Keyword Difficulty vs. Search Volume: What Matters More? How to Make Smart SEO Choices

You’ve just discovered a keyword with thousands of monthly searches—but when you check the difficulty, it’s sky-high. On the flip side, a low-difficulty keyword catches your eye, but the search volume is tiny. So what should you prioritize? Keyword difficulty vs. search volume is one of the biggest dilemmas in SEO planning. Getting this balance right can be the difference between ranking on page 1 and getting lost in the noise.

Let’s break down how to compare these two metrics and build a keyword strategy that actually delivers results.

Key Takeaways

• Keyword difficulty shows how tough it is to rank for a term.
• Search volume tells you how many people are searching for it each month.
• The best SEO strategies blend achievable rankings with meaningful traffic potential.
• Your site’s authority, niche, and goals influence which factor matters more.

1. What Is Keyword Difficulty?

Keyword difficulty measures how hard it is to rank in organic search results for a specific term. SEO tools like Ahrefs, Moz, and Ubersuggest score difficulty from 0 to 100, based on:

• The authority of sites already ranking
• Number of backlinks those pages have
• Content quality and optimization of competitors

Why It Matters:
If the difficulty is too high, you could spend months creating content that never ranks—especially if your site is newer or has lower domain authority.

2. What Is Search Volume?

Search volume reflects how often people search for that keyword each month, usually in a specific country or region.

Why It Matters:
Higher search volume means more potential visitors if you rank. But volume alone doesn’t guarantee success—high-volume keywords often come with fierce competition.

Example:
“best smartphones 2025” might have huge volume, but ranking for it is extremely difficult. “best budget smartphones under $300 2025” might have lower volume, but is easier to target and could attract more qualified traffic.

3. How to Balance Keyword Difficulty and Search Volume

The sweet spot is finding keywords with reasonable difficulty and meaningful search volume. Here’s how to approach it:

• Use tools like Google Keyword Planner, Ubersuggest, or Ahrefs to gather data.
• Compare:
  • High volume + high difficulty – long-term targets
  • Low volume + low difficulty – quick wins
  • Medium volume + low/medium difficulty – ideal for most content plans
• Ask: Can your current site authority handle the difficulty? Is the volume worth the effort?

4. Which Matters More for You?

If you’re starting out:
Focus on low-difficulty, long-tail keywords. Ranking for smaller terms builds authority and traffic over time.

If you have strong authority:
You can aim for higher-difficulty, higher-volume keywords because you’re better equipped to compete.

If you want quick wins:
Look for low to moderate difficulty and decent volume. Prioritize terms where you can provide better, more relevant content than what’s currently ranking.

5. Consider Search Intent

Even the perfect difficulty-volume balance means nothing if the intent is wrong. Make sure your chosen keyword matches:

• What your audience actually wants to find
• The type of content you’re creating (informational, transactional, navigational)
• The next step in the user’s journey (learn, compare, buy)

Tip: Tools like Google Trends and AnswerThePublic can help you gauge intent and context.

Conclusion

So what matters more: keyword difficulty or search volume? The truth is—they both matter. The key is to balance the two based on your site’s strengths, your niche, and your goals. Prioritize keywords that offer a realistic chance of ranking and enough traffic potential to make the effort worthwhile.

By comparing these metrics thoughtfully, you can build an SEO strategy that delivers steady growth, attracts the right visitors, and helps your site stand out.