What is keyword difficulty?
Keyword difficulty estimates how hard it is to rank on Google's first page for a term, on a 0–100 scale. It's driven mainly by the authority and backlink strength of the pages already ranking. Lower scores mean weaker competition and a faster path to page one — ideal targets when your site is still building authority.
How to use it
- Check a keyword before investing in content for it.
- Prioritize low-difficulty, decent-volume terms for quick wins.
- Pair difficulty with the rank checker to track progress.