When starting an SEO strategy, one of the first challenges is determining which keywords to target. This is where the concept of keyword difficulty becomes essential. But what does it really mean, and why is it important? In this guide, we’ll explore how to measure it and share actionable tips to leverage this metric for boosting your SEO performance.
What Is Keyword Difficulty?
At its core, keyword difficulty measures the competition for ranking on the first page of search engine results for a particular keyword. High keyword difficulty means many authoritative sites are competing for that keyword, while low difficulty suggests fewer strong competitors.
Search engines like Google rank pages based on their relevance and authority. If several high-authority websites are already ranking for a keyword, it will be tougher to break into the top positions. Tools like Ahrefs, SEMrush, and Moz assign a difficulty score, often between 0-100, to give you an idea of how competitive a keyword is.
For instance:
- Low difficulty (0-30): Great for newer sites. Easier to rank with focused content.
- Medium difficulty (31-70): Requires effort, backlinks, and solid content.
- High difficulty (71+): Reserved for established sites with strong authority.
Understanding these levels is essential for creating a balanced SEO strategy.
Why Is Keyword Difficulty Important?
Targeting the wrong keywords can waste time and resources. Imagine spending months creating content and building backlinks, only to find out you can’t outrank your competitors. That’s why assessing keyword difficulty is critical. It helps you:
- Prioritize achievable keywords.
- Optimize your content strategy.
- Improve your ROI by focusing on attainable goals.
It ensures you’re not aiming too high or settling for keywords that don’t drive enough traffic.
How Is Keyword Difficulty Measured?
It is an essential metric that determines how challenging it would be to rank for a specific keyword. While different SEO tools like Ahrefs, Moz, SEMrush, and others use proprietary algorithms to calculate keyword difficulty, the underlying principles are quite similar. Let’s explore these factors in detail:
1. Backlinks to Competing Pages
One of the main indicators of keyword difficulty is the number and quality of backlinks pointing to the top-ranking pages for a keyword. If the top results have hundreds of high-quality backlinks, the keyword will likely have a high difficulty score.
For example, the keyword “best laptops for gaming” has a keyword difficulty score of 39, as seen in the Ahrefs tool.
Ranking for this keyword requires competing with top pages like Tom’s Hardware and PC Gamer, which have amassed 947 and 7,512 backlinks, respectively. These backlinks are spread across hundreds of referring domains, making it a tough keyword to target. This highlights that a high number and quality of backlinks to competing pages increase the challenge of ranking for the same keyword.
2. Domain Authority
Domain authority (DA) is a metric developed by Moz, and other tools like Ahrefs use similar metrics like Domain Rating (DR) to gauge the overall strength of a website. It measures the likelihood of a domain ranking well in search results based on its backlink profile and other SEO factors.
- High DA Websites: If the top-ranking pages are from domains with a DA above 80 (e.g., Wikipedia, Forbes), it will be challenging to outrank them.
- Low DA Websites: If smaller or newer websites dominate the rankings, it indicates lower keyword difficulty.
Tip: Look for opportunities where mid-tier domains (DA 30-50) are ranking on page one. This suggests that even websites with moderate authority can compete.
3. Content Relevance
Search engines like Google prioritize content that best matches user intent. Keyword difficulty increases when the top-ranking pages provide highly relevant, in-depth, and authoritative content.
- Search Intent Matching: Pages that perfectly align with what users are searching for are harder to displace. For example, a keyword like “best running shoes for women” will have higher difficulty if the top pages have comprehensive buying guides and reviews.
- Content Quality: The more detailed, well-structured, and engaging the content is, the higher the competition.
- Use of Rich Media: Top-ranking pages often include images, videos, infographics, and FAQs, which enhance user engagement and make it harder for new content to compete.
Example: If the keyword is “how to tie a tie,” and the top-ranking pages have videos, step-by-step images, and concise text, it raises the bar for creating content that can outrank them.
4. Search Volume and Competition Correlation
Although search volume isn’t directly part of keyword difficulty calculations, it often correlates with competition. Keywords with higher search volume tend to attract more businesses, making them harder to rank for.
- Low-Volume Keywords: These are often less competitive and easier to rank for, but they might not drive significant traffic.
- High-Volume Keywords: These are usually more competitive, as multiple websites vie for a slice of the traffic.
Balance Tip: Instead of chasing only high-volume keywords, aim for medium-volume, long-tail keywords with lower difficulty. These tend to have higher conversion rates because they target specific user intent.
5. On-Page Optimization
SEO tools evaluate how well the top-ranking pages are optimized for the target keyword, as strong on-page optimization can make it significantly harder to compete. One important aspect is the use of keyword-rich and compelling title tags and meta descriptions. Pages with well-crafted titles and descriptions tend to grab attention and secure higher click-through rates, making it more challenging for newcomers to stand out in search results.
Another critical factor is the structure of the content. Well-optimized pages often feature clearly defined header tags (H1, H2, H3) that incorporate the target keyword strategically. This not only improves readability but also signals relevance to search engines. Additionally, competitors who use the target keyword naturally throughout their content—such as in the introduction, subheadings, and conclusion—strengthen their position in the rankings.
Tools to Measure Keyword Difficulty
Several SEO tools offer metrics to assess how challenging it is to rank for a specific term. Here’s how some of the most popular ones approach this:
1. Ahrefs Keyword Difficulty (KD) Score
Ahrefs assigns a score from 0 to 100 based on the number and quality of backlinks to the top-ranking pages. Lower scores indicate easier keywords.
2. SEMRush Keyword Difficulty Tool
SEMRush calculates a percentage score for difficulty. A keyword with a 70% difficulty score will be much harder to rank for than one with a 30% score.
3. Moz Keyword Explorer
Moz’s tool measures keyword difficulty by analyzing page authority, domain authority, and backlink profiles of top-ranking pages.
4. Google Keyword Planner
While Google’s tool doesn’t provide a specific keyword difficulty score, it offers insights into competition levels (low, medium, high) based on advertiser activity.
How to Use Keyword Difficulty in Your SEO Strategy
Knowing a keyword’s difficulty score is only helpful if you apply it effectively. Here’s how you can use keyword difficulty to enhance your strategy:
1. Start with Low-Difficulty Keywords
If your website is new or has low authority, begin by targeting low-difficulty keywords. These are often long-tail keywords with a clear search intent. Ranking for these can drive traffic and build your site’s credibility over time.
2. Balance Search Volume and Difficulty
Don’t just chase low-difficulty keywords with no search volume. Instead, aim for a balance. For example, a keyword with moderate search volume and manageable difficulty is often a better target than one with extremely low difficulty but no potential traffic.
3. Analyze Competitor Strategies
Look at the keywords your competitors are ranking for. Use keyword difficulty tools to find gaps or opportunities where you can outperform them.
4. Focus on Content Quality
Even with a low-difficulty keyword, ranking requires high-quality, relevant content. Ensure your content addresses the searcher’s intent and provides more value than competing pages.
5. Build Backlinks Strategically
For keywords with medium difficulty, focus on acquiring backlinks to your content. Quality backlinks can help you compete for tougher keywords over time.
6. Consider Local SEO Opportunities
If your business caters to a specific location, targeting local keywords with low difficulty can yield quick wins. For example, instead of targeting “coffee shop,” focus on “best coffee shop in Chicago.” These keywords often have lower difficulty scores and a higher chance of conversion.
7. Leverage Content Clusters
Creating content clusters is an effective way to compete for slightly higher-difficulty keywords. Write multiple blog posts around a core topic and interlink them.
For example, if your main keyword is “SEO for beginners,” you can create related posts like “Keyword Research for Beginners” or “Basic Link Building Tips” and link them to your main article.
8. Monitor and Adjust Your Strategy
Keyword difficulty is not static; it can change as competitors optimize their content or new websites enter the niche. Regularly track the difficulty of your targeted keywords and adjust your strategy accordingly.
Common Misconceptions About Keyword Difficulty
While keyword difficulty is an essential metric, it’s important to avoid these common pitfalls:
1. Low Difficulty Doesn’t Always Mean High ROI
Targeting only low-difficulty keywords might seem appealing, but they often lack search volume or conversion potential. Always balance difficulty with relevance and intent.
2. High Difficulty Isn’t Always a No-Go
Just because a keyword has a high difficulty score doesn’t mean it’s impossible to rank for. If your website has a strong domain authority and you’re ready to invest in backlinks and content optimization, high-difficulty keywords can still be worth pursuing.
3. Keyword Difficulty Isn’t the Only Metric That Matters
While important, relying solely on this metric overlooks other critical factors like search intent, user engagement, and content relevance. Use it as part of your SEO strategy, but balance it with these elements to create a well-rounded and effective plan.
Additional Metrics to Consider Alongside Keyword Difficulty
Keyword difficulty isn’t the only metric to watch. Here’s what else to consider:
- Search Volume:
A keyword with high difficulty and high search volume may still be worth targeting, depending on your goals. - Cost Per Click (CPC):
High CPC keywords indicate commercial value. These may align with your monetization goals. - Click-Through Rate (CTR):
Analyze how SERP features affect CTR. If a keyword is dominated by ads or snippets, organic traffic may be limited.
Practical Tips to Improve Your Chances of Ranking
Once you’ve analyzed keyword difficulty and chosen your target keywords, here are some actionable tips to help you rank effectively:
1. Focus on Search Intent
Before creating content, understand what users are looking for when they search for your target keyword. Is it informational, transactional, or navigational? Align your content with the intent to increase its relevance.
2. Optimize Your Content Thoroughly
Use your target keyword naturally in key places like the title tag, meta description, headings, and within the content. Avoid keyword stuffing—it’s better to focus on quality over quantity.
3. Enhance User Experience (UX)
Google prioritizes content that provides a great user experience. Ensure your website is fast, mobile-friendly, and easy to navigate. A good UX can help you compete even for moderately difficult keywords.
4. Build Topic Authority
Establish yourself as an authority in your niche by consistently publishing valuable content. Google rewards websites that cover topics in-depth, so aim to create comprehensive resources.
5. Acquire Quality Backlinks
Backlinks remain a significant ranking factor. Focus on earning links from reputable, high-authority websites to boost your chances of ranking for competitive keywords.
Case Study: Applying Keyword Difficulty in Real Life
Let’s say you’re launching a new blog about healthy eating. You use a tool like Ahrefs and discover the following:
- “Healthy recipes” has a difficulty score of 79 (very competitive).
- “Quick healthy recipes for busy moms” has a difficulty score of 25 (less competitive).
Instead of targeting the broad term, you decide to focus on the long-tail keyword. You create a detailed blog post with practical tips, quick recipes, and videos. By targeting this lower-difficulty keyword, you drive traffic faster while establishing your site as a trusted resource
Final Thoughts
Keyword difficulty is a powerful metric that can guide your SEO efforts. By understanding what it is, how it’s measured, and how to use it effectively, you can create a focused strategy that delivers results. Remember to balance difficulty with search intent and prioritize content quality to stay ahead of the competition.
Start by analyzing your current keywords, use tools to measure difficulty, and build a strategy tailored to your website’s strengths. Over time, as your domain authority grows, you’ll be able to target higher-difficulty keywords and achieve even greater success.