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- Keyword difficulty
Know the fight before you pick it.
Every keyword in Keyword Explorer gets a difficulty score out of 100. Put it next to volume and the live results page, and a quick win stands out from a six-month project. Spend your writing time where it can pay off.
The volume looked great. The results page disagreed.
Six months later, still on page three
The keyword had the volume. It also had the toughest results page in the market.
A new product line needs its first rankings
Everything worth ranking for looks out of reach on day one.
The easy keyword that wasn't
The number looked low. The results page was all established brands.
Score, compare, then choose.
Research a keyword or topic
Difficulty appears on every keyword, out of 100.
Put it next to volume
Low difficulty with decent volume is where the wins are.
Search volume →A score you can use, and the context around it.
One scale for every keyword.
Difficulty is scored from 0 to 100. The higher the score, the harder the keyword is to rank for.
- A score and a barEasy to scan down a long table.
- Colour-codedGreen, amber and red on the topical map.
- Everywhere you lookIn the keyword table, the drill-down and the topic header.
Find the wins in the middle.
Difficulty on its own tells half the story. Put it against volume and your list sorts itself into four groups.
- Quick winsLow difficulty, decent volume. Start here.
- Long playsHigh difficulty, high volume. Worth it with time and links.
- Easy extrasLow difficulty, low volume. Good for supporting pages.
- Probably skipHigh difficulty, low volume.
KD 79 · 9,900
KD 19 · 720
KD 71 · 90
KD 14 · 110
Two views of how contested it is.
Alongside difficulty, a competition index shows how contested a keyword is among advertisers. Keywords that are hard in both places are usually the valuable ones.
- A separate measureCompetition index sits beside difficulty, not in place of it.
- A 'why it matters' lineEach keyword in the table carries a short note on the opportunity.
| Keyword | KD | Comp. | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|---|
| agency billing software | 41 | High | Buyers comparing tools |
| retainer invoice template | 19 | Low | Fast to rank, feeds sign-ups |
| invoicing software for agencies | 48 | High | Core product term |
A number alone, or a number in context.
A difficulty score on its own can mislead. Keyword Explorer puts it beside volume, intent and the live results page, so you can see why a keyword is hard.
A number from a list, with no view of who ranks or what the searcher wants. It looks precise and often misleads.
Difficulty out of 100 beside volume, intent, competition index and the live results page with its AI Overview.
Difficulty works best alongside these.
How does SEORCE score keyword difficulty?
SEORCE Keyword Explorer scores every keyword's difficulty out of 100: the higher the score, the harder it is to rank. Difficulty appears as a score and bar in the keyword table, as coloured dots on the topical map, and in each keyword's drill-down. A separate competition index shows advertiser competition, and SERP analysis shows who ranks so you can check the score against reality.
Key facts
- Keyword difficulty is scored out of 100
- Difficulty appears in the keyword table, drill-down and topic header
- The topical map shows difficulty as green, amber or red dots
- A separate competition index shows advertiser competition
- Each keyword carries a short 'why it matters' note
- SERP analysis shows who ranks, to confirm the score
Last reviewed 15 October 2026 by the SEORCE team.
Difficulty, answered.
0 to 100. The higher the score, the harder the keyword is to rank for.
That comes down to your site. Newer sites usually do better starting with lower scores and building up. Compare difficulty with volume and check who ranks before deciding.
Difficulty is about ranking in organic results. Competition index shows how contested the keyword is among advertisers. They often move together, but not always.
As the first of two dots on each topic. Green is low, amber is medium and red is high.
No. A low score means the keyword should be easier. Your content, your site and what already ranks still decide it.
Pick keywords you can win.
Add your site and see difficulty, volume and the results page for your next topic.
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