How to Check If a Keyword Is Too Competitive to Rank For

Targeting a keyword that's too competitive is one of the most common — and most costly — mistakes in SEO. You write a solid post, publish it, wait three months, and it never surfaces past page four.

The frustrating part is that this is almost entirely avoidable. Checking keyword competition before you write takes a few minutes and saves you from wasting hours on content that was never going to rank.

Here's exactly how to do it.

What Keyword Competition Actually Means

Keyword competition — often called keyword difficulty — is a measure of how hard it will be to rank on page one of Google for a given search term.

It's influenced by several factors:

• ✅ How many other sites are targeting the same keyword

• ✅ The authority of the sites currently ranking for it

• ✅ How much content already exists on the topic

• ✅ Whether the top-ranking pages have strong backlink profiles

A keyword with a high difficulty score is dominated by large, established sites. A keyword with a low difficulty score has weaker competition — meaning a smaller or newer site has a realistic chance of ranking.

The number alone doesn't tell the whole story, but it's the fastest first filter you have.

Step 1: Look Up the Keyword Difficulty Score

The most direct way to check competition is to run the keyword through a research tool and look at its difficulty score.

Most tools display this as a number between 0 and 100. General guidance:

• ✅ 0–20: Low competition. Good target for new or small sites.

• ✅ 21–40: Moderate competition. Achievable with some authority and quality content.

• ❌ 41–60: Medium-high. Difficult for smaller sites without strong backlinks.

• ❌ 61–100: Very competitive. Dominated by established sites — avoid unless you have significant authority.

These ranges aren't universal across every tool, but the principle holds. The lower the score, the more realistic the opportunity.

Rankivo's Keyword Research Tool shows keyword difficulty scores alongside search volume and intent signals, so you can evaluate multiple factors at once rather than making decisions based on volume alone.

Step 2: Look at Who Is Actually Ranking

Difficulty scores are useful, but they're estimates. The most reliable signal is the search results page itself.

Search your keyword in Google and look at what's on page one. Ask yourself:

• ❌ Are these large, well-known websites with massive audiences?

• ❌ Do the ranking pages look like they've been around for years?

• ✅ Are there any smaller blogs or newer sites in the results?

If page one is entirely dominated by household-name publications or major platforms, that keyword is not realistically winnable right now. If you see smaller sites and blogs mixed in, that's a signal the keyword is more open.

You don't need any tools for this check — just your browser and honest judgment.

Step 3: Check the Content Quality of Top Results

Sometimes a keyword has moderate competition scores but the ranking content is genuinely weak — thin articles, outdated information, poor structure.

That's an opportunity. If you can produce something noticeably more thorough, more accurate, and better structured than what's currently ranking, you have a real shot regardless of the difficulty score.

Scroll through the top three to five results. Read them. If you can clearly do better, the competition isn't as intimidating as the number suggests.

Step 4: Consider Your Site's Current Authority

Keyword difficulty isn't absolute — it's relative to your site.

A keyword with a difficulty score of 35 might be perfectly achievable for a site with two years of consistent publishing and a few hundred backlinks. The same keyword might be out of reach for a brand new site with five posts.

Be honest about where your site is right now. New sites should aim for difficulty scores under 20. Growing sites with some authority can push into the 20–40 range. Save the harder keywords for when you've built the foundation to compete for them.

The Fastest Way to Avoid This Mistake

Before you write any post, run the keyword. Check the score. Look at the results page. Make a deliberate decision — not a hopeful one.

This is one of the common keyword research mistakes to avoid that costs bloggers months of effort. It takes two minutes to prevent and months to recover from if you skip it.

For the full process of finding and evaluating keywords from scratch, see our beginner's guide to keyword research.

Stop guessing at what you can rank for. Start finding out at rankivo.co.

This Article Is Part of Our Keyword Research Series

📚 Explore the full Keyword Research Series
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Pillar article:
👉 How to Do Keyword Research for Beginners (2026 Guide)

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👉 Common Keyword Research Mistakes to Avoid

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FAQ

What is a good keyword difficulty score for a new blog?

Aim for keywords with a difficulty score of 20 or below when you're just starting out. These give you the best chance of ranking without needing significant domain authority or backlinks. As your site grows, you can gradually target slightly harder keywords.

Is keyword difficulty the only thing I should check?

No. Difficulty score is a useful first filter, but also look at the actual search results, the quality of competing content, and the search volume. A keyword with a low difficulty score and zero search volume isn't worth targeting either.

Can I rank for a competitive keyword if my content is really good?

Content quality helps, but it doesn't override authority gaps. If page one is filled with large sites that have thousands of backlinks, even excellent content will struggle to break through on a new site. Target keywords where competition is manageable first, build authority, then go after harder terms.

How often should I check keyword competition?

Every time you plan a new post. Keyword landscapes shift — a keyword that was highly competitive six months ago might have opened up, or vice versa. Make it a habit rather than a one-time check.