Keyword difficulty is a metric used to indicate competition for a specific keyword or phrase in search engine results. It measures how difficult it would be to rank for a given keyword based on the strength of the existing competition.
The keyword difficulty score can be calculated using various factors, such as:
- The number of websites that are currently ranking for the keyword.
- The quality and authority of the websites that are currently ranking.
- The relevance of the content on the websites that are currently ranking.
- The number and quality of backlinks pointing to the websites that are currently ranking.
- The level of engagement on the websites that are currently ranking.
Keyword difficulty scores can be measured on a scale, with a score of 1 indicating that the keyword is very easy to rank for and a score of 100 indicating that the keyword is extremely difficult to rank for.
Understanding the keyword difficulty can help website owners and marketers identify keywords worth targeting and plan their SEO strategies accordingly. For example, suppose a keyword has a high difficulty score. Focusing on long-tail keywords with lower competition may be more beneficial than creating high-quality content that addresses the user’s intent and can attract backlinks.
Keyword difficulty is not the only factor to consider when choosing keywords, other factors such as the search volume, CPC, and the relevance of the keywords should also be considered. Additionally, the keyword difficulty is always changing, so monitoring and adapting the SEO strategy regularly is important.
Also, See: Keyword Golden Ratio (KGR)