Master these fundamentals to interpret reports with precision and avoid bias.
| Layer |
Purpose |
Outcome |
| Raw Signals |
Collect search, intent, SERP, monetization, velocity inputs |
Data substrate |
| Normalization |
Align disparate scales (0–100) |
Comparable metrics |
| Composite Aggregation |
Weighted blends (dynamic heuristics) |
Demand / Competition / Monetization scores |
| Opportunity Synthesis |
Cross-metric heuristics + penalty rules |
Opportunity Score (surfaced shortlist) |
| Metric |
What It Measures |
Good Range (Sweet Spot) |
Interpretation Pitfalls |
| Demand Score |
Normalized search volume + intent depth + trend stability |
60–75 |
Very high (>85) can imply heightened competition arms race |
| Competition Score |
SERP authority concentration + topic saturation + content freshness |
<55 |
Low score with ultra-low demand can be false positive (no market) |
| Monetization Vector |
Breadth & viability of revenue paths (affiliate, info, SaaS, community, services) |
2–3 strong + 1 emergent |
Single strong channel = fragility risk |
| Momentum |
Directional trend / velocity adjusted for volatility |
Gently rising or steady |
Sharp spikes followed by decay = hype risk |
| Opportunity Score |
Synthesized attractiveness after applying penalties (oversaturation, volatility, monetization fragility) |
58–82 typical |
Outliers >90 usually transient or misaligned |
| Signal |
Role |
Watch For |
| Intent Depth Index |
Queries implying action (purchase / problem solving) |
Low depth + high volume = informational treadmill |
| Authority Spread |
Distribution of SERP domain power |
Monopolized top 10 = uphill battle |
| Content Freshness Delta |
Gap between last update and query recency |
Stale incumbents = disruption window |
| Angle Diversity |
Variation in framing / subtopic space |
Homogeneous framing ⇒ differentiation lever |
| Long-Tail Coherence |
Semantic clustering stability |
Fragmented tail with no core → avoid |
| Channel |
Examples |
Signal Inputs |
Risk If Sole Channel |
| Affiliate / Commerce |
Review / comparison content |
Product density, commission viability |
Margin compression / program churn |
| Info / Education |
Guides, courses, ebooks |
Depth of skill gap + willingness to pay proxies |
Course saturation / price race |
| SaaS / Tooling |
Lightweight calculators, automation |
Repetitive workflows, data friction |
Engineering lift > willingness to pay |
| Community / Cohort |
Private groups, masterminds |
Peer interaction frequency signals |
Engagement decay |
| Services / Advisory |
Done-for-you / consulting |
Complexity + implementation friction |
Bandwidth constraint |
Healthy vectors: at least 2 strong + 1 developing.
| Pattern |
Meaning |
Action |
| High Demand + High Competition + Narrow Monetization |
Red ocean |
Seek sub-audience or problem slice |
| Moderate Demand + Low Competition + Moderate Monetization |
Prime entry |
Move fast; validate uniqueness |
| Low Demand + Low Competition + Rich Monetization |
Emerging micro-market |
Pilot small; monitor momentum |
| High Demand + Low Competition + High Monetization |
Rare strategic anomaly |
Double-check data integrity; secure positioning quickly |
| Condition |
Adjustment |
| Volatility spike without sustained baseline |
- Opportunity confidence |
| Single-channel monetization |
- Monetization resilience |
| Freshness gap > industry average |
+ Disruption leverage |
| Angle diversity low but demand stable |
+ Differentiation potential |
Opportunity = (Demand * Wd) + (Monetization * Wm) - (Competition * Wc) + MomentumAdj - RiskPenalties
Weights (Wd/Wm/Wc) adapt over time via feedback (user saves, performance signals). Risk penalties cap runaway scoring.
Once a candidate meets your preliminary thresholds, transition to the formal Opportunity Validation checklist to avoid confirmation bias.
| Misread |
Reality |
Fix |
| “High demand alone = green light” |
Demand without monetization resilience is fragile |
Always cross-check monetization breadth |
| “Low competition = easy” |
May indicate non-problem or tiny TAM |
Validate pain + willingness to pay |
| “Momentum spike = jump in fast” |
Could be hype cycle phase |
Inspect multi-month baseline & volatility |
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