Keyword Difficulty Checker
Get an AI-powered estimate of how hard a keyword is to rank for, plus the reasoning behind the score.
| Keyword | Score | Difficulty | Intent | Why |
|---|
Finding the right keyword is not only about search volume. You also need to know how difficult it may be to compete for that search term. Our Free Keyword Difficulty Checker and keyword competition checker helps you estimate keyword competition before you spend time creating content.
Enter a keyword to get an estimated keyword difficulty score, ranking difficulty, search intent, and a short explanation of the competition. You can also check multiple keywords at once using the bulk keyword analysis option.
Use the results to identify low-competition keywords, easy-to-rank keywords, long-tail keyword opportunities, and realistic SEO targets for your website.
What Is Keyword Difficulty?
Keyword difficulty is an estimate of how challenging it may be for a webpage to rank in Google’s organic search results for a particular keyword.
A keyword with strong competition from established websites, well-known brands, and authoritative domains is generally harder to target. More specific long-tail queries can sometimes provide better opportunities for newer or smaller websites.
For example:
- SEO tools → broad and highly competitive
- free SEO tools for small business → more specific
- free keyword difficulty checker for SEO → highly specific
This is why checking keyword competition before creating content can help you build a more realistic SEO strategy.
How to Use the WebToolar Keyword Difficulty Checker
Using the WebToolar tool is simple and free:
- Enter a keyword you want to analyze.
- Click Check Difficulty.
- Review the estimated difficulty score from 0-100.
- Check the difficulty level, such as Easy, Medium, or Hard.
- Review the estimated search intent.
- Read the explanation behind the score.
- For multiple keywords, switch to Bulk Keywords and analyze them together.
The tool can analyze up to 100 keywords through the bulk interface, processing them in batches.
Keyword Difficulty Score Explained
Our checker uses a 0-100 scale:
| Score | Difficulty | What It Means |
|---|---|---|
| 0-20 | Very Easy | Potentially low competition |
| 21-40 | Easy | Relatively easier opportunity |
| 41-60 | Medium | Moderate competition |
| 61-80 | Hard | Strong competition |
| 81-100 | Very Hard | Highly competitive |
The tool’s scoring bands are built directly into its analysis logic.
Important: Treat the score as an estimate, not a guarantee of ranking. Actual ranking difficulty can vary depending on your website authority, content quality, backlinks, topical relevance, search intent, and the current SERP.
Why Check Keyword Competition Before Writing Content?
Targeting a keyword simply because it has high search volume can be a poor SEO strategy.
A better approach is to find a balance between:
- Keyword relevance
- Search intent
- Competition
- Search demand
- Content quality
- Your website’s authority
- Ranking potential
For a newer website, low competition keywords and specific long-tail searches can be useful starting points.
Instead of immediately targeting a broad term such as “SEO”, you might research more specific searches such as:
- SEO checklist for small business websites
- free SEO tools for beginners
- keyword research for local businesses
- easy keywords to rank for
- low competition SEO keywords
- how to find low difficulty keywords
These related searches can help you build topical depth around your primary subject.
Find Low Competition Keywords
If your goal is to find keywords that may be easier to compete for, start with more specific search queries.
Look for long-tail keywords
Long-tail keywords usually contain more words and describe a more specific search.
For example:
Broad keyword: keyword research
More specific: keyword research for small business
Long-tail: how to find low competition keywords for a new website
The longer phrase isn’t automatically easier, but its specificity can make it a useful candidate for further SERP analysis.
Keyword Difficulty vs Search Volume
Keyword difficulty and search volume measure different things.
Search volume estimates how often people search for a keyword.
Keyword difficulty estimates how competitive that keyword may be.
A keyword with 100,000 searches per month isn’t necessarily a better target than a keyword with 500 searches.
For a smaller website, a group of highly relevant, lower-competition keywords can sometimes be more practical than competing immediately for one extremely broad query.
Keyword Difficulty and Search Intent
Competition is only one part of keyword selection.
You should also understand search intent.
Common search intent types include:
- Informational: the user wants to learn something
- Commercial: the user is researching a product or service
- Transactional: the user is ready to take an action or purchase
- Navigational: the user is looking for a particular website or brand
- Mixed: the query has multiple possible intents
Our checker returns an estimated search intent alongside the difficulty score.
Easy Keywords to Rank For: What Should You Target?
If you’re working on a new or smaller website, don’t only search for the lowest possible difficulty score.
A better target is a keyword that is:
Relevant + Specific + Useful + Reasonably Competitive
For example, imagine you run a website about SEO.
Instead of creating a page targeting:
SEO
you could research:
SEO checklist for small business
Then investigate related variations and create content that genuinely satisfies the searcher’s needs.
This approach also gives you opportunities to build topic clusters around your main subject.
Use Bulk Keyword Analysis
Have a list of keywords?
You don’t need to check them individually.
Switch to Bulk Keywords, enter your keywords one per line, and analyze them together. The tool returns the keyword, difficulty score, difficulty level, search intent, and explanation in a results table.
You can also copy the results or download them as a CSV file, making the output easier to use during keyword research and content planning.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a keyword difficulty checker?
A keyword difficulty checker is an SEO tool that estimates how competitive a search query may be and how difficult it could be to rank for that keyword.
What is a good keyword difficulty score?
There is no universal “good” score. A score that is difficult for a new website may be achievable for an established website with strong authority and backlinks.
How can I find low competition keywords?
Start with specific long-tail queries, analyze their competition, check search intent, review the current SERP, and choose keywords that closely match your website and audience.
Are low difficulty keywords easier to rank for?
Generally, a lower estimated difficulty can indicate less competition, but it does not guarantee rankings. Content quality, relevance, authority, backlinks, technical SEO, and search intent can all affect performance.
Is keyword difficulty the same as keyword competition?
They are related but not necessarily identical. Different SEO platforms use different calculations and data sources to estimate competition or difficulty.
Can I check multiple keywords?
Yes. The tool provides a bulk mode for analyzing multiple keywords at once and supports up to 100 entered keywords in the interface.
Does this tool guarantee Google rankings?
No. The score is an estimate intended to help with keyword research and prioritization. Ranking positions depend on many factors and can change over time.