What is Keyword Difficulty?

Keyword difficulty is a metric that measures how challenging it is to rank for a specific keyword in search engine results. It evaluates competition based on factors like the strength of websites currently ranking for the keyword, their domain authority, backlink profiles, and content quality.

Why is Keyword Difficulty Important?

• Helps prioritise keywords for SEO strategies by identifying manageable targets.
• Guide efforts toward keywords that balance competition and search volume.
• Enables businesses to focus on realistic opportunities to improve rankings.

How is Keyword Difficulty Measured?

Popular SEO tools calculate keyword difficulty using scales (e.g., 0–100 or low, medium, high). Higher scores indicate tougher competition, requiring stronger SEO efforts to rank.