Keyword Difficulty

What is Keyword Difficulty? When we talk about keyword difficulty, we’re referring to the level of competition a keyword has in Google’s search results. In other words, how much effort it will take to rank our content at the top of the results for a specific word or phrase.

Although there are tools that automatically calculate this value, it’s crucial to understand that these metrics aren’t always 100% accurate. Often, the true difficulty goes far beyond a simple number.

How is Keyword Difficulty Measured?

The calculation of keyword difficulty is usually based on several factors, including:

• The authority of the websites already ranking for that keyword.
• The relevance of the content on those pages.
• The number and quality of external links (backlinks) pointing to those pages.

SEO tools analyze these elements and generate a value, typically on a scale from 0 to 100, where higher numbers indicate greater difficulty.

However, while these tools are useful as an initial guideline, in my experience, relying blindly on these numbers can lead to mistakes in our strategy.

Tools to Measure Keyword Difficulty

There are several tools that can help us get a calculation of keyword difficulty, and they are very popular among SEO professionals. Some of the most commonly used are:

• Ahrefs: A favorite, which calculates difficulty based on the incoming links of the pages in the Top 10.
• SEMrush: Very comprehensive, it offers a difficulty value based on the analysis of various metrics like backlinks, traffic, and domain authority.
• Moz: Similar to the others, its difficulty metric is based on domain authority and the link profile of the pages.
• Ubersuggest: Provides a more basic and free overview, ideal for beginners.

 Although these tools are a good reference, it’s important to take these values with a grain of salt. Often, the margin of error is high, and there are factors that these metrics do not account for. 

The Importance of Manually Reviewing Google’s Top 10

What I’ve found most useful, and something I always recommend, is to do a manual review of Google’s Top 10 for the keyword we’re interested in. This way, we can get a clearer and more accurate view of who we’re really competing against.

If we see that the results are dominated by well-known websites, like Wikipedia, Amazon, or major news outlets, then we can assume that the difficulty will be high. These pages have tremendous authority and usually a lot of optimized content.

But if the results include smaller blogs or pages with content that is not well optimized, it’s likely that we have an opportunity to compete, even if the difficulty tool indicates a high value.

It’s Not All About Difficulty: The Relevance of Content

Another thing that many SEO tools don’t measure well is the ability of a page to directly and completely answer a query.

If we analyze the pages that are already ranked, and notice that they aren’t directly answering the user’s search, there is a clear opportunity for us, even if our competitors are strong.

For example, let’s say we want to rank for the keyword “how to do a good keyword research.” If the current pages don’t offer a clear step-by-step guide or don’t address the question precisely, we have a clear advantage if we manage to create content that does.

The key is in the quality and relevance of the content. Google highly values that users find what they’re looking for easily and quickly. If your article answers better than others, it’s likely you’ll end up ranking higher, even if you’re up against sites with more authority.

The Relationship Between Search Intent and Difficulty

Another aspect that often gets overlooked in evaluating keyword difficulty is search intent. Not all keywords have the same intent behind them, and understanding what the user wants when searching for that keyword can be the decisive factor for our ranking.

For example, if a user searches for “buy athletic shoes,” we know they’re ready to make a purchase. If the current results aren’t optimized to offer an easy and direct purchasing process, this is where we can stand out.

It’s not enough to just create content; we need to ensure that we’re properly addressing the user’s intent. Difficulty tools can’t measure this accurately, which makes manual analysis even more critical.

Should We Take Keyword Difficulty Seriously?

As you can see, the difficulty of a keyword is an important factor when planning our SEO strategy, but it shouldn’t be the only criterion. What truly matters is whether we can offer something better than the competition.

If we focus solely on low-difficulty keywords, we’ll miss out on many opportunities. Instead, by focusing on creating superior content that directly responds to the user’s search, we can position ourselves for keywords that theoretically have high competition.

Ultimately, keyword difficulty is just one piece of the puzzle. And while it’s useful as a reference, the winning strategy is one that combines quality content, manual analysis, and a deep understanding of search intent.