Keyword Difficulty

Definition

An estimate of how hard it would be to rank on the first page for a given query, based on the strength of competing pages.

Keyword difficulty is a modelled score, usually 0–100, that reflects how authoritative and well-optimised the current top results are for a query. It helps prioritise effort by flagging where a site can realistically compete versus where the incumbents are too strong to displace quickly. Difficulty is only ever an estimate - it varies by tool and does not account for your own site's relevance, so it should be weighed against intent match and business value rather than treated as a hard rule.