What is keyword competition and how is it calculated?
Keyword Difficulty in Serpify is a powerful metric that shows how challenging it is to rank in the top 10 organic results for a specific keyword. The score ranges from 0 to 100, where 0 means it’s easier to rank, and 100 indicates fierce competition.
1. Starting with the top 10 websites
When calculating keyword difficulty, the first thing we do is look at the top 10 websites currently ranking on Google’s first page for the specific keyword.
2. Measuring strength with page ranks
Page ranks were calculated as followed:
Domain Rank: How strong the whole website is based on its backlinks.
Page Rank: How strong the specific page is that’s ranking for the keyword.
These scores range from 0 (very low) to 1000 (extremely strong).
For more information on domain rank and page rank, refer to our dedicated pages on domain rank and page rank.
3. Balancing the influence of domain and page
To get an accurate picture, we combine the Domain Rank and Page Rank for each of the top 10 websites.
Here’s the formula we use:
Why is domain rank multiplied by 0.1 and page rank by 0.9?
In this formula, the domain rank is multiplied by 0.1 and the page rank by 0.9 to emphasize the authority of the individual page over the overall domain. The page rank (0.9) is given greater weight because it directly reflects the strength of the specific page, which is more relevant for Google rankings. The domain rank (0.1) still contributes, but to a lesser extent, reflecting the overall authority of the website.
Why do we divide by 500?
In this formula, 500 is used as a benchmark to normalize the combined scores of domain and page rank. It represents a practical maximum score, where only the largest and most authoritative websites—think of giants like Amazon or Wikipedia—could ever exceed this value.
By dividing by 500, we ensure that the resulting score stays proportional and meaningful for most websites. It also makes it easier to compare different keywords fairly, even when some competitors have exceptionally high authority.
This way, we focus mostly on the page ranking for the keyword, while still considering the overall strength of the website.
4. Ranking the results
Once we’ve calculated scores for all 10 websites, we sort them from weakest to strongest. Then we look at two key numbers:
Median: The middle value in the list.
Average: The total score divided by 10.
5. Calculating the final keyword difficulty score
To get the final score, we take the higher of the median or average, adjust it slightly, and scale it to a score between 0 and 100.
The formula looks like this:
Why do we subtract the score by 0.1 and divide by 0.8?
The 0.1 accounts for a small amount of difficulty that almost every keyword has. By subtracting it, we’re focusing only on the extra challenge specific to that keyword.
The 0.8 spreads the remaining difficulty value over a clear scale from 0 to 100. It makes the score easier to understand and keeps it realistic. Without this, the numbers could feel too extreme.
Why do we multiply by 100 and truncate values greater than 1?
In this formula, the resulting value is multiplied by 100 to convert it into an integer, making the score easier to interpret and use in practical applications. For example, a score of 0.6 becomes 60 after multiplication.
If the value exceeds 1, it is truncated to 1 to prevent unrealistic scores.
Note that: Search results can vary depending on where you’re located. That’s why Serpify tailors the results to your specific country and language.
