Keyword difficulty
What we will go through
- What keyword difficulty measures
- How to judge difficulty without paid tools
- Which keywords a new site can win
Short answer
Keyword difficulty is an estimate of how hard it is to rank on the first page for a keyword. SEO tools show it as a score, often from 0 to 100. Higher means harder. You can also judge it yourself by checking who ranks now. New websites should target low competition keywords where smaller sites already appear.
What the difficulty score means
Tools like Semrush, Ahrefs, and Moz give each keyword a difficulty score, often called a KD score. Each tool calculates it differently. Most look at how many strong sites, and how many backlinks, the top pages have.
Treat the score as a rough guide, not a fact. A score of 20 in one tool can be 35 in another. Google and other search engines do not publish any difficulty score.
Judge difficulty yourself in five minutes
You do not need paid tools. Search the keyword and study page one. This is called a SERP analysis.
- Who ranks? Count the big brands, government sites, and marketplaces like Lazada, Shopee, or Wikipedia.
- Are smaller sites there? If you see blogs or small businesses on page one, you have a chance.
- How good are the pages? Old, thin, or off-topic pages are easier to beat.
- Do they match the intent well? A page that answers poorly is a gap you can fill.
- How many ads and SERP features? Lots of ads, maps, and boxes push organic results down.
Easy, medium, or hard?
| Signal on page one | Difficulty for a new site |
|---|---|
| Small blogs, forums, or local businesses | Easy |
| Mix of brands and smaller sites | Medium |
| Only big brands, news sites, and marketplaces | Hard |
Which keywords to target first
Pick low competition keywords that are specific, local, or question-based. “Tile installation cost per sqm Laguna” is easier than “tiles.”
As your site earns trust and backlinks, you can aim for harder keywords. Think of it like a basketball league: start in the barangay league before the PBA.
Scoring quiz: how hard is this keyword?
Each question shows a described page one. The reader picks Easy, Medium, or Hard.
Common mistakes
- Trusting one tool’s number blindly. Always look at the real results too.
- Avoiding every keyword with competition. Medium keywords are worth it if your page is clearly better.
- Targeting only hard keywords. A new site can wait a year with zero traffic.
- Ignoring Bing. Some keywords are easier to rank for on Bing, which also powers Yahoo and other services.
Your action
Key terms
- Keyword difficulty (KD)
- An estimate of how hard it is to rank for a keyword.
- SERP analysis
- Studying page one of the results to judge competition and intent.
- Low competition keyword
- A keyword where weaker or smaller sites already rank.
- Backlinks
- Links from other sites. Strong pages usually have more of them.
Questions beginners ask
Is a high search volume keyword always worth it?
No. If it is too hard to rank, it brings no traffic. A smaller keyword you can win is worth more.
How long until I can target harder keywords?
It depends on your content and backlinks. Many sites start reaching medium keywords after several months of steady work.
Want someone to handle SEO for your business while you learn? The team at Remar Digital can help.