What is Keyword Difficulty?
What Keyword Difficulty Tells You in Ranking Challenges
Keyword difficulty is an SEO score. It shows how hard it is to rank on the first page of search results for a certain keyword. It helps business owners and marketers see how much competition they’ll face.
Most SEO tools use a scale from 0 to 100 to show keyword difficulty. A higher number means the keyword is harder to rank for. This score shows how hard it is to rank for a keyword. It helps you choose keywords that match your website’s strengths and what you can manage.
Keyword Difficulty vs. Keyword Competition
Although they sound similar, keyword difficulty and keyword competition are not the same. Keyword competition usually comes from paid tools like Google Ads. It tells you how many advertisers are trying to show up for a certain keyword. That’s great for planning ads, but it doesn’t really help with SEO.
Keyword difficulty, in contrast, focuses on how challenging it is to rank organically. It accounts for factors such as backlinks, domain authority, and page strength. Knowing the difference helps business owners avoid a common mistake. Some keywords are great for ads but hard to rank for in search results. It’s important not to mix the two.
Why Keyword Difficulty Matters in SEO
Keyword difficulty scores help you focus your content efforts. If your website is new or not well-known, going after hard keywords likely won’t work fast. Instead, focusing on lower-difficulty terms can offer faster wins and build momentum.
This matters even more for business owners. They need to be visible online, but have to be careful about what they publish. Picking the right keywords helps them stay safe and still get found. It’s not just about making content—it’s about making content that works for you.
How It’s Calculated (by Tool or Platform)
Different SEO tools calculate keyword difficulty differently. For instance, Ahrefs works out its score in a simple way. It looks at how many websites link to the top 10 pages for a keyword. The more backlinks those pages have, the harder it is to outrank them.
SEMrush looks at a few things to score keyword difficulty. It checks things like backlinks and how strong a website is. It also looks at extras on the search page, like featured snippets. Each tool may score things in its own way. But the goal is the same—more competition means a higher difficulty score.
Backlink Metrics and Page Authority
Two big factors in keyword difficulty are backlink strength and page authority. Backlinks are links from other websites to your page. When trusted sites link to you, search engines see your content as more reliable.
Page authority refers to how strong an individual page is in terms of its own backlink profile. Domain authority looks at the entire website’s strength. Tools like Moz or Ahrefs assign numeric values to both.
Generally, when top pages have strong authority and lots of good backlinks, they’re harder to beat. That makes the keyword tougher to rank for.
Search Volume and Intent Considerations
While keyword difficulty shows you how hard it is to rank, it’s only part of the equation. You also need to look at search volume. That’s how often people search for a keyword. Then there’s search intent—what they’re hoping to find when they type it in.
There are three common types of search intent: informational, transactional, and navigational. A keyword with high volume but misaligned intent won’t help your goals. Let’s say you want attorneys to find your expert witness website. A keyword like “expert witness salary in Colorado” might bring visitors to your site. But those visitors are likely researching pay rates, not looking to hire a forensic expert for a case.
Aligning keyword difficulty with intent ensures your content supports your business objectives.
What is a Good Keyword Difficulty Score?
There’s no one-size-fits-all answer, but general guidelines can help. Keywords with a difficulty score between 0–30 are considered low competition. These are ideal for newer websites or businesses with modest backlink profiles.
Scores from 31–60 represent medium competition. These can be tackled by websites with some authority and a well-planned SEO strategy. Scores above 60 are considered high difficulty. They’re typically dominated by well-established brands or high-authority sites.
Whether a keyword is good for your business depends on your current SEO strength. It also depends on how much time and effort you can put into content and backlinks.
Tips to Find Low-Difficulty, High-Value Keywords
The best content strategies focus on low-difficulty keywords. These are easier to rank for and can still bring real value. Start by using SEO tools to analyze keywords related to your service area or niche. Look for those with lower difficulty scores and moderate search volume.
Long-tail keywords are more specific phrases. They usually have three or more words. These often fall into the low-difficulty category. For example, instead of targeting “vehicle expert witness,” consider “vehicle expert witness for insurance claims.” These are less competitive and attract visitors with clearer intent.
Also, review the backlink profile of the current top-ranking pages. If the top results don’t have strong backlinks, you might still rank. Even a keyword with medium difficulty could be a good target.
How to Use Key Difficulty in Your SEO Strategy
Keyword difficulty is a guide, not a rule. Start by choosing keywords that match your business goals. Then narrow them down based on how hard they are to rank for. Focus your content plan on the ones that give you a good chance without being too competitive.
If your mortgage site is new, start with easier local keywords. Try something like “first-time homebuyer loans Denver.” Post helpful content often, answer common questions, and explain different loan types. Talk about the Denver housing market. Link your posts to each other. Try to get links from trusted local sites. As your site grows, you can go after more competitive keywords like “Denver mortgage lender” or “home loans in Denver.”
This matters because the right keywords help your content get found. When you choose them well, you have a better chance of showing up in search results. That’s especially important in competitive fields where trust and authority really count.
Limitations of Keyword Difficulty as a Metric
While keyword difficulty is helpful, it’s not a perfect predictor. It doesn’t look at everything that affects search rankings. Things like content quality, user experience, and click-through rates also matter. Also, different tools may show different scores due to varied calculation methods.
Another limitation is the lack of personalization. Some tools now give you a “personal keyword difficulty” score. It’s based on your own site’s strength. This helps you find keywords that might look hard, but are actually a good fit for your website.
Keyword difficulty is helpful, but it’s just one piece of the puzzle. Don’t rely on it alone to guide your content strategy.
Get More Leads Be Our Next Podcast GuestFrequently Asked Questions About Keyword Difficulty
Why is Keyword Difficulty Important?
It helps you gauge the level of competition you’ll face and choose keywords that are within your reach. If your business has a smaller budget or a newer website, go after keywords that are easier to rank for. These low-to-medium difficulty terms can help you see results faster.
What is a Good Keyword Difficulty for SEO?
That depends on your website’s authority. For new sites, aim for scores under 30. If your site has some good backlinks and steady traffic, you can aim for keywords with scores between 40 and 60. These are more competitive but still within reach. Beyond that, proceed with strong supporting content and link-building plans.
What does Keyword Difficulty Represent?
It shows how hard it is to rank on the first page of search results for a keyword. The score looks at things like who’s already ranking and how strong their websites and backlinks are.
How is Keyword Difficulty Calculated?
Each tool calculates it differently. Ahrefs looks at the number of referring domains linking to top-ranking pages. SEMrush includes domain authority, backlink ratios, and SERP features. Moz uses its own domain and page authority metrics. Each tool calculates keyword difficulty in its own way. But they all try to show how hard it is to rank for a keyword in search results.
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