What Is Keyword Difficulty (& How to Pick Winnable Keywords)?

30 June 2026·1 min read

Quick answer: Keyword difficulty is an estimate of how hard it is to rank for a keyword, based on how strong the competing pages are. High-difficulty keywords (like “seo”) are dominated by big, authoritative sites; low-difficulty, specific keywords are far more winnable for a small business. Target keywords you can realistically rank for, not just the ones with the most traffic. 📈

Chasing high-traffic keywords you can’t win wastes effort. Here’s how to pick battles you can actually win. 💖

How to pick winnable keywords

Check the competition — who already ranks?
Favour low difficulty — less authoritative pages
Go specific — long-tail = winnable
Balance traffic & difficulty — not just volume
Match your authority — realistic for your site

💡 Win the winnable. A keyword with huge traffic is worthless if you’ll never crack page 1. Look at who already ranks — if it’s all major brands, pick a more specific, lower-difficulty phrase you can actually win.

Frequently asked questions

What is keyword difficulty?

Keyword difficulty estimates how hard it is to rank for a keyword, based on how strong the pages already ranking for it are. High difficulty means big, authoritative competitors; low difficulty means more winnable.

How do I find low-difficulty keywords?

Look at who currently ranks for a keyword — if they’re small sites and the results are weak, it’s winnable. Favour specific, long-tail phrases, and use free tools that show difficulty scores.

Should I target high-traffic keywords?

Only if you can realistically rank for them. High-traffic keywords are usually high-difficulty and dominated by big sites. For a small business, lots of lower-difficulty, specific keywords deliver more actual traffic.

Keep reading 🤍

Written by

Kate, founder of Chronically Online

I help Gold Coast and Brisbane businesses grow with branding, websites and marketing that actually works.

Work with me ✦