Tag: keyword difficulty

Keyword difficulty is the number most people use to decide what to write, and most people read it wrong. Here’s what the score measures, what it misses, and the ranges I’d target for a new, growing or established site.

Last updated: 2 November 2026 · By Alan Spicer, YouTube Certified Expert

Part of the Website SEO series.

What does keyword difficulty mean?

Keyword difficulty means how hard an SEO tool predicts it will be for your page to reach the first page of Google for a specific search. Tools score it from 0 to 100: 0 is very easy, 100 is very hard. Semrush calls its version KD% and describes it as “the SEO effort it would take for your content to rank organically in the top 10”.

The score is a prediction based on the pages that rank today. It doesn’t know how good your content will be, how strong your site is, or how well the current results answer the search. That’s why two sites can look at the same KD 40 keyword and get very different results.

How is keyword difficulty calculated?

Each tool calculates keyword difficulty its own way, but most lean heavily on backlinks. Semrush says its score is based on the median number of referring domains pointing at the ranking pages, the median ratio of followed to nofollowed links, the median Authority Score of the ranking domains, and features of the search results page itself.

Ahrefs and Moz use their own formulas, also driven mainly by links. So the same keyword can score 20 in one tool and 35 in another. Compare keywords inside one tool; don’t compare a Semrush score with an Ahrefs score.

Source: Semrush Knowledge Base, “What is KD%?”

What keyword difficulty score should you target?

Target the range your site can compete in today. Semrush publishes six bands, and they’re a good guide when paired with your own site’s strength.

Source: Semrush Knowledge Base, “What is KD%?”, with my own recommendations in the last column.

My rule for a new site: the first 20 pages target KD under 30. Once a few of those rank on page one and you’ve earned some links, move into the 30 to 49 band. Chasing KD 70 keywords in year one is the most common reason I see small sites give up on SEO.

What does keyword difficulty not tell you?

Keyword difficulty doesn’t measure content quality, search intent match or how out of date the ranking pages are. Those are often what decide whether you can rank.

• **Weak content:** a KD 45 keyword where the top results are thin or outdated can be easier than a KD 25 keyword with excellent, fresh answers.
• **Forums ranking:** Reddit or Quora threads in the top 10 suggest Google can’t find a proper answer, even if the score looks high.
• **Intent mismatch:** if the results are all product pages and you want to write a guide, the score is irrelevant; that guide won’t rank.
• **Your own strength:** a site with years of topic focus can rank for keywords that would be “difficult” for a new site.
• **Local results:** for local searches, distance and your Google Business Profile matter as much as links.

That’s why the final check is always the search results page itself. My guide to finding low-competition keywords covers the signs to look for.

How do you check keyword difficulty yourself?

Google the keyword in a private window and judge the top 10 results on four questions. It takes two minutes per keyword and catches what the score misses.

1. Check who ranks. Note the sites in the top 10. Are they big brands, specialist sites, or small sites like yours?
2. Check how well they answer. Open the top three results. If they’re thin, outdated or only partly answer the search, you can beat them with a better page.
3. Check the format. Note whether the top results are guides, lists, product pages or tools. Your page needs to match the format Google is rewarding.
4. Check site strength. Look up the Authority Score or equivalent of the ranking sites. If several are close to yours, you can compete.

If you want the scores and the check in one place, Semrush’s Keyword Overview shows KD%, intent, the top 10 results and each result’s Authority Score on one screen. You can test it on the free account (10 reports a day) or the 7-day trial.

Does keyword difficulty affect how long ranking takes?

Yes. Harder keywords take longer to rank for, and most new pages never reach the top 10 at all. Ahrefs tracked a million random new URLs and found only 1.74% reached Google’s top 10 within a year, and that it takes longer to rank for high-volume keywords than low-volume ones.

That’s the case for starting low. Easy keywords rank sooner, bring early traffic and help you earn links, which raises your site’s strength so harder keywords become possible later. My keyword research guide shows how to build a list in that order.

Which tool has the best keyword difficulty score?

No tool’s score is “correct”, because each one is a model. Semrush’s KD% is my preference because it sits alongside intent labels and the actual top 10 with Authority Scores, so you can sanity-check the number on the same screen. Ahrefs’ KD is also widely used and clearly explained. My Semrush vs Ahrefs comparison covers the wider differences.

Whichever you use, stick with one tool so your scores stay comparable, and keep a note of which difficulty band your site wins in. Over time that tells you more than any formula.

People also ask

Frequently asked questions

What does KD% mean in Semrush?

KD% is Semrush’s keyword difficulty score. It estimates the effort needed to rank in Google’s top 10 for a keyword on a scale of 0 to 100, based mostly on the backlinks and authority of the pages already ranking.

Why do Semrush and Ahrefs show different difficulty scores?

Each tool uses its own formula and its own link data, so scores differ. Compare keywords within one tool rather than across tools.

Can I rank for a high-difficulty keyword with a new site?

It’s unlikely in the short term. Start with easy keywords, build links and topic authority, and come back to harder keywords once your site is ranking for related searches.

Does keyword difficulty include content quality?

No. Keyword difficulty is based mostly on links and domain strength. It doesn’t judge how well the ranking pages answer the search, which is why a manual check matters.

Should I ignore keywords with high volume and high difficulty?

Not forever. Note them as long-term targets and build supporting content around them now. Once your easier pages rank, the harder page has more internal links and authority behind it.

How often does keyword difficulty change?

Difficulty changes as the ranking pages gain or lose links and as new pages enter the top 10. Recheck important keywords every few months.

Is keyword difficulty useful for local SEO?

Partly. For local searches, your Google Business Profile, reviews and distance from the searcher carry a lot of weight, so a local business can outrank high-authority national sites.