Think about the last time you searched for something on Google. Did you scroll past the first few results? Probably not. And you’re not alone—Backlinko reveals that 75% of all search clicks go to just the top three results. For small businesses trying to get noticed online, that’s pretty daunting.
But here’s something many businesses don’t realize: getting to those top spots isn’t just about creating great content or having the perfect keywords. It’s about understanding keyword difficulty (KD).
In this blog, we’ll break down what KD really means, how to use a keyword difficulty tool effectively, and most importantly, how to choose keywords that will help your business get found by the right people. We’ll show you practical ways to check keyword difficulty, find low difficulty keywords opportunities, and create a content strategy that actually works for your business size and goals.
The Foundation of Keyword Difficulty (KD)
KD is measured on a scale from 0 to 100, with 0 being the least competitive and 100 being the most competitive. If you’re new to SEO, you’ll want to target low difficulty keywords. As your website grows and gains more authority with Google, you can gradually aim for more competitive terms.
Here’s a mistake common to many small businesses: keywords should NEVER drive your content. Instead, your content strategy, not just your ranking metrics, should drive your keyword choices. This distinction is crucial because if you’re just chasing low difficulty keywords without a solid content plan, your message becomes scattered. Your customers won’t be able to follow your story or understand what makes your business unique.
Before diving deeper into term formats and competition, it helps to understand the difference between the tools you’re using. Many small business owners hear terms like ranking metrics and search competition, and assume they mean the same thing.
Keyword Difficulty vs. Keyword Competition: What’s the Real Difference?
These two terms sound similar, but they measure very different things. Knowing the difference helps you avoid making decisions based on the wrong data.
- Keyword difficulty tells you how hard it will be to rank organically in Google’s free search results. It’s based on the strength of existing content already ranking.
- Keyword competition refers to paid search—how many advertisers are bidding on that keyword in Google Ads.
If your focus is SEO, ignore the “competition” column in Google Keyword Planner—that’s only helpful if you’re running ads. For organic rankings, pay attention to keyword difficulty scores from tools like SpyFu. That’s the data that actually helps shape your SEO strategy.
Long-Tail vs. Short-Tail Keywords
One interesting aspect of using a ranking metric tool is how it naturally sorts out the difference between long-tail and short-tail search terms. Generally, you’ll notice that:
- Low difficulty keywords often contain more words (these are often called long-tail keywords)
Example: “creative ideas for marketing counseling services”
- High KD scores tend to be shorter (these are often called short-tail keywords)
Example: “marketing counseling services” or “marketing for counselors”
Note: E-commerce websites often find short, low difficulty keywords, especially when dealing with specific product models, brands, or colors. But for most businesses, the rule of thumb holds true—shorter keywords usually mean higher KD.
Building Your Keyword Ladder
A keyword ladder is more than just a ranking metric tool—it’s your roadmap to understanding your industry’s competitive landscape. It starts with identifying competitors at different levels:
- Those slightly ahead of you in SEO
- Those significantly more advanced
- Those in between
The real power of a keyword ladder comes from learning to check competition scores and doing keyword research about your competitors. Are these target keywords appearing on their main website pages? Their blog posts? This research often reveals gaps in your competition’s strategy (in other words, opportunities where you can target low difficulty keywords and establish your presence.)
Remember: Your website’s current SEO strength should match the KDs you target. For instance, if the average KD you currently rank for is around 12, attempting to rank for an 80-point keyword immediately probably isn’t realistic. Instead, use your keyword ladder to plan a gradual ascent to those more competitive terms.
Best Keyword Difficulty Tool for Small Businesses
When it comes to ranking difficulty tools used to evaluate search competition, there are many options available for SEO review. But let’s focus on one that stands out for small businesses: SpyFu. What makes SpyFu particularly valuable is its foundation in competitive intelligence. From day one, it was built to help you understand not just your search terms, but how you stack up against your competition over time.
Let’s walk through how to use SpyFu as your ranking difficulty tool to evaluate search competition and find opportunities for your business.
How to Check Keyword Difficulty
Let’s use a real example to understand how to assess KDs. Say you’re interested in ranking for “creative ideas for marketing counseling services.“ Here’s what to do:
Head to SpyFu’s SEO Keywords tab
Enter your keyword
Look for two key metrics:
- Search volume (how many people search for this term monthly)
- KD score
In this case, you might find something interesting: a volume of 70 searches with a ranking KD of 0. Don’t let that low volume discourage you—those 70 monthly searches could result in 40 actual clicks to your website. That’s 40 potential customers finding your business through low difficulty keywords you can easily rank for.
Let’s compare this with a shorter version: “marketing counseling services.” This keyword shows:
- Volume: 165 monthly searches
- KD: 0
- Estimated clicks: 125
This demonstrates how even low difficulty keywords can drive meaningful traffic to your website.
How to Find Low Difficulty Keywords That Work
But what if you check keyword difficulty and find you’re interested in a more competitive term? Let’s say “marketing services,” which has a volume of 1,400 and a KD of 44. For a new website, that might be too challenging to target initially. Here’s how to find a low difficulty keyword as an alternative:
- Use SpyFu’s Similar Keywords section
- Click “View All” to see the full list
- Use filters to narrow down your options
- Look for low difficulty keywords in the results
Pro tip: When using a ranking difficulty tool, don’t get too hung up on search volume. Google’s intent-matching capabilities mean it often sends relevant traffic to your page, even from related searches. Focus on finding the right competition score for your business’s current SEO strength.
Finding the right keyword is a big step, but it’s only part of the equation. Before moving forward, take a moment to look at who’s already ranking for that term and whether your business can realistically compete.
Why Page Strength Matters for Keyword Difficulty
Before you decide to chase a low-difficulty keyword, it’s important to look at the bigger picture—specifically, who’s already ranking. Think of it like stepping into a race; if the competition is full of seasoned athletes, your chances of keeping up are slim without serious preparation. The same goes for search results.
Here’s why evaluating the strength of top-ranking pages matters:
- Big-name authority: Some keywords may seem “easy,” but if the top spots are held by heavyweights like Pinterest or Forbes, it’s a steep climb.
- Backlink power: Pages with a deep backlink profile—dozens or even hundreds of quality links—signal strong trust from other websites.
- Content depth: Google favors pages that thoroughly answer searchers’ questions, not just surface-level blog posts.
Even a keyword with a low difficulty score can be out of reach if the top pages are out of your league. Take a few minutes to evaluate who you’re up against—it can save time and help you focus on keywords with real potential.
Even with solid page strength insights, keyword tools can only take you so far. To avoid missteps, it’s helpful to understand where their limitations lie.
The Limitations of Most Keyword Difficulty Tools
Most ranking difficulty tools are useful, but they tend to rely heavily on backlink data. That gives you only part of the picture.
Here’s what that usually looks like:
- Moz bases difficulty on domain and page authority, which both depend on backlinks.
- Semrush adds other elements like SERP features, but backlinks still weigh heavily.
- Ahrefs uses the number of referring domains as its main indicator.
What these tools miss is the human side of search. Google now considers whether content is helpful, relevant, and easy to use. So, even if a keyword looks difficult based on backlinks alone, your content could still stand out if it does a better job serving the searcher. Use these tools as guides, not final answers.
As SEO continues to evolve, so do the ranking signals Google uses to evaluate pages. Let’s look at what really matters today.
Tools like SpyFu can help you assess both keywords and competition, but each SEO platform uses slightly different formulas. Let’s take a quick look at how they work so you can make more informed decisions.
As SEO continues to evolve, so do the ranking signals Google uses to evaluate content. Let’s take a closer look at what matters most now.
Even with the right data, keyword trends evolve. What’s easy to rank for today may be harder in a few months.
Why Historical Keyword Difficulty Matters
Keyword difficulty isn’t static—it changes as more businesses compete for the same terms. Tracking historical KD helps you see where opportunities are growing or fading.
For instance, a term like “AI marketing tools” might have been low competition in 2022 but became highly competitive by 2024. By checking a keyword’s historical KD trend in tools like SpyFu, you can:
- Identify rising keywords early, before competitors dominate.
- Avoid investing time in topics that are losing interest.
- Spot seasonal patterns, especially useful for local or event-driven content.
When you understand how to check keyword difficulty across time, you can make proactive SEO decisions instead of reactive ones.
The Changing Role of Search Engine Ranking Factors
There was a time when getting lots of backlinks was enough to rank well. But search engines have grown more sophisticated, and today they weigh many factors when deciding what shows up on page one.
These include:
- Content quality and clarity
- User experience on mobile and desktop
- Whether your page matches the intent behind the search
- Technical performance, like page speed
For small businesses, this shift is actually a good thing. You can compete by creating useful content, making sure your site loads well, and showing that you understand what your customers are searching for. It’s not just about chasing links anymore. It’s about showing up in ways that are genuinely helpful.
Another crucial factor to consider when evaluating keyword difficulty is where your audience lives or searches from.
Analyzing Keyword Difficulty by Location
Keyword competition varies by geography. A phrase might be easy to rank for in one city but extremely difficult in another.
Here’s how to approach location-based KD:
- Use filters in SpyFu or Ahrefs to narrow searches to your service area.
- Compare keyword rankings in nearby regions.
- Identify low-competition opportunities in smaller towns or suburbs.
For example, “wedding photographer in Tulsa” may have a KD score of 10, while “wedding photographer in Dallas” could be 45. By learning how to check keyword difficulty in specific locations, you can allocate resources toward areas where your business can realistically compete and grow visibility faster.
Why Keywords Matter for Small Business Success
When you check keyword difficulty and plan your SEO, remember the purpose isn’t just to drive any traffic—it’s about driving the right traffic to your website. When someone finds your content through a low difficulty keyword, that’s just the beginning of your relationship with them. Your content needs to provide value that makes them want to:
- Stay on your website
- Subscribe to your updates
- Schedule a meeting to learn more
While there are many ways to attract customers to your website, organic SEO remains one of the most cost-effective methods for consistently driving traffic to your business. But remember—SEO isn’t the end of the conversion process. It’s the beginning. Your content needs to do the heavy lifting of turning that traffic into meaningful business relationships.
While keywords attract visitors, the real difference between visibility and conversions lies in the kind of content you publish.
The Role of Content Quality and Variety in Local SEO
Search engines now prioritize high-quality, relevant, and diverse content that aligns with search intent. To strengthen your rankings while managing how to check keyword difficulty, create content that blends authority with usefulness.
Here are key formats that work best for small businesses:
- Local blogs: Share insights about your area or industry trends.
- Customer case studies: Show real-world success stories tied to your services.
- How-to guides: Demonstrate expertise while targeting long-tail keywords.
- Short videos or visuals: Help users digest complex topics easily.
Search engines reward this kind of variety because it meets user needs more effectively than text-only content. The more formats you use, the more likely your business is to show up across different search types—from maps to blog snippets.
How to Plan Your Small Business Content Strategy
Let’s circle back to where we started: content comes before keywords. Your small business needs a clear content strategy before you check keyword difficulty and dive into research. Why? Because if your content strategy isn’t clear, neither Google nor your customers will understand what you really do.
Start with these questions:
- What do you want to be known for?
- What problems are your customers facing in these areas?
- How can you help them overcome these challenges?
Here’s the reality: this might sound simple, but for most small businesses, it’s complicated. You might offer multiple products or solve various problems. The key is simplifying your message until it’s easily understood by your customers.
Ready to Make Your Keywords Work for You?
As a small business, you know every investment needs to count. When it comes to SEO, using the right keywords isn’t just about getting found—it’s about getting found by the right people at the right time. But between understanding KDs, creating a content strategy, and choosing the right keywords, it can feel overwhelming to know where to start.
At Trailzi, we find that many businesses benefit from going through a StoryBrand messaging workshop before creating their content strategy. Why? Because you can’t create an effective plan around a message that isn’t clear yet. Simplicity is the foundation of a strong content strategy.
Let’s talk—schedule a call with Trailzi today and let’s make sure your content gets found by the people who need it most.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a high KD score mean for my SEO efforts?
A high KD score (70-100) indicates strong competition from established websites. For new or growing businesses, it’s best to target opportunities with lower scores initially as you build your site’s authority.
Should I ignore high-volume search terms if they have a high KD?
Not necessarily. While you shouldn’t target them immediately, you can create a long-term strategy to gradually work toward these valuable terms as your website gains authority. Meanwhile, focus on more achievable opportunities.
How often should I check my competitors’ KD scores?
Review competitor metrics quarterly to identify new ranking opportunities and track changes in your market’s competitive landscape. This helps you adapt your strategy as the online environment evolves.