Does Keyword Difficulty Matter?

Introduction

With so much advice out there on the importance of keyword research, it's hard to know what really matters in terms of driving organic search results. One of the things that many online businesses focus on is the difficulty of a keyword phrase when evaluating its potential impact on organic search traffic. Does keyword difficulty really matter, and if so, what's the best way to identify and act on it?

Keyword Difficulty Defined

Keyword difficulty refers to how difficult it is to rank for specific keyword phrases. Typically, keyword difficulty is correlated with the level of competition for that particular phrase. Keywords that are more difficult tend to have more competitive bidding as well as higher search volumes, making it difficult for businesses to rank for them.

Tools for Identifying Keyword Difficulty

There are a few different tools available to identify keyword difficulty. Some of the most popular include the Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush, Ahrefs, and Moz. Each of these tools provides a different level of detail when it comes to assessing the difficulty of a keyword phrase.

Factors That Affect Keyword Difficulty

There are several factors that can affect the difficulty of a keyword phrase, including the amount of competition for that phrase, the search volume for that phrase, and the relevancy of your website or content to that phrase.

Benefits of Identifying Keyword Difficulty

Identifying keyword difficulty can be beneficial for a few reasons, including the following:

• You can identify which keywords are more competitive to avoid wasting time and resources
• You can identify keywords that are easier to rank for to get quick wins in search rankings
• You can prioritize keywords based on their difficulty

Case Study Examples

Take, for example, the e-commerce store Shopify. Before launching the site, the company conducted extensive keyword research to inform which keywords to use in their content. By evaluating keyword difficulty, Shopify was able to prioritize their SEO efforts and select the most relevant keywords to target.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some commonly asked questions about keyword difficulty:

• What is keyword difficulty?
• How can I identify keyword difficulty?
• What are the benefits of understanding keyword difficulty?

Mistakes People Make Regarding Keyword Difficulty

One of the biggest mistakes people make when it comes to keyword difficulty is overestimating their ability to rank for difficult keywords. There is a lot of competition for searches on Google, so it's important to understand if you're able to actually compete for a particular keyword phrase.

Best Practices Regarding Keyword Difficulty

When it comes to understanding keyword difficulty, there are a few best practices to keep in mind.

• Use keyword research tools like Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush, Ahrefs, and Moz to identify potential keyword opportunities.
• Understand the level of competition for a particular keyword phrase to identify if you can compete for it.
• Prioritize your SEO efforts by targeting keywords with lower difficulty.
• Focus your efforts on long-term rankings by targeting high-value keyword phrases.

Conclusion

Understanding keyword difficulty is an important part of driving organic search traffic. By using keyword research tools and understanding the difficulty of a particular keyword phrase, you can prioritize your SEO efforts and focus on keywords that are easier to rank for.

Final Notes

Keywords are the foundation of any online marketing strategy, and understanding keyword difficulty can help you identify keywords that are easy to rank for and ones that might be more difficult. By leveraging keyword research tools and best practices, you can set yourself up for success and drive more organic traffic to your website.