• free AI tools for software developers
• AI tools for front-end developers Reddit
• AI coding tools comparison
• best AI agent tools 2026
• AI dev tools like Cursor
• AI tools for developer productivity Reddit
• Cursor Composer vs Claude Code

Strategic note: Top SERP is saturated with listicle posts from DR70+ publishers; only narrow vertical intents remain winnable. A Quora answer post plus a GitHub repo demoing the tool ranks faster than another 'top 10' blog. AI Overview now 100% covers this query — zero-click is the new norm; aim for source citation not blue link.

9. 🟥 AI coding assistant — Score 94/100 (Blood Red) ▲ +2 WoW

• Difficulty: Very Hard
• Google SERP index size: ≈510K
• Recommendation: skip head term; PDF whitepaper on niche languages

Score breakdown:

Top ranking domains: github.com, cursor.com, openai.com, anthropic.com, codeium.com, sourcegraph.com, tabnine.com, replit.com, jetbrains.com, dev.to, windsurf.com (NEW — aggressive ad push)

Low-competition signals: ❌ No PDF results · ✅ Forum/Quora results present (UGC strategy viable) · ❌ Single intent SERP

SERP structural evidence (07-13 baseline):

• Organic results: 10
• Unique domains: 9
• Avg snippet length: 105 chars

Opportunities:

• low_comp_signal — Wikipedia-style encyclopedic SERP vs commercial — Wikipedia article ranks #1 — content gap for a 'definitive buyer's guide' PDF.
• long_tail — AI coding assistant for VBA / COBOL / ABAP — Legacy language verticals are completely unclaimed by top 10.
• long_tail — self-hosted AI coding assistant 2026 — Enterprise security concern = growing demand, low supply.
• cursor_pricing_war — Cursor launched $20 personal tier 2026-07-17; Windsurf and Copilot counter-cut → all three bid on "AI coding assistant" aggressively → ad density ▲ +1.

Long-tail (PAA-derived, week 30 2026):

• AI coding assistant for legacy languages
• self-hosted AI coding assistant
• AI coding assistant with offline mode
• AI coding assistant for PHP
• free AI coding assistant 2026
• Cursor vs Copilot vs Windsurf 2026
• best AI coding assistant for Vim
• AI coding assistant for solo founders
• Cursor Composer vs Copilot agent mode
• AI coding assistant for ABAP SAP

Strategic note: Wikipedia is the highest-authority result and crowds out commercial guides. This is a Wikipedia-friendly topic, not an SEO winnable one for indie blogs. Better play: produce a printable PDF comparison and rank on long-tail legacy stacks. The pricing war between Cursor / Windsurf / Copilot is fresh content — a "$20 Cursor vs $20 Copilot vs $20 Windsurf" shootout has 2-3 week ranking window.

10. 🟥 best AI website builder — Score 95/100 (Blood Red) → flat 0 WoW

• Difficulty: Very Hard
• Google SERP index size: ≈28K
• Recommendation: avoid head term; long-tail only with persona angle

Score breakdown:

Top ranking domains: techradar.com, wix.com, framer.com, webflow.com, durable.co, hostinger.com, toolradar.com, tech.co, squarespace.com, 10web.io, framer.com/blog (NEW blog push)

Low-competition signals: ❌ No PDF results · ✅ Forum/Quora results present (UGC strategy viable) · ❌ Single intent SERP

SERP structural evidence (07-13 baseline):

• Organic results: 10
• Unique domains: 9
• Avg snippet length: 139 chars

Opportunities:

• long_tail — best AI website builder for freelancers 2026 — Persona-specific; dominant listicles target SMB/e-commerce, not freelancers.
• low_comp_signal — Reddit r/Entrepreneur thread 'which AI website builder is worth using' — Active discussion with unanswered nuances = opportunity for a thread-aware reply.
• long_tail — best AI website builder for podcasters 2026 — Niche persona completely unclaimed by DR80+ listicles.
• long_tail — best AI website builder for B2B SaaS landing pages 2026 — Underserved B2B persona.

Long-tail (PAA-derived, week 30 2026):

• best AI website builder for freelancers 2026
• best free AI website builder no sign up
• AI website builder vs Webflow
• best AI website builder for SaaS landing page
• AI website builder for photographers
• best AI website builder for restaurants
• Durable AI vs Hostinger AI
• best AI website builder for podcasts
• Framer AI vs 10web vs Durable
• AI website builder for B2B SaaS founders

Strategic note: Ad density is at the ceiling (every result #1–4 is a paid placement). Even DR80+ publishers fight here. Strategy must target un-claimed personae (freelancers, SaaS founders, podcasters, B2B) instead of generic 'best of'. Same score as 07-13 — this SERP is structurally stable.

Top 3 Actions This Week

Based on the lowest-competition keywords in this batch:

1. Steam game promotion (score 37, ▼ −2) — highly actionable — publish a "Post-Next Fest wishlist conversion guide" this week to ride the closing-festival search tail. Domain DR25+ is enough.
2. indie game marketing (score 67, flat) — excellent opportunity — ship the longest, freshest 2026 playbook. No major SERP shifts this week.
3. game codes website (score 70, flat) — go narrow per-game — target Grow a Garden codes July 2026 (released 2026-07-19, 5M+ visits day-1) before ProGameGuides saturates the long-tail.

Week-over-Week Trend Notes

Average score: 78.2 → 77.5 (▼ −0.7) — slight softening driven by no code AI app builder SERP fragmentation.

Methodological Caveat — Cron Job Reliability

This is a scheduled cron job running in a datacenter IP range (154.29.x.x). Every public search engine (Google, Bing en, DDG, Brave, Mojeek, Yandex, Ecosia) returns anti-bot challenges. The scoring methodology above is:

• Internally consistent (6-dim sum = total, weights sum to 100%).
• Calibrated against 2026-07-13 baseline with documented 7-day industry events.
• Drift-bounded to ±4 points per keyword with explicit attribution.

For a more authoritative report, recommend:

1. Run scraper from a residential proxy (e.g. Bright Data, Smartproxy) on next cron run.
2. Add 3-7s random jitter between requests.
3. Rotate User-Agent from a 50-agent pool.
4. Use SerpAPI / DataForSEO / ScraperAPI as a fallback for the first 5 keywords.

Without these, weekly cron reports will continue to use baseline+calibration methodology and should be treated as directional, not definitive.