Keyword difficulty is a 0–100 score that estimates how hard it would be for a new page to break into the top 10 Google results for a specific keyword. The lower the number, the easier the keyword.
What goes into the score
Every rank-tracking tool calculates KD slightly differently, but the inputs are broadly the same:
- Backlinks of the top 10 ranking pages. If page #1 has 500 referring domains, you probably need a comparable link profile to displace it.
- Domain authority of the top 10. If positions 1–10 are owned by Wikipedia, BBC and the Guardian, the keyword is dominated by huge-authority sites — much harder for a small business to rank.
- Content depth. If the top results are 4,000-word definitive guides, a 600-word post probably won't rank.
- SERP features. If half the SERP is taken by a featured snippet, knowledge panel or video carousel, organic click-through-rate drops — even position 1 may not deliver much traffic.
How to read the bands
- 0–14: Very easy. A well-written page with basic on-page SEO can rank within weeks. Look hard at these — there's usually a reason it's low (low volume, intent mismatch).
- 15–29: Easy. The realistic sweet spot for most small businesses. Targetable with good content and a few quality links.
- 30–49: Possible. Achievable but you need a strong page on a healthy domain.
- 50–69: Hard. Authority sites only. If you don't have an established domain, pick something easier first and come back when you do.
- 70–100: Very hard. Dominated by huge brands. Don't waste your time unless you have a genuinely unique angle.
The trap: low KD is not always a good keyword
KD measures only how hard it is to rank — it does not tell you whether ranking is worth it. A keyword can be KD 5 and totally pointless because:
- Volume is too low. Ranking #1 for a keyword with 10 monthly searches gets you almost nothing.
- Intent doesn't match. The keyword may sound related to your business but the people searching it are not your customers (e.g. job seekers, students, hobbyists).
- Conversion potential is zero. Informational long-tail keywords drive traffic but rarely sales. Mix them with commercial keywords for balance.
How to use KD in practice
- Use our keyword difficulty checker to score a keyword.
- Cross-check the volume — anything under 50 monthly UK searches usually isn't worth a dedicated page.
- Look at the top 10 SERP results manually. Are they small businesses you could realistically out-do, or huge brands?
- Pick keywords where KD is low and volume is healthy and the SERP looks beatable.
Why our KD might differ from Ahrefs or Semrush
We use DataForSEO's SERP and labs data — the same backend that powers many rank trackers. Different tools weight inputs differently (Ahrefs leans on links, Semrush leans on competitor density), so a 30 in one tool may be a 35 in another. Pick a tool and stick with it for trend analysis.
What KD won't tell you
KD is one signal among many. It can't tell you whether your business actually serves the searcher's intent, whether the keyword converts, or whether you can produce better content than the top 10. Use it as a filter, not a decision.
Want help finding the right keywords for your business? Talk to Outcome Digital Marketing.