Why Moz and Semrush give Different Keyword Scores
I would venture the guess that there isn’t a SEOer around who hasn’t experienced this at least once. The same keyword is plugged in to both Moz and Semrush and however because they employ various algorithms (and because two keywords never compare to one another exactly in difficulty if they are being ranked on the first page for every search query) different difficulties give rise.
Stuck in this situation, it’s hard not to wonder which platform is truly accurate. Why do their scores differ so? And which number more accurately ferrets out the truth?
If you treat them as absolutes, otherwise there will be no end of squabbling between promoters trying to promote one or the other. Collectively we suggest these best practices are your most realistic guide for you to follow in the current situation. And it’s only sensible to draw on what everyone else who’s ever conducted research on this matter shares, rather than throwing in every possible variable-and prioritizing none at all.
Crux of the problem is that one tool gives a keyword difficulty rating of 65 out of 100, while the other gives it a mere 50. In other words, they are really measuring slightly different things.
Difference Between Moz’s Keyword Difficulty and Semrush’s Keyword Difficulty
This guide will detail how the two tools are different.The way each calculates scores, namely the metrics and resources they rely upon, and what they emphasize in this conflicting information that you need to take into account for your SEO strategy as a whole in order to be successful. You get a clear understanding of this guide, by which time everything will start to come together for you.
How SEO Tools Calculate Keyword Difficulty
To compare Moz and Semrush head-to-head, you first need to understand what a “keyword difficulty” score actually represents: simply put, the likelihood you can rank high for it in search results. The higher the number, the tougher it will be.
No SEO tool has access to Google’s or Bing’s ‘secret’ ranking formulas. Therefore, they create and apply their own algorithms to mimic it-explained rationally-when these systems see what’s actually happening in the real world. They do this by analyzing the search results and top-ranking pages for a given keyword, and checking out many known factors that influence those that rank (the websites which are listed).
When it comes to backlink analysis, the most important factors almost always pertain to backlinks. This includes:
Number of referring domains: how many websites that do not link to the top-ranking pages? On top of that dealbreaker, you also have domain quality
Authority of referring domains : Are these links from high-authority sites (like Forbes or The New York Times) or smaller, less-known blogs? This can make quite the difference.
Link relevance: Are the links coming from pages related to the topic?
While backlinks form the foundation, tools might also include other elements such as content quality, on-page SEO signals, and even brand signals in their calculations. Since each tool has its own unique formula and weights these factors differently, their final scores naturally differ somewhat.
Moz Keyword Difficulty (KD)
Maybe Moz has already started off calling a spade a spade–especially when it comes to something like keyword difficulty. As an industry standard for this sort of thing, Moz has long presented its score on a scale of 0-100.
How Moz Calculates its Score
The primary basis of Moz’s Keyword Difficulty score is the backlink profiles of the pages ranking on the first page of Google for a target keyword. The core components of that computation are as follows:
Page Authority (PA): This metric predicts the ranking strength of a single page. Moz calculates page authority for each of the top 10 results.
Domain Authority (DA): This metric predicts the ranking strength of an entire website. In determining the difficulty, Moz also looks at the DA of the websites in those top 10 search engine results.
Moz analyzes the PA and DA of the top-ranking pages, then generates a weighted average to produce Keyword Difficulty scores. The score is heavily influenced by the number and quality of links pointing to those specific pages (PA) and the overall authority of the domains they exist in (DA).
The Strengths and Weaknesses of Moz’s Approach
Strengths:
Simplicity and Focus: Moz leans much on its two well-established PA and DA metrics, so it’s score is simple to comprehend. It provides a clear, link-based snapshot of the competitive landscape.
Historical Trust: Domain Authority has become an industry standard for SEO professionals over the last eleven-and-a-half years. It is widely recognized and trusted as accurate in giving a website’s overall strength.
Weaknesses :
A Narrow Scope: If Moz scores are primarily based on linking, then missed are other equally important ranking factors there. For instance, a page may rank well despite having poor backlinks if it has more relevant to the search query, or great user experience. This would make Moz’s KD a bit low in such case.
Potential for Volatility: The Keyword Difficulty score may change whenever if there are any fluctuations in either PA or DA linked up with it — even though actual SERP (Search Engine Results Page) has not changed much at all.
Semrush Keyword Difficulty (KD%)
Semrush is another leaderin the industry that provides a unique metric–its own Keyword Difficulty. This is shown as a percentage (KD%). A scale like Moz’s, it ranges from 0 to 100. The company has segmented its ratings so you can readily understand them:
0-14% (Very Easy): Keywords at this rating are excellent targets and often need just a small effort in order to rank.
15-29% (Easy): A new website with high-quality content can expect to achieve good rankings.
30-49% (Possible): High quality content must be organized well, and there should also be some links coming in.
50-69% (Difficult): You’ll need an appropriate authority plus good backlinking capabilities in order to compete.
70-100% (Very Difficult): Probably some of today’s most coveted keywords by corporates are up here. Moreover, it’s not easy to dominate those high-prize categories for regular web marketers.
How Semrush Calculates its Score
Semrush says its score is backed up by backlink data, but claims to include a more comprehensive array of factors. Primarily, the important ones are:
Authority of publisher domains: Semrush also lists the authority of the domains linking to top ranking pages.
Referring domains: It records how many unique Web domains link to each of the top routed results.
Link profile stability: If the link profiles of the top pages are unstable, or static but things sound good to you that could be because to date it looks at how many appear daily and of those which are steadily growing.
SERP functions: The presence of features such as featured snippets, knowledge panels, or video carousels clearly influence the click-through rate and thus the “difficulty” of obtaining traffic. This may be factored into awards given by Semrush.
But Semrush emphasizes that it examines the authority of the referring domains rather than any proprietary score such as Moz’s DA. It gives great importance not only to how many referring domains there are but also their uniqueness.
Strengths and Weaknesses of Semrush’s Approach
Strengths:
Comprehensive Analysis: By potentially looking beyond just proprietary authority scores, Semrush aims for a more holistic view of the SERP.
Fresh Data: One of the features that sets Semrush apart is the freshness and scale of its keyword database. If Google were a glacier, there’s always some part breaking off here first-before any eye had registered it as half unplanned reality-that would be called by people in my generation ‘Southeast Wind,’ but there’s actually no such thing. How do you know about real winds heating up? Just use your hands: they’ll tell you.
Actionable Categories: The user-friendly categories (e.g., “Possible,” “Difficult”) help users quickly gauge the effort required.
Weaknesses:
Less Transparent Formula: While Semrush provides this broad scope of information, the exact weighting of its individual factors
Potential Overemphasis on Link Volume: Critics note that Semrush’s metric might sometimes overvalue sheer numbers of referring domains, without sufficiently weighting the quality or relevance.
Key Differences Summarized
Feature
Moz Keyword Difficulty (KD)
Semrush Keyword Difficulty (KD%)
Core Metrics
Page Authority (PA) and Domain Authority (DA) of top 10 results.
Authority and number of referring domains linking to top 20 results.
Primary Focus
It is heavily biased towards Moz’s proprietary authority scores, (PA/DA)
It is weighed based on both the number and quality of backlinks, which has a strong emphasis on the referring domains.
Scale
0-100
0-100% with Descriptive Categories
Source of Data
Moz’s own link index.
Semrush’s own backlink/keyword database is very large indeed.
Transparency
Fairly transparent; based on visible PA and DA scores.
More of a “black box” with a proprietary algorithm.
Which Score Should You Trust?
The best approach is not to trust one over the other but to use them together as complementary data points. Since they measure difficulty through different lenses, their differences can reveal valuable insights.
Here’s a practical frame of reference for interpreting the scores:
When scores are similar:
If Moz and Semrush give a keyword high difficulty scores, you can be fairly sure it’s a toughie. Likewise, the same logic applies if both give low ones.
When Moz is high and Semrush is low:
This might be interpreted as the top-ranking pages being on high- DA websites, although those specific pages do n’t have a huge number of backlinks themselves. Such a situation could offer an opening if you’re able to create a very relevant page and build several quality links to it. The high domain authority of competing sites is a barrier, but not an insurmountable one.
When Semrush is high and Moz is low:
In this scenario, we would suggest that the top-ranking pages have a large number of backlinks, but they will be from lower-authority domains. This is common for subjects where user-generated content and forum links are prominent. While the total number of links makes it competitive (as Semrush indicates ), those links’ weaker authority (as Moz tells us ) may offer an opportunity.
It should be the only factor to inform your decision. You may find this useful to guide your consideration, but always back up with a personal assessment of the SERP. Ask yourself:
What is the search intent? Is this informational such as blog post, e-commerce product page, or news article? Does your content match the intent accordingly?
Who is ranking? Are they such major brands like Wikipedia, Amazon, a government Web site? Or are they smaller businesses, such as blogs, more akin than not to your own?
What is the quality of the content? Can you make anything a quantum leap above, more comprehensive in breadth and depth, or more recent than what is currently ranking?
A Well-Informed Decision
Moz and Semrush keyword difficulty scores are powerful tools, but don’t take them as gospel. Their variations result from different methodologies — Moz system relies on its own PA/DA metrics, while Semrush bases measure more a-backlink algorithm.
Rather than getting mired in the ‘Which is better’ argument, make use of the unique viewpoints just give. Results by each can be used to create a shortlist of possible keywords, and then your personal analysis will make you the final arbiter on these. Combining this tool’s quantitative data with the qualitative judgment which comes from examining a listing page yourself, you will have much more powerful tool for identifying keywords that will product real traffic to your site.
Moz vs. Semrush: Why Keyword Difficulty Scores Differ
Confused by different keyword difficulty scores from Moz and Semrush? Find out why they vary, and learn how to use the information in Smart SEO strategies.
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