---
name: pick-a-winning-search-term
description: "Weigh volume, cost per click, 5-year trend and what already ranks, then pick one term and say why."
---

# Pick the winning search term

Purpose:: Choose the search term to build for and show why it beat the rest.

Rules::
- Score = volume x cost per click; steady or rising 5-year trends beat spikes and falls
- Weak supply = forums, Reddit, old or thin pages, no dedicated tool
- Always pick a winner; name its risks

Inventory::
- 12-15 terms around the problem
- A keyword planner, Google Trends (5 years), a Google search

Steps::
1. Get volume and cost per click for every term; score and sort
2. Top 3: read each 5-year trend as rising, steady, falling or spiky
3. Top 3: search each; note what ranks and where the gap is
4. Pick the winner, even if none is perfect
5. Reply: Winner, a few-word Wish, a 2-3 line Why with numbers, trend, gap and risk, then Trends and Supply per term

Metrics::
- The why names the numbers, the trend, the gap and the risks
- A reader can check every claim

Source:: https://isklls.com/skills/pick-a-winning-search-term (iSklls, free skill library)