<b>Keyword Difficulty scores are not the same number</b>

<b>Keyword Difficulty scores are not the same number</b>
I tested the same 50 keywords across Ahrefs, Semrush and Moz and the scores diverged hard.

What I found:
➕ Ahrefs KD — built mostly from referring domains of the top 10, most predictive for link-driven niches
➕ Semrush KD% — factors in more on-page/SERP signals, ran 10-25 points higher on the same terms
➕ Moz Difficulty — middle of the road, but its Priority score (blends volume + difficulty + CTR) is underrated
➖ None are cross-comparable; a 'KD 30' means three different things

The trap: people copy a competitor's KD threshold ('only target under 40') without saying which tool's 40.

Best for: pick one tool and learn its scale empirically — track what you actually ranked for and recalibrate.

Price vs value: all three sit ~$99-129/mo; the score isn't why you'd pick one.

Pick this if you commit to a single tool and its quirks. Skip the idea that any KD is an absolute truth — it's a relative ruler at best.

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