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How-to guide · 4 steps

How to Find Keyword Difficulty (And What the Score Actually Means)

Keyword difficulty scores are everywhere — but they're often misunderstood. A KD of 45 doesn't mean 'impossible', and a KD of 10 doesn't mean 'easy win'. The score tells you about the competition, not about your chances. Here's how to actually use difficulty scores to make better keyword decisions.

A difficulty score vs looking at the results yourself

Tool difficulty score

  • Quick filter across thousands of terms
  • Mostly based on links to ranking pages
  • Scales differ between tools
  • Ignores how well pages match intent

Manual results check

  • Slow, so use it on a shortlist
  • Shows forums or thin pages ranking
  • Reveals intent and format
  • Compares rivals to your own site
Use the score to shortlist and the manual check to decide; the two answer different questions.

  1. Step 1: Pull keyword difficulty data from your tool

    Enter your target keyword in the Keyword Explorer or equivalent. Every major SEO tool provides a difficulty score — usually on a 0-100 scale. Note that each tool calculates it differently, so compare scores within the same tool, not between tools.

    Tool for this stepMangools

    from $49/mo

    KWFinder's difficulty score is colour-coded and shown next to a SERP overview with link metrics for the ranking pages, which makes the score easier to act on.

    Mangools plans and catches

    Alternative to consider: Ubersuggest (price not verified)

  2. Step 2: Cross-reference the SERP manually

    The most reliable way to assess difficulty is to look at the actual SERP. Are the top results from DA 70+ sites with thousands of backlinks? Or do you see forums, small blogs, or sites weaker than yours? The SERP always beats the score.

    Tool for this stepLowFruits

    from $29.90/mo

    LowFruits automates SERP weakness detection: it scans SERPs in bulk and flags keywords where weak pages rank. It removes the manual SERP-checking bottleneck.

    LowFruits plans and catches

    Alternative to consider: Mangools (from $49/mo)

  3. Step 3: Compare your domain strength to what's ranking

    Check your own Domain Rating or Domain Authority and compare it to the average DR of the top 10 results for your keyword. If the top 10 average DR is 60 and yours is 20, you'll need exceptional content and links to compete. If the average is 25 and yours is 20, you have a real shot.

    Tool for this stepAhrefs

    from £23/mo

    Ahrefs' Keywords Explorer shows a SERP overview with the DR of each ranking page next to the keyword's difficulty score. Moz's Keyword Explorer offers a similar view using Domain Authority.

    Ahrefs plans and catches

    Alternative to consider: Moz Pro (from $99/mo)

  4. Step 4: Use difficulty filters to build a winnable keyword list

    Set difficulty thresholds based on your domain strength: DR 0-20: target KD 0-15. DR 20-40: target KD 0-25. DR 40-60: target KD 0-40. These are rough guidelines — always validate with the SERP. Build a filtered list and prioritise the highest volume opportunities within your range.

    Tool for this stepSemrush

    from $139/mo

    Semrush's Keyword Magic Tool lets you set exact KD ranges as filters, narrowing a large keyword list to the ones that are realistic targets for your site right now.

    Semrush plans and catches

    Alternative to consider: KeySearch (from $24/mo)