By Guven Tuncay · Updated March 2026
How to Check Keyword Difficulty: A Practical Guide
Understand what keyword difficulty scores mean, how to interpret the 0–100 scale, and how to use KD to prioritise the keywords that will actually move your rankings.
TL;DR
Keyword difficulty (KD) is a score from 0 to 100 that estimates how hard it is to rank on the first page of Google for a given keyword. Lower scores mean easier ranking opportunities. This guide explains what KD means, how it's calculated, how to interpret the scale, and how to use difficulty scores to prioritise your SEO strategy. A Keyword Gap Analysis ($4.99) includes difficulty scores for every keyword it finds — so you can instantly see which competitor keywords are within reach.
What Is Keyword Difficulty in SEO?
Keyword difficulty (KD) is a metric that estimates how hard it is to rank on page one of Google for a specific keyword. It is expressed as a score from 0 (easiest) to 100 (hardest) and is used by every major SEO tool to help prioritise keyword targets.
KD is not a Google metric. It is calculated by third-party tools based on factors like the backlink profiles, domain authority, and content quality of the pages currently ranking for that keyword.
The core insight: KD tells you whether a keyword is worth pursuing given your site's current strength. Targeting high-difficulty keywords when your site is new wastes months of effort. Targeting low-difficulty keywords first builds momentum — traffic, backlinks, and topical authority that make harder keywords achievable later.
For context on where keyword lists come from before you check their difficulty, see our keyword gap analysis guide.
How Keyword Difficulty Is Calculated
Most tools weight three main factors when calculating keyword difficulty:
1. Backlink Profile of Ranking Pages
How many referring domains the top 10 results have. More backlinks pointing to ranking pages means higher KD. This is the single most influential factor in most algorithms.
2. Domain Authority of Ranking Sites
If the top 10 are dominated by high-authority domains (BBC, Wikipedia, Amazon), KD is higher regardless of individual page backlinks. A SERP full of DR 90+ sites is inherently harder to break into than one with smaller sites.
3. Content Quality and Relevance
Newer tools factor in topical authority and content comprehensiveness. Well-structured, intent-matching content can outperform pages with more backlinks — which is why some low-KD keywords are still winnable even when established sites rank for them.
Important caveat: every SEO tool calculates KD differently. Ahrefs focuses heavily on referring domains. Moz weights domain authority. Seoglen uses DataForSEO's algorithm which balances backlinks, domain strength, and SERP competitiveness. This means a keyword might show KD 25 in one tool and KD 40 in another — the relative ranking (easy vs hard) is what matters, not the absolute number.
The Keyword Difficulty Scale Explained
Minimal backlinks needed. A well-written, intent-matching page can rank within weeks. Best for new websites, niche topics, and long-tail keywords. Often low search volume but high conversion intent.
Some backlinks and good on-page optimisation required. Achievable for most sites within 2–3 months. The sweet spot for sites building momentum.
Requires strong content, multiple quality backlinks, and established topical authority. Typically takes 3–6 months for mid-authority sites. Worth targeting as longer-term investments.
Dominated by well-established sites. Requires significant backlink investment and comprehensive content. Only pursue if you have a clear content advantage.
Dominated by major brands and authority sites. Unless you are a well-funded media company, avoid these until your domain authority is well established.
These bands are approximate — your specific threshold depends on your own domain authority. A DR 60 site can target KD 45 keywords that a DR 10 site cannot.
How to Check Keyword Difficulty (3 Steps)
Generate Your Keyword List
Start with competitor keyword research — find what competitors rank for that you do not. A Keyword Gap Analysis ($4.99) auto-detects competitors and returns 30 keywords with KD scores already included.
Or start from seed keywords — brainstorm topics relevant to your business, then expand with keyword research tools. Either way, you need a list before you can check difficulty.
For detailed keyword discovery methods, see our guide to finding competitor keywords.
Check the Difficulty Score for Each Keyword
Use a keyword difficulty checker to get scores for your list. Every keyword in a Seoglen Keyword Gap report includes a 0–100 difficulty score alongside search volume and CPC.
Free alternative: manually search the keyword and examine the top 10 results. If they are all high-authority domains (DR 70+) with dozens of backlinks, the keyword is likely difficult.
Important: check difficulty alongside search volume and CPC — a KD 10 keyword with 0 searches is not worth targeting.
Validate with SERP Analysis
KD is an estimate, not a guarantee. Always manually review the SERP to validate. Look for weak spots: are there thin content pages, outdated articles, or forums ranking in the top 10? These are signals that a well-crafted page could break through even at a higher KD.
A SERP Intent Report ($3.99) classifies search intent and shows which SERP features appear — so you know whether to write a blog post, product page, or comparison guide.
Keyword Difficulty vs Search Volume: Finding the Sweet Spot
Beginners fixate on search volume and ignore difficulty — targeting “running shoes” (590,000 vol, KD 95) instead of “best trail running shoes for flat feet” (480 vol, KD 18). The smarter approach is to evaluate both together.
High Volume + Low KD: Unicorns
Rare finds — usually emerging trends or overlooked niches. Jump on these immediately when you spot them.
Low/Medium Volume + Low KD: Bread and Butter
Highly achievable long-tail keywords that stack up to significant traffic when you target 20–30 of them. This is where most sites should spend most of their effort.
High Volume + High KD: Long-Term Investments
Build content for topical authority but do not expect quick wins. These pages may take 6–12 months to rank.
Low Volume + High KD: Worst ROI
Avoid unless there is a specific strategic reason (e.g., extremely high CPC indicates commercial value despite low search volume).
The insight: 30 low-difficulty keywords at 200 searches each = 6,000 monthly visitors. That is often more achievable than one keyword at 6,000 searches with KD 80. A Keyword Gap Analysis ($4.99) is designed around this principle — it returns 30 keywords sorted with difficulty scores, so you can filter for the bread-and-butter opportunities immediately.
Real-World Example: Bramble & Briar
Bramble & Briar is a UK-based independent online retailer selling eco-friendly gardening supplies. Here is how keyword difficulty analysis transformed their content strategy.
The Problem
They launched a blog to drive organic traffic but were targeting massive terms like “gardening tools” (KD 84) and “best compost” (KD 76). After six months of publishing, they had zero page-one rankings and negligible traffic. The keywords were simply too competitive for a new site.
Step 1: Find Keyword Gaps with Difficulty Scores
They ran a Keyword Gap Analysis ($4.99) comparing their domain against three mid-sized competitors (not Amazon or B&Q — actual SEO competitors their size). The report returned 30 keyword gaps, each with difficulty scores.
Step 2: Sort by Difficulty and Pick Quick Wins
They sorted the 30 keywords by difficulty. Five stood out as quick wins:
- “peat-free compost for indoor plants” — KD 12, 480 searches/mo
- “ergonomic garden tools for arthritis” — KD 8, 320 searches/mo
- “eco-friendly slug control UK” — KD 15, 260 searches/mo
- “biodegradable plant pots wholesale” — KD 11, 210 searches/mo
- “organic lawn feed when to apply” — KD 6, 170 searches/mo
Step 3: Verify Intent and Create Content
They ran a SERP Intent Report ($3.99) for the top keyword. Google wanted informational guides with product recommendations — not pure product listings. They created buying guides that naturally linked to their products.
Result: Within 10 weeks, all five articles ranked on page one. Combined monthly traffic: 1,440 targeted visitors. Conversion rate: 3.2%. Monthly revenue from these five pages: £1,380 — from a total investment of $8.98 (two reports). They then reinvested in higher-difficulty keywords as their domain authority grew. The lesson: they stopped chasing KD 80+ keywords and started winning KD under 20 keywords first. The momentum from those wins made harder keywords achievable later.
Common Keyword Difficulty Mistakes
- Blindly trusting the score without checking the SERP — KD is an estimate. If the top 3 results are government sites or Wikipedia, a KD of 15 may still be unwinnable. Always manually review who ranks before committing to content.
- Ignoring search intent — a low-KD keyword is useless if you write a blog post but Google shows product pages. Check intent before creating content. A SERP Intent Report ($3.99) classifies intent for any keyword.
- Forgetting your own domain strength — a KD of 35 is “easy” for a DR 70 site but “very hard” for a brand-new blog. Calibrate your difficulty threshold to your current authority, not a generic scale.
- Chasing zero-volume keywords because they are easy — a KD of 1 with zero searches drives zero traffic. Always check volume alongside difficulty — easy plus empty equals wasted effort.
- Comparing scores across different tools — KD 30 in Ahrefs is not the same as KD 30 in Moz or Semrush. Each tool uses a different algorithm. Compare relative difficulty within one tool, not absolute numbers across tools.
- Only checking difficulty once — keyword difficulty changes as competitors publish new content and gain backlinks. A keyword that was KD 15 six months ago may be KD 35 today. Recheck difficulty quarterly.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is a good keyword difficulty score for a new website?
- For sites under six months old or with a domain rating under 20, target keywords with KD under 20. As your site gains backlinks and authority, gradually increase to KD 30, then 40+. The key is matching your ambition to your current strength — not chasing aspirational keywords too early.
- Why do different SEO tools show different keyword difficulty scores?
- Every SEO tool calculates keyword difficulty using a proprietary algorithm. Ahrefs weighs referring domains heavily. Moz focuses on domain and page authority. Seoglen uses DataForSEO’s algorithm which balances backlinks, domain strength, and SERP competitiveness. The relative ranking (easy vs medium vs hard) is consistent across tools even if the absolute numbers differ.
- Can I rank for high-difficulty keywords without backlinks?
- Rarely, but it is possible in specific situations: if your content is significantly more comprehensive and useful than everything currently ranking, if you have strong topical authority in the niche, and if the keyword targets a very specific intent that existing pages serve poorly. For most sites, backlinks are still necessary for keywords above KD 30.
- Is keyword difficulty the same as PPC competition?
- No. PPC competition measures how many advertisers are bidding on a keyword in Google Ads. Keyword difficulty measures how hard it is to rank organically. A keyword can have high PPC competition (many advertisers) but low organic difficulty — these are often the most valuable keywords to target with SEO.
- How often does keyword difficulty change?
- Constantly. As competitors publish new content, gain or lose backlinks, and Google updates its algorithm, SERP composition shifts. A keyword that was easy six months ago may be harder now. Quarterly rechecks are recommended for your priority keywords.
- Does search intent override keyword difficulty?
- Yes. A KD 10 keyword is worthless if Google shows product pages but you create a blog post. Intent mismatch means your page will not rank regardless of difficulty score. Always verify intent before investing time in content creation. A SERP Intent Report ($3.99) classifies intent for any keyword.
- Should I completely ignore high-difficulty keywords?
- No. Create pillar content for important high-KD keywords to build topical authority — but do not expect immediate rankings. Focus your short-term traffic efforts on low-KD keywords, and let the high-KD pages mature over 6–12 months as your domain authority grows.
Sources & Further Reading
- Google Search Central: Creating Helpful, Reliable, People-First Content — Official guidelines on content quality and ranking signals
- Ahrefs: Keyword Difficulty — How to Estimate Your Chances of Ranking — Data-driven analysis of what keyword difficulty means and how it is calculated
- Moz: What Is Keyword Difficulty? — Moz's framework for understanding and using keyword difficulty scores
- Backlinko: Keyword Research for SEO — Comprehensive keyword research guide including difficulty assessment
- Search Engine Journal: How to Determine Keyword Difficulty — Practical methods for evaluating keyword competitiveness
Check keyword difficulty for 30 competitor keywords
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