What is Keyword Difficulty?
Keyword difficulty (KD) is a metric used in SEO to estimate how challenging it would be to rank on the first page of Google for a given keyword.
Keyword difficulty is always an estimation because Google does not disclose all its ranking factors. Different SEO tools have different approaches to calculating keyword difficulty, making it essential to understand the methodology behind the metric you are using.
Why is Keyword Difficulty Important?
Even though there’s no perfect approach to calculating keyword difficulty, it’s still a handy metric that can help find promising keyword ideas and filter out the most competitive ones early in the keyword research process. By understanding keyword difficulty, you can focus your efforts on keywords that are more likely to yield successful rankings.
How is Keyword Difficulty Calculated?
Different SEO tools calculate keyword difficulty differently. Here’s a common approach:
- Backlinks: Many tools assess the number and quality of backlinks pointing to the top-ranking pages for a keyword. More backlinks usually indicate higher keyword difficulty.
- Authority: Tools might consider the domain authority of the websites ranking for the keyword.
- Content Quality: The quality and relevance of the content on the top-ranking pages might also be a factor.
How to Estimate Your Chances of Ranking?
You can’t rely on the keyword difficulty metric alone. For a better chance of ranking, review the SERP manually with a few different things in mind:
1. Figure Out How Many Backlinks You’ll Need
If you have two pages covering the same topic, Google will often see the page with more backlinks as more valuable. Generally, acquiring the same number of backlinks or more than a top-ranking page is a good idea. Tools like Ranktracker provide insights into the estimated number of backlinks you need to rank.
2. Estimate the “Authority” of Your Competitors
While Google denies using sitewide authority as a metric in its ranking algorithms, pages on more reputable sites tend to have higher chances of ranking. Website authority is determined by the number and quality of the links pointing at it. For instance, Ranktracker's Website Authority Checker can help you gauge the overall strength of a website’s backlink profile.
3. Analyze the Search Intent
Analyzing search intent is crucial if you want to rank well. At its most basic, search intent is the expectation people have when searching for something on Google. Analyzing the top-ranking pages for a given keyword helps you understand what users are looking for. For example, if the top results for “kitchenware” are e-commerce stores, it indicates a transactional intent.
4. Check the Quality of the Ranking Pages
Content quality is subjective, but you can look for certain things to gauge what Google considers “quality”:
- Is the information up-to-date and accurate?
- Is the subject matter written by an expert?
- Is the information unique compared to other pages?
- Is the content well-written?
- Is the page professionally designed?
- Is the formatting clean and clear?
Ask yourself these questions and see if your content can be better than the top-ranking pages.
FAQs
How Should I Check Keyword Difficulty?
You can check keyword difficulty using various SEO tools like Ranktracker's Keyword Finder. These tools provide insights into the competitiveness of keywords and help you make informed decisions.
How to Calculate Keyword Difficulty?
The calculation of keyword difficulty varies by tool, but it often involves analyzing the number of backlinks to top-ranking pages, the authority of those pages, and the quality of the content.
What is the Ideal Keyword Difficulty for SEO?
There’s no one-size-fits-all answer, but targeting keywords with moderate difficulty that align with your website’s authority and content quality is usually a good strategy.
What Percentage of Keyword Density is Too High?
Keyword density isn't directly related to keyword difficulty, but as a rule of thumb, avoid keyword stuffing. Ensure that your content reads naturally and provides value to the user.
For more detailed guides on SEO best practices, visit Ranktracker's SEO Guide.
