Keyword Difficulty Checker: How to Analyze SERP Competition

Keyword difficulty checkers are essential for SEO. But to find keywords that deliver real results from organic search, you need more than a simple score.

This guide will show you how to choose the right keywords for your business.

Understanding Keyword Difficulty

Keyword difficulty scores indicate how hard it is to rank on the first page of Google for a specific keyword.

They’re useful for getting a general sense of keyword competitiveness during keyword research. But they don’t provide a complete picture.

For example, a keyword with a low difficulty score might still be very challenging to rank if:

• You have a new or small website. It'll be tough to compete with top-ranking pages from large, authoritative websites.
• Competition is high. High-volume keywords are likely to have more competition in search results.
• The Search Engine Results Page (SERP) has extra features. Lots of ads or special features on the search results page (SERP) can push organic results further down.

What Do Keyword Difficulty Scores Mean?

Keyword difficulty is measured as a percentage (shortened to KD%):

• Above 70%: Higher keyword difficulty scores indicate highly competitive keywords that will be hard to rank for.
• Under 30%: Lower scores represent less competitive terms that are easier to target.

When sorting lists of keywords, prioritize the ones that balance low difficulty with medium to high search volume.

How Is Keyword Difficulty Calculated?

Semrush is an SEO tool that calculates keyword difficulty by analyzing several factors:

• Domain authority: Websites with a high domain authority indicate greater competition.
• Backlinks: Pages with high-quality backlinks are considered to have more authority, making it tougher to outrank them.
• SERP features: The presence of featured snippets, local packs, videos, and People Also Ask boxes can make it harder to rank.

How to Get Keyword Difficulty

Here’s how to use the Semrush keyword difficulty tool:

• In the Semrush dashboard, select "Keyword Overview."
• Type the keyword(s) you want to analyze.
• Select the target location from the dropdown menu.

After clicking "Search," you’ll see the Keyword Difficulty (KD%) score.

For multiple keywords, switch to the “Bulk Analysis” tab. You can enter additional terms and compare KD% scores side by side​​​.

Why a Single Score Isn't Enough

Focusing on a single difficulty score often leads to overlooking valuable opportunities.

Consider these additional metrics as well:

Search Volume

A low difficulty score is less meaningful if the keyword has minimal search volume.

To check search volume in Semrush:

• Select "Keyword Overview."
• Type in the keyword you want to analyze
• Select the target location.
• Click "Search" to see the average monthly search volume displayed for the keyword.

This estimates how often it is searched within the selected location.

For niche industries, a low search volume may be valuable. For larger markets, you may need to prioritize medium to high-volume keywords for broader reach.

SERP Features

Pay attention to SERP features that appear for your target keywords. These elements can include:

• Featured snippets
• Image, video, or social media carousels
• Local packs
• Other features that Google rolls out over time

SERP features can open up more opportunities to get traffic, beyond basic organic results.

To find SERP feature opportunities in the Semrush dashboard:

• Go to "Keyword Overview."
• Type the keyword you want to analyze.
• Click "Search."

In the results, locate the "SERP Features" section.

Detailed Semrush SERP analysis shows the types of features appearing in Google’s results for that keyword.

Use these insights to identify which features are available for your keyword and consider optimizing your content to target them.

Competitor Analysis

Take a close look at the websites that currently rank for your target keywords.

Evaluate their domain authority, backlink profiles, and content quality. This gives you a realistic idea of what you’re up against.

In Semrush:

• Go to "Domain Overview."
• Enter the competitor’s domain.

In the report, scroll to the "Top Organic Keywords" section to your competitor’s ranking keywords.

Click "View details" to see more metrics, including the keyword difficulty metric. This will show your competitors’ ranking keywords that you might be able to rank for, as well.

Use filters to narrow down keywords by position, volume, or difficulty. Note down any terms you can target in your own strategy.

For more information, see our complete guide to competitive analysis.

Level Up With Personalized Keyword Difficulty

Generic difficulty scores are helpful. But personalized data can provide a much clearer picture of ranking potential.

The Semrush personal keyword difficulty (PKD) score is an AI-powered SEO tool that factors in your website’s domain when it crunches the numbers.

It considers:

• Domain Relevance: The topical authority of your site compared to your target keyword.
• Competitive Benchmarking: Key metrics for both your domain and your competitors.
• Ranking Potential: Your potential position on the SERP, as well as your current ranking.

To check your own site’s PKD:

• Go to the "Keyword Overview" tool.
• Type the keyword you want to analyze.
• Enter your website’s domain name.
• Click "Search."

Semrush will calculate a Personal Keyword Difficulty score (PKD%) specific to your domain. The PKD% indicates how challenging it would be for your website to rank for that keyword.

These personalized insights allow you to develop keyword lists that align with your existing topical authority and rankings.

Unlock Keyword Difficulty Insights Today

For a powerful competitive edge and data-driven strategy, Semrush is the ultimate tool for navigating keyword difficulty. Drive higher rankings and meaningful traffic with a better understanding of which keywords to target.

Try Semrush today and start optimizing with the best in the industry.