Keyword difficulty (KD) is a shortcut. Instead of studying every page in the top ten for a search, you get one number that sums up how tough the competition looks. Most SEO tools use a 0 to 100 scale, where higher means harder.
It’s important to know what’s behind the number. Google doesn’t publish a difficulty score. Each tool calculates its own, mostly from the backlink profiles and authority of the pages currently ranking, sometimes blended with other factors. That’s why the same keyword can be 32 in one tool and 51 in another.
Why it matters
KD helps you pick fights you can win. Bean & Barrel Coffee is a small store with a few dozen referring domains. “Coffee beans” might score 80-plus, with Amazon, big roasters and national publications on page one. “Low-acid coffee beans for sensitive stomach” might score in the teens. Both are relevant, but only one is realistic this year.
A sensible approach for a newer or smaller site:
- Low difficulty: good targets now, especially with clear buying intent
- Medium difficulty: worth targeting with your strongest content and some links
- High difficulty: longer-term goals; build topical authority with easier related content first
Look beyond the number
Always check the actual results before deciding:
- Who ranks? A score of 40 with local businesses in the top five is very different from 40 with national brands.
- How good are the pages? Outdated, thin or off-intent results are an opening, even if the score is high.
- Is the search intent a match for what you offer?
- What’s on the page beyond the ten blue links? Map packs, AI Overviews and shopping results push organic results down.
Local keywords are a special case
Difficulty scores are usually calculated from national results, but local searches like “emergency plumber austin” are decided by local competition and Google Business Profile strength. A local business can often rank for terms with a scary-looking score.
Common mistakes
- Only targeting KD-zero keywords that nobody searches
- Comparing scores across different tools
- Ignoring relevance: an easy keyword that brings the wrong visitors isn’t a win
- Treating KD as fixed. Competition changes, so recheck targets every few months
How to check
RankThat’s Keyword Research shows difficulty alongside search volume and intent for every keyword, so you can weigh all three together.