What Is Keyword Difficulty? How to get Best High Difficulty Blog Topics 2023

What are the other ways to understand how difficult it is to rank for a keyword besides studying KD%? How can I find out who my SEO competitors are? Lets us learn Keyword difficulty, Search Intent, Backlink profiles, quality content and highly difficult blogging topics. 

What is Keyword difficulty? 

Understanding how difficult it is to rank for a specific keyword is crucial for search engine optimization (SEO) efforts, and this is where the keyword difficulty metric comes in handy. 

The keyword difficulty metric measures the difficulty level of ranking in Google’s top 10 organic search results for a particular keyword, expressed as a percentage from 0 to 100. The higher the score, the more challenging it is to rank for that keyword.

In this article, we will explore the importance of understanding keyword difficulty, how to determine the difficulty level of a keyword, and how to find the keyword difficulty score of any keyword. 

Why getting key words is good for content research?

Keyword difficulty score can help you make informed decisions during the content planning and keyword research process of your SEO efforts.

Targeting only difficult keywords may lead to a waste of time and resources without yielding any results while targeting only easy keywords can cause you to miss out on more valuable traffic and conversions. 

Therefore, the keyword difficulty score helps you find the balance between super-competitive keywords that are out of reach and low-competition keywords that do not receive any searches.

In a nutshell, understanding keyword difficulty scores helps you select the right keywords for your site, those that bring a significant amount of organic traffic without requiring too much effort.

Keyword research tools or Keyword analysis tools

Understanding the difficulty level of ranking for a particular keyword is crucial for any SEO campaign. 

There are several factors to consider that determine the keyword difficulty, including the quality of the content, the search intent behind the keyword, your backlink profile, and your competitors. 

Best keyword difficulty tool

Platforms like Semrush, Google Keyword Planner, Wordstream, KWfinder and Ahrefs calculate keyword difficulty by analyzing various factors, such as the search engine results page (SERP), the number of referring domains to the URLs, the ratio of “dofollow”/“nofollow” links, and the Authority Score of the URLs. 

What is Domain Authority Score on Google and how to calculate keyword difficulty? 

Authority Score is a proprietary compound metric that grades the overall quality and SEO performance of a website or webpage. 

Apart from the KD%, other ways to evaluate the difficulty of ranking for a specific keyword include analyzing your competitors, content quality, and search intent. 

Knowing who is competing for a particular keyword can help you determine whether you can compete against their Authority Scores and content, which requires conducting an SEO competitive analysis.

How to look up keywords on competitors using Semrush

To identify your competition for a specific keyword, follow these steps. First, open Keyword Overview and enter your keyword. 

Then, click “Search” and scroll down to the “SERP Analysis” section. This will show you who’s ranking in the top 10 results for that keyword, along with their Authority Score (AS), referring domains, backlinks, and other metrics. 

To find out who your SEO competitors are, use Market Explorer. Open the tool and select “Find Competitors.” 

Enter your domain and click “Research a market.” Scroll down to the “Domain vs. Market Dynamics” section and select “Organic Search” to see your top market competitors in terms of organic search traffic. 

This will give you a better idea of who to watch out for, and you can benchmark your site against overall market trends. 

To study a competitor more in-depth, run their domain through Domain Overview. 

This will allow you to view their organic search traffic, backlinks, and Authority Score. This information will help you determine how they’re performing and whether you can realistically compete. 

How do you find out what keywords a competitor is using on AHREFS

If your website is new and not yielding good results, you can try the following steps to improve your performance:

1. Use Ahrefs’ Keywords Explorer to find the relevant keywords that potential customers might use to search for your product or service.

2. Check the Traffic share by domain to analyze how your competitors are getting traffic.

3. Analyze your competitor’s website architecture to understand where most of their search traffic is going.

    – Use Ahrefs’ Site Explorer to enter your competitor’s domain and go to the Site structure report.

4. Identify and cover your competitor’s content gaps. 

    – Use Ahrefs’ Competitive Analysis tool to enter your domain and your competitors’ domains and click the Content Gap report.

5. Look for featured snippets that your competitors own but you rank within the top 10, and potentially “steal” these featured snippets.

    – Use Ahrefs’ Competitive Analysis tool to enter a competitor’s domain in the Target section and your domain in the Competitors section. Set the SERP features a filter to “Where target ranks” and check “Featured snippet”. Set Target’s position from “No” to “Any”.

6. Check where your competitors are getting their traffic from to understand if you can get more traffic by translating or creating your content in other languages. 

    – Use Ahrefs’ Site Explorer to enter your competitor’s domain and look at the Traffic by Country section.

Why do you require good content quality? 

Creating quality content is essential to ranking higher on Google. Quality content is relevant, trustworthy, and helpful to your audience. 

Google’s algorithm is designed to serve this type of content at the top of the SERPs. To ensure your content is of high quality, use the SEO Writing Assistant on Semrush, Grammarly or any writing and standard plagiarism tools to make sure you have top-notch writing.

These tools will scan your text as you write and provide recommendations regarding readability, keyword usage, tone of voice, and originality. 

You can work directly on the platform or use Google Docs, Grammarly, WordPress, or Microsoft Word plugins. 

Simply start writing, when using Semrush or Grammarly, add your target keywords, and click on “Get recommendations.” 

Pay close attention to the SEO recommendations, as implementing those changes will give you a greater chance of ranking for your target keyword. 

Keyword difficulty explained: What is Keyword Search Intent or Keyword Intent?

Search intent, or keyword intent, is the reason why someone types a query into a search engine. 

Satisfying intent is crucial for ranking higher on Google. There are four different types of keyword intent: informational, commercial, transactional, and navigational. 

You can easily find a keyword’s search intent with Keyword Overview. Just add the keyword, click “Search,” and you’ll see its intent in the dashboard in Semrush. The same can be done when using Wordstream or Keyword.io. 

 If you align your content with the intent behind the keywords you’re targeting, it’ll be easier to rank – regardless of the keyword’s difficulty.

How do search engines like Google use Backlink profiles?

Understanding the significance of backlinks is crucial in the world of SEO. As per Google’s algorithm, web pages with a high-quality backlink profile are given priority. 

Quality backlinks are those that come from trustworthy sources and indicate that your content is reliable and authoritative. This, in turn, boosts your site’s authority and helps it rank higher in search engine results.

However, if your competitors already have an established backlink profile, it can get challenging for your site to rank. 

But, you can leverage backlinks to your advantage by creating a link-building strategy that focuses on acquiring high-quality backlinks. This would help your pages rank higher.

How to do backlinks and how to create a good backlink profile

There are several popular link-building strategies to choose from, such as email outreach, broken link building, and unlinked brand mentions. 

To evaluate any website’s authority objectively, you can use Backlink Analytics on Semrush or Ahrefs. 

Simply enter your domain and click “Analyze” to get an “Authority Score” widget in the dashboard. You can also add up to four competitors to see how your authority compares.

If you want to check the difficulty level of a keyword, you can use a keyword difficulty tool like Keyword Overview on Semrush and Ahrefs.

Semscoop offers the best view on Keyword difficulty and can take a short time to turn around your backlink profile.

Just type in your keyword and the score will be displayed in the dashboard. Additionally, the Keyword Magic Tool also displays each keyword’s difficulty score in the “KD %” column during keyword research.

How to check keyword difficulty? What is a good keyword difficulty?

And this is what the scores mean in Ahrefs, Semscoop and Semrush:

 When it comes to targeting keywords for search engine optimization, it’s important to understand the level of effort required to rank for them. Here’s a breakdown of the different difficulty levels and what you can expect:

1. Very easy (0-14): These keywords require the least amount of effort to rank for. However, it’s important to double-check the search volume before deciding to target them, as it can be quite low. If the search volume is sufficient, targeting these keywords can be a good way to quickly improve your search rankings.

2. Easy (15-29): These keywords are still relatively easy targets, even if your domain is new. However, you’ll need to produce high-quality, relevant content to rank for them. This means taking the time to research and understand your audience and creating content that is both useful and engaging.

3. Possible (30-49): To rank for these keywords, you’ll need to create content that is high-quality, helpful, useful, structured, and well-optimized. This requires a deeper understanding of your target audience and the topics they’re interested in, as well as a strong grasp of SEO best practices.

4. Difficult (50-69): In addition to producing quality, well-structured, and optimized content, you’ll also need several high-quality backlinks. This means reaching out to other websites and building relationships to earn links back to your site.

5. Hard (70-84): If you want to win these keywords, you’ll need to put in much effort. This means creating content that is truly exceptional and building high-quality backlinks from authoritative websites. You may also need to invest in paid advertising or other promotional tactics to get your content in front of your target audience.

6. Very hard (85-100): These are the absolute hardest keywords to compete for. In addition to focusing on high-quality content and link building, you’ll need to put a lot of time and effort into on-page SEO tactics and content promotion. This requires a deep understanding of search engine algorithms and the ability to create content that is truly exceptional and stands out from the competition. It may take months or even years to rank for these keywords, but if you can do it, the rewards can be significant.

How to determine a good low keyword difficulty score

To determine a good keyword difficulty score, you need to consider your site’s Authority Score and compare it to your competitors’ organic traffic, backlinks, and referring domains. 

If your site has a high Authority Score, you can target difficult keywords. 

However, if you’re running a new site, it’s best to start with easier keywords to build your authority over time. 

You can balance low and high-difficulty keywords by building topic clusters, targeting broader terms with higher difficulty scores on your pillar pages and using lower difficulty scores for your cluster content. 

What are Long-Tail Keywords and Is High keyword Difficulty good or bad?

Long-tail keywords are another option to consider as they have lower competition and tend to have higher conversion rates. 

Use the “KD %” filter in the Keyword Magic Tool and select the range you want to see to analyze which keywords to target. 

If you’re starting a new website, focus on “Very Easy” and “Easy” KD% scores. 

Clicking on “Questions” is also useful for finding easy-to-rank-for keywords with informational intent. Remember that SEO is a long-term game and ranking for difficult keywords may take time.

Low difficulty Keywords on High Difficulty Blog Topics 2023

Keywords go hand in hand with the topics selected in a given Niche. Topics help in getting the right keywords hence being able to rank well on SERPS.

Starting a blog can be an exciting venture, but coming up with fresh and new blog ideas can be a challenge. 

Especially for beginners who want to start blogging without any previous experience. Let’s also look at how to discover the most challenging subjects to write about. Get expert tips and advice to conquer tough blogging topics.

Why Choose High-Difficulty Blog Topics?

Choosing high-difficulty blog topics can be a great way to stand out in the crowded blogosphere. These topics often require a deep level of knowledge and expertise, which can help you establish yourself as an authority in your niche. 

Additionally, high-difficulty blog topics tend to have less competition, which means you have a higher chance of ranking well in search engine results.

How to Choose the Right High-Difficulty Blog Topic

When choosing a high-difficulty blog topic, it’s important to consider your interests, knowledge, and skills. Select a topic that you are passionate about and have a deep understanding of. 

This will make it easier for you to create high-quality content and engage with your audience. Additionally, consider the potential profitability of your chosen topic. Some high-difficulty blog topics may have more monetization opportunities than others.

List of High Difficulty Blog Topics for 2023

1. Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare: Explore the latest advancements in artificial intelligence and how they are revolutionizing the healthcare industry.
2. Quantum Computing: Dive into the complex world of quantum computing and its potential applications in various fields.
3. Blockchain Technology: Discuss the fundamentals of blockchain technology and its impact on industries such as finance, supply chain management, and cybersecurity.
4. Space Exploration: Cover the latest developments in space exploration, including missions to Mars, the search for extraterrestrial life, and the future of space travel.
5. Renewable Energy: Explore different forms of renewable energy, such as solar, wind, and hydroelectric power, and their role in combating climate change.
6. Genetic Engineering: Discuss the ethical implications and potential benefits of genetic engineering in fields such as agriculture, medicine, and conservation.
7. Cryptocurrency Investing: Provide tips and insights on investing in cryptocurrencies, including how to navigate the volatile market and identify promising projects.
8. Sustainable Fashion: Highlight sustainable fashion brands and discuss the environmental and social impact of the fashion industry.
9. Cybersecurity: Educate readers on the latest cybersecurity threats, best practices for protecting personal data, and the role of cybersecurity in the digital age.
10. Biotechnology: Explore the latest advancements in biotechnology, including gene editing, personalized medicine, and tissue engineering.
11. Augmented Reality: Discuss the applications of augmented reality in industries such as gaming, education, and healthcare.
12. Data Privacy: Provide tips and strategies for protecting personal data online and navigating the complex landscape of data privacy laws.
13. Neurobiology: Dive into the intricacies of the human brain and explore topics such as consciousness, memory, and mental health.
14. Machine Learning: Explain the basics of machine learning and its applications in fields such as finance, healthcare, and marketing.
15. Robotics: Explore the world of robotics and discuss the latest advancements in humanoid robots, autonomous vehicles, and industrial automation.
16. Quantum Mechanics: Break down the complex principles of quantum mechanics and explore their implications for technology and our understanding of the universe.
17. Virtual Reality Gaming: Discuss the latest virtual reality gaming trends, technologies, and experiences.
18. Nanotechnology: Explore the world of nanotechnology and its potential applications in medicine, electronics, and energy.
19. Climate Change Policy: Analyze climate change policies and discuss strategies for mitigating the effects of global warming.
20. Digital Marketing Analytics: Provide insights and strategies for leveraging data analytics in digital marketing campaigns.
21. Biomedical Engineering: Discuss the intersection of engineering and healthcare and explore advancements in medical devices and prosthetics.
22. Sustainable Agriculture: Explore sustainable farming practices and discuss the role of agriculture in addressing climate change and food security.
23. Quantum Biology: Explore the emerging field of quantum biology and its potential implications for understanding complex biological systems.
24. Clean Energy Technologies: Highlight innovative clean energy technologies and discuss their potential to transform the energy sector.
25. Renewable Materials: Discuss the development and applications of renewable materials, such as bioplastics and sustainable building materials.
26. Precision Medicine: Explore the concept of precision medicine and its potential to revolutionize healthcare by tailoring treatments to individual patients.
27. Deep Learning: Explain the principles of deep learning and its applications in fields such as image recognition, natural language processing, and autonomous vehicles.
28. Cognitive Science: Dive into the study of the mind and explore topics such as perception, attention, memory, and decision-making.
29. Sustainable Transportation: Discuss sustainable transportation options, such as electric vehicles, public transportation, and bike-sharing programs.

Conclusion

Getting the right keyword is essential for your content to flow. Understanding Difficulty Keywords can be a great way of getting back organic traffic. 

Also choosing a high-difficulty blog topic can be a great way to differentiate yourself in the blogging world and establish yourself as an authority in your niche. 

Consider your interests, knowledge, and skills when choosing a topic, or keyword and select one that has the potential for profitability. Remember to create high-quality content and engage your audience to build a successful blog.