What makes for a "major" search term?

When do my homegrown SEO techniques not match the task?

[DarrylParker]

Hi everyone. I'd love some opinions on an important topic for me. As I look at search terms I'm trying to optimise for, I come across a lot of numbers. Google says XXXX number of pages returned, Overture tells me XXXX searches performed this month, etc.

I do all my own SEO stuff and reading here is my number one form of education. So I don't get fancy, just trying to increase KW density to appropiate levels, get good titles backed up with meta tags, emphasizing KW with <h1> and <b> tags where appropriate, looking for good links to my site, adding good content for my customers. Nothing tricky, just basic stuff.

But when I'm looking at a new search term, and Google tells me 5.6 million pages returned, Overture tells me 47 thousand searches I wonder if it's too big a mountain for me to climb. The classic example is "widgets" versus "widgets toronto" (I'm Canadian). "Widgets" just looks beyond my abilities, but "widgets Toronto" returns 560 000 pages in G and I think maybe I can get up to page one on that term.

So my question is: what do people here classify as a "major" search term? What numbers make you say it's beyond the scope of the SEO "hobbiest".

Thanks for any/all comments,
Darryl.

[jo1ene]

How about a topic we're all familiar with. "Web Design"

Website Design
Web Site Design
Web Design Company
Professional Web Design
Professional Web Design Company
whatever...

Get on the front five pages for any of those - as a small operation especially! Local targeting is the only hope for some of these bigger product/service areas.

I just had a potential client contact me about a web site selling a product that came up with about 200 matches on G.

I can handle that!

[zyshen]

I really want to say: Good question. I've been having hard time decide on if a search term is too competitive for new comers.

If measure by (# of results/ # of searches) ratio.

30 plus = very competitive
10~30 = competitive
2~10 = not too competitve
less than 2 = great field. jump in right now

I made the list above with my limited knowledge. Please give your oponion or your own list.