Articles on: Keyword Research

How we Calculate SEO Difficulty?

SEO Difficulty in RanksPro

SEO Difficulty in RanksPro is a metric that helps users determine how challenging it is to rank in the top 10 organic search results for a specific keyword. It is represented on a scale of 0 to 100, where 0 indicates minimal difficulty and 100 indicates extreme difficulty.

How SEO Difficulty is Calculated

Collecting Data: RanksPro analyzes the top 10 websites that rank organically on the first page of Google for the given keyword.

Evaluating Domain Rank and Page Rank: For each of the top 10 results, RanksPro calculates two key scores:

Domain Rank: A score representing the overall strength of the domain based on backlinks and other SEO metrics.

Page Rank: A score that measures the strength of the specific page ranking for the keyword.

Both Domain Rank and Page Rank are measured on a scale of 0 to 100.

Weighted Score Calculation: To determine the impact of each domain and page, RanksPro applies a weighted formula. The domain rank contributes 10% to the score, while the page rank contributes 90%. The combined value is then normalized:

Weighted Score = (domain rank x 0.1 ) + (page rank x 0.9) / 50

Processing Scores for All Domains: RanksPro performs the weighted score calculation for all 10 domains/pages in the top results.

Sorting and Aggregating Scores: The system sorts the calculated scores in ascending order and determines both the median and average values of these scores.

SEO Difficulty Calculation: To compute the final SEO Difficulty, RanksPro uses the larger of the median or average values and applies the following formula:

Keyword Difficulty = max(median, average) - 0.2 x 100 / 0.8

Final Score Representation: The calculated value is multiplied by 100 to convert it into an integer score (e.g., 0.6 becomes 60). If the value exceeds 100, it is capped at 100.

Why SEO Difficulty Matters in RanksPro

By providing a clear and accurate representation of how competitive a keyword is, RanksPro empowers users to make informed decisions about which keywords to target. The metric takes into account both domain and page-level factors, ensuring a comprehensive evaluation of competition for optimal SEO planning.

Note that SEO Difficulty is a country-specific metric. SERPs may vary significantly depending on the location where the search session is initiated.

Updated on: 30/01/2025

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