Keyword difficulty is a metric used to evaluate how difficult it will be to rank for a particular keyword in search engine results pages (SERPs). It’s influenced by various factors, such as the number of websites competing for that keyword, the authority of those websites, and the content relevance and quality of those websites. Generally, higher search volume and more popular keywords have higher difficulty scores because they are more competitive.
To better understand keyword difficulty, you can use a keyword research tool that provides difficulty metrics for specific keywords. Some popular keyword research tools that provide difficulty scores include Ahrefs, SEMrush, and Moz. These tools typically calculate keyword difficulty on a scale of 0-100, with higher scores indicating more incredible difficulty.
Keyword difficulty is one factor to consider when choosing which keywords to target for your website’s SEO. It is important to focus on the search volume of the keywords, as well as the competition in the industry and target audience.
Estimated Keyword Difficulty Scores for the Initial List of Keywords
Please note that these keyword difficulty scores are based on an estimate and can vary depending on the location and search engine used. Keyword difficulty scores can also change over time as the search landscape evolves.
How to Measure Keyword Difficulty Scores for the List of Keywords?
Keyword difficulty scores are typically calculated using a combination of factors such as the number of backlinks pointing to the top-ranking pages for the keyword, the quality of those backlinks, the content quality, and other factors that search engines consider when ranking pages. Each keyword research tool has its algorithm for calculating keyword difficulty scores. Here are some of the common factors that are taken into account when measuring keyword difficulty:
- Domain Authority (DA) of the ranking websites – The higher the DA of the websites ranking for the keyword, the more difficult it is to outrank them.
- Page Authority (PA) of the ranking pages – The higher the PA of the pages that are ranking for the keyword, the more difficult it is to outrank them.
- Number of backlinks to the ranking pages – The more backlinks a ranking page has, the more difficult it is to outrank them.
- Quality of backlinks – Backlinks from high-quality, authoritative websites are more valuable than those from low-quality websites.
- Content quality – Pages with high-quality, informative content are more likely to rank well in search results.
- On-page optimization – Pages that are well-optimized for the target keyword are more likely to rank well in search results.
Different keyword research tools may use other formulas and algorithms to calculate keyword difficulty scores. For example, Ahrefs uses a scale of 0 to 100 to measure keyword difficulty based on the above factors. In contrast, Moz uses a scale of 0 to 100 and considers additional factors such as click-through rate (CTR) and on-page optimization. SEMrush also uses a scale of 0 to 100 and factors in the keyword’s search volume.
The formula for measuring keyword difficulty scores depends on the specific keyword research tool. Each tool uses a unique algorithm considering various factors such as domain authority, page authority, backlinks, content quality, and on-page optimization.
The Effectivity of Keyword Difficulty (KD) as a metric for quality SERPs
One of the main arguments against relying solely on KD as a metric for quality SERPs is that it does not consider the search query’s relevance and intent. A keyword may have a low KD score, but if the results are not relevant to the user’s search query, then the quality of the SERP is low. On the other hand, a keyword with a high KD score may have highly relevant results that satisfy the user’s intent, resulting in a high-quality SERP.
Another factor that impacts the quality of SERPs is user experience. Search engines are focused on providing users with the best possible experience, and this includes factors such as page speed, mobile-friendliness, and accessibility. A website optimized for these factors is more likely to rank well in search results and provide a better user experience, resulting in a higher-quality SERP.
In addition, the diversity of search results is also a significant factor in determining the quality of a SERP. A high-quality SERP should include a mix of different types of results, such as videos, images, and featured snippets, providing users with various options.
While KD is a helpful metric for evaluating the competitiveness of a keyword, it should not be the sole factor used to determine the quality of a SERP. Relevance, user experience, and diversity of results are also important factors to consider. By taking a holistic approach to SEO and focusing on creating high-quality content that satisfies user intent, SEOs can achieve better results in search rankings and provide users with a high-quality SERP experience.
