TL;DR: A 0 to 100 score from SEO tools estimating how hard it would be to rank a new page on Google’s first page for that term.
In a nutshell
Calculated mainly from the backlink profiles of pages currently ranking, keyword difficulty helps you decide where to invest effort. A new site is better targeting low-difficulty long-tail terms first, then climbing to harder keywords as authority grows. Example: “best SEO agency” might score 75; “SEO agency Bristol pricing” might score 25.
Quick answer: Keyword difficulty is a score that estimates how hard it would be to rank a new page on the first page of Google for a specific keyword. Most SEO tools (Ahrefs, SEMrush, Moz, Mangools) provide keyword difficulty scores from 0 to 100, calculated mainly from the backlink profiles of pages currently ranking for the keyword.
What Is Keyword Difficulty?
Keyword difficulty is a metric that indicates how hard it is to rank for a specific keyword or search term. It takes into account various factors such as the strength of your competitors’ websites, the quality of their content, and how many backlinks they have. Higher keyword difficulty means more competition, which usually means more effort is required to rank for that keyword. It pairs with search volume and search intent in any sensible keyword model.
At BrisTechTonic, we use keyword difficulty to help our clients make strategic decisions on which keywords to target. We balance highly competitive terms with long-tail keywords that offer lower difficulty and more attainable SEO goals.
Why Keyword Difficulty Matters for SEO
Keyword difficulty plays a critical role in your overall SEO strategy. Here’s why it matters:
- Determining Which Keywords to Target: Knowing the difficulty of a keyword helps you decide whether to go after high-competition keywords or focus on easier-to-rank for long-tail keywords.
- Resource Allocation: Focusing on high-difficulty keywords requires more time, effort, and resources. Understanding difficulty helps you manage your SEO budget effectively.
- Strategic Keyword Selection: You can choose keywords that are both relevant to your business and achievable based on your site’s authority.
- Balancing Competition and Traffic: If a keyword is highly competitive, it might bring substantial traffic if you succeed. However, less competitive keywords might bring targeted, highly-qualified leads with less effort.
How Keyword Difficulty Is Measured
Keyword difficulty is typically measured on a scale from 0 to 100, with 100 being the most difficult. The higher the number, the more backlinks and content quality you will need to outrank your competitors. Several SEO tools provide keyword difficulty scores:
- SEMrush, Offers a keyword difficulty score based on a combination of factors, including competition and backlink profile.
- Ahrefs, Uses a proprietary system to calculate keyword difficulty based on the backlink profiles of top-ranking pages.
- Moz Keyword Explorer, Measures keyword difficulty using factors like domain authority and link profiles.
- Rank Math, Provides keyword difficulty scores based on competition in the SERPs (Search Engine Results Pages).
For first principles on how Google evaluates ranking signals, the Google SEO Starter Guide is the canonical reference, and the Moz Beginner’s Guide to SEO covers the practical implications well.
How to Use Keyword Difficulty in Your SEO Strategy
Keyword difficulty is an essential metric when planning your SEO strategy. Here’s how we use keyword difficulty at BrisTechTonic:
1. Target Keywords Based on Your Website’s Authority
If you’re just starting out or have a low-authority site, it’s better to focus on low-difficulty keywords first. These are typically long-tail keywords with less competition, and they can help you build authority over time.
2. Strike a Balance Between High and Low Difficulty
While high-difficulty keywords may bring in large amounts of traffic, they are often not worth targeting in the short term unless your site has substantial authority. We focus on a balance of low-to-moderate difficulty keywords and build up authority with each success.
3. Long-Tail Keywords and Low-Difficulty Terms
Long-tail keywords are often easier to rank for because they are less competitive. These keywords are more specific and usually have lower search volume, but they can result in highly-targeted traffic. At BrisTechTonic, we recommend focusing on long-tail keywords to get quick wins and gradually move on to more competitive terms as your website gains authority.
4. Competitive Analysis
Analyzing competitors is crucial. If your competitors are top-ranking sites with high domain authority and a large backlink profile, it might be more challenging to beat them. However, we look for opportunities where competitors’ content is lacking through competitor SEO analysis, which allows us to create higher-quality pages with better chances of outranking them.
How We Use Keyword Difficulty to Set SEO Goals
At BrisTechTonic, we set realistic goals based on the keyword difficulty of each term. Our process includes:
- Content Strategy: For high-difficulty keywords, we develop comprehensive content strategies that cover all aspects of the keyword topic.
- Backlink Acquisition: We build backlinks to improve the authority of your site for competitive keywords.
- On-Page SEO: We optimise meta titles, headers, and internal linking to ensure we’re fully optimised for target keywords.
- Performance Tracking: We track the performance of both high-difficulty and low-difficulty keywords using tools like Google Analytics and Google Search Console.
Common Keyword Difficulty Mistakes
- Targeting only high-difficulty keywords: While tempting, focusing solely on high-difficulty keywords can lead to frustration if your website doesn’t have enough authority yet.
- Neglecting long-tail keywords: Many websites overlook long-tail keywords in favour of head terms. However, these terms often provide quicker wins and help establish authority.
- Not analysing competitors: Ignoring the competitive landscape can lead to wasting resources on keywords that are simply too difficult to rank for at the moment.
Frequently Asked Questions
How accurate are keyword difficulty scores?
Approximate. Different tools use different formulas; the same keyword often shows different difficulty scores in Ahrefs vs SEMrush vs Moz. Use difficulty scores as directional ranking, not absolute. The numbers correlate with real difficulty but aren’t precise predictions.
Should I avoid high-difficulty keywords entirely?
Not necessarily. High-difficulty keywords sometimes produce most of the traffic in a niche; ignoring them limits your ceiling. The right approach: target a mix of low, medium, and high difficulty over time. Low-difficulty wins early and builds authority. High-difficulty keywords become realistic once authority is built.
How is keyword difficulty calculated?
Mostly from the backlink profiles of currently ranking pages: how many referring domains they have, the authority of those domains, and the strength of the pages themselves. Some tools layer in content depth and on-page SEO signals. The dominant factor in most scoring is link strength.
Can I rank for high-difficulty keywords without lots of backlinks?
Sometimes, with topical authority and excellent content. Google’s ranking systems weight topical depth and content quality alongside backlinks. A focused niche site with comprehensive coverage of a topic can outrank larger but less-focused competitors. The exception, not the rule.
Take this further
Keyword difficulty is one input in keyword strategy. We use it alongside search volume and commercial intent to identify the highest-leverage opportunities.
Ready to apply this to your own site? Book a free discovery call, or explore our SEO strategy service.