How to Calculate Keyword Difficulty for the SEO Benefit (Without Overcomplicating It!)

But not every keyword is a walk in the park—some are way tougher to rank for than others. That’s where keyword difficulty comes in. It helps businesses and marketers figure out which keywords are worth the effort.

Keyword difficulty (KD) measures how challenging it is to rank for a keyword on search engines. It depends on competition, domain authority, backlink profiles, and search intent. 

Knowing how to calculate keyword difficulty for the SEO benefit means businesses can focus on the right keywords, create optimized content, and get the best results from their SEO efforts.

Want to make smarter keyword choices? GetFound is here to help! We’ll walk you through the key metrics, tools, and strategies so you can make data-driven decisions that actually move the needle.

1. Understanding Keyword Difficulty in SEO

Before diving into how to calculate keyword difficulty for the SEO benefit, it’s essential to understand what keyword difficulty means.

Keyword difficulty is measured on a scale from 0 to 100, where:

• Low Difficulty (0-30)

Easier to rank for, usually long-tail or niche-specific keywords.

• Medium Difficulty (31-70)

Moderately competitive; requires high-quality content and optimization.

• High Difficulty (71-100)

Very competitive; requires strong domain authority, backlinks, and strategic SEO efforts.

By understanding these levels, businesses can choose keywords that match their website’s authority and resources, ensuring higher chances of ranking.

2. Key Factors That Influence Keyword Difficulty

To effectively determine how to calculate keyword difficulty for the SEO benefit, you need to analyze multiple SEO factors. 

These include:

A. Competition Level

• Keywords with many high-ranking competitors have a higher difficulty score.
• If the first page of Google is dominated by well-established websites, ranking will be harder.

B. Domain Authority (DA) and Page Authority (PA)

• Websites with high DA and PA have an easier time ranking for competitive keywords.
• Tools like Moz, Ahrefs, and SEMrush provide DA and PA scores to evaluate competitiveness.

C. Backlink Profile

• The number and quality of backlinks pointing to the top-ranking pages impact difficulty.
• Keywords requiring strong backlink profiles will have a higher KD score.

D. Search Intent

• Google prioritizes content that matches user intent (Informational, Navigational, Transactional).
• If ranking pages contain in-depth content, videos, or product pages, it indicates high competition.

Understanding these factors will help you effectively determine how to calculate keyword difficulty for the SEO benefit and choose the best-ranking opportunities.

3. Using SEO Tools to Calculate Keyword Difficulty

The most efficient way to learn how to calculate keyword difficulty for the SEO benefit is by using SEO tools. These tools provide data-driven insights that help measure keyword difficulty accurately.

A. Ahrefs Keyword Difficulty Score

• This tool assigns a KD score ranging from 0 to 100, primarily based on the number of backlinks needed to rank within the top 10 results. The higher the score, the more backlinks are required for a strong ranking.

B. SEMrush Keyword Difficulty Score

• Through SEMrush, keyword difficulty is measured by considering ranking competition, page authority, and the strength of top-ranking websites. It presents a percentage-based KD score, where higher percentages indicate tougher competition.

C. Moz Keyword Difficulty Tool

• By analyzing domain authority, page authority, and backlink profiles, Moz determines how difficult it is to rank for a given keyword. This tool is useful for identifying less competitive keywords that offer a better chance of ranking.

D. Google Keyword Planner

• Unlike other tools, Google’s Keyword Planner categorizes keyword competition as Low, Medium, or High instead of assigning a numerical KD score. While designed for paid ads, it still provides insights into organic search competition.

By leveraging these tools, you can efficiently determine how to calculate keyword difficulty for the SEO benefit and select the most effective keywords for your content strategy.

Also Read: 5 Simple Ways to Easily Identify Navigational Queries

4. Step-by-Step Process to Calculate Keyword Difficulty

Now that we understand the factors and tools, let’s break down how to calculate keyword difficulty for the SEO benefit step by step.

Step 1: Generate a List of Target Keywords

• Use Google Keyword Planner, Ahrefs, or SEMrush to find relevant keywords.
• Focus on long-tail and niche-specific keywords for easier ranking.

Step 2: Analyze the Competition on Google’s First Page

• Manually check the first 10 search results for your target keyword.
• Assess whether top-ranking pages belong to high-authority domains (DA 70+).
• If results include low DA sites (DA 20-40), the keyword may be easier to rank for.

Step 3: Check Domain and Page Authority of Competitors

• Use Moz DA/PA Checker to analyze the authority of top-ranking sites.
• If the first page is dominated by high DA sites, the keyword will be more difficult.

Step 4: Analyze Backlink Requirements

• Use Ahrefs or SEMrush to check the backlink count of top-ranking pages.
• If top results have 500+ backlinks, you will need a strong link-building strategy to compete.

Step 5: Evaluate Content Quality & Search Intent

• Identify the type of content ranking (guides, blogs, videos, e-commerce pages).
• Ensure your content aligns with search intent (Informational, Transactional, Navigational).

Step 6: Use SEO Tools to Get KD Scores

• Run your keyword through Ahrefs, SEMrush, or Moz to get an exact KD score.
• Prioritize low to medium KD keywords if your website lacks strong authority.

By following this method, businesses can accurately determine how to calculate keyword difficulty for the SEO benefit and optimize their keyword strategy effectively.

5. Optimizing Your SEO Strategy Based on Keyword Difficulty

Once you’ve mastered how to calculate keyword difficulty for the SEO benefit, the next step is implementing your findings into an SEO strategy.

A. Prioritize Low to Medium Difficulty Keywords

• New websites should target low-KD keywords to gain traction.
• As domain authority grows, shift to medium-KD keywords for greater traffic.

B. Balance Keyword Difficulty for Long-Term Growth

• Use a mix of low, medium, and high-KD keywords to diversify traffic sources.
• Example: Target “best budget laptops” (low KD) before attempting “best laptops” (high KD).

C. Strengthen Backlink Profiles for Competitive Keywords

• Build high-quality backlinks to compete for high-KD keywords.
• Focus on guest posts, outreach, and authoritative references.

D. Continuously Monitor & Update Keyword Strategy

• SEO trends change, so monitor rankings and adjust keyword difficulty targets regularly.
• Use Google Search Console and Ahrefs to track keyword performance.

By applying these techniques, businesses can maximize their ranking potential and achieve SEO success.

Need Help Navigating SEO? GetFound’s Here to Guide You!

How to calculate keyword difficulty for the SEO benefit? It all comes down to analyzing competition, domain authority, backlinks, and search intent with tools like Ahrefs, SEMrush, and Moz. 

Understanding keyword difficulty helps businesses choose realistic targets, fine-tune their content strategy, and make the most of their SEO efforts. Focusing on the right keywords means better rankings, smarter resource allocation, and a solid backlink approach for those tougher-to-rank terms. 

In the long run, this strategy leads to more organic traffic, higher visibility, and lasting success in search results.

Struggling with SEO or digital marketing? You can count on GetFound! Let us handle the heavy lifting while you watch your business climb the ranks.