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RankBrain

Keyword Difficulty Checker

Uses a live search sample and disclosed authority proxies to calculate a difficulty heuristic.

We fetch the page for you. Our server fetches the public address you enter and reads the response. Nothing you enter is stored. Free, no account.

How it works

You have a keyword and you want to know what the top ten pages have that you do not. This tool runs a live search, reads the top search listings and scores difficulty out of 100 from average authority, strong domains, exact-phrase titles and homepages. Low-score or unmeasured domains are listed for review, not as certain opportunities.

  1. 1

    We run a live web search for the keyword and take the top ten results.

  2. 2

    Ranking domains are looked up in the open web link graph. Domains outside lookup coverage use a disclosed proxy of 8; a failed lookup stops the score. We also check homepages and title targeting.

  3. 3

    Difficulty out of 100 is built from four parts you can see: average authority (60 points), share of strong domains (20), share of exact-phrase titles (10) and share of homepages (10). Low-score and unmeasured domains are listed for inspection, not as proven ranking opportunities.

What it does not do

  • It is a heuristic from link strength and targeting, not a measured probability. It cannot judge content quality or brand demand.

  • The search is run on public web search indexes, in English, without a location. Google's first page can differ.

When a source is busy or a site does not answer, this tool says so. It never fills the gap with a guess.

Questions

What does the difficulty score actually measure?

It measures how hard the current top ten looks to join, from link strength and targeting. Average authority of the ranking domains carries 60 of the 100 points. Share of strong domains carries 20, share of exact-phrase titles 10, share of homepages 10. Content quality and brand demand are outside the score.

Why is my score different from another tool's?

The search runs on public web indexes, in English, with no location. Another tool may use a different index, a different country or a different set of ranking factors. Google's first page for the same keyword can also differ from what the search returns. Treat the score as an estimate from link strength and targeting, not a fixed value.

What does it mean when the tool lists a weak site as an opening?

It means a listed domain has a low link-graph score or is outside lookup coverage. Unmeasured domains use a disclosed proxy of 8 in the heuristic; that is not measured authority. You still need a page that matches the keyword and earns its place. The score cannot judge content quality or brand demand, so a low score calls for inspection, not an assumed opening.

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