SEO Glossary · Content & Keywords

What Is Keyword Difficulty?

Keyword difficulty (KD) is a score, usually 0-100, that estimates how hard it would be to rank in the top organic results for a given keyword. It is based largely on the authority and backlinks of the pages currently ranking.

How to use keyword difficulty

Match keyword difficulty to your site's authority. A new or low-authority site should target low-KD terms (often under 20) to win rankings quickly, then move up as it gains backlinks. KD is an estimate, not a guarantee - always sense-check the actual SERP and consider search intent and your content quality.

Pro tip
KD ignores content quality and intent. A "hard" keyword can be winnable if the ranking pages are thin, weak, or off-intent - inspect the SERP yourself.
Key takeaways
KD estimates how hard it is to rank in the top results (0-100).
It is based mainly on the backlinks of currently ranking pages.
New sites should target KD under ~20 and work up.
It is an estimate - always sanity-check the live SERP.

Put it into practice with Soro

Understanding keyword difficulty is one thing - applying it across every page is another. Soro automates SEO content end to end, researching keywords and publishing optimised articles so your site ranks on Google and gets cited by AI. See how Soro works.

Frequently asked questions

What is a good keyword difficulty to target?

It depends on your domain authority. New sites should focus on KD under about 20; established sites can pursue higher. Always compare to the sites already ranking.

Is keyword difficulty accurate?

It is a useful estimate based mainly on backlinks, but it does not capture content quality or intent. Treat it as a guide, not gospel.

Keep learning

Keyword ResearchKeyword research is the process of discovering and analysing the search terms people enter into search engines, so you can create content that targets real demand.Domain AuthorityDomain authority is a third-party metric (Moz's DA, and Ahrefs' equivalent Domain Rating or DR) that predicts how well a website can rank, on a 0-100 logarithmic scale based largely on its backlink profile.BacklinkA backlink is a hyperlink from another website that points to a page on your site.SERPA SERP (Search Engine Results Page) is the page a search engine displays in response to a query.
Browse the full SEO glossary