# Keyword difficulty

URL: https://storelift.net/glossary/keyword-difficulty/
Language: en
Updated: 2026-09-02

Keyword difficulty is a single number meant to summarize how hard a term is to break into — usually built from the rating count and rating age of the apps already occupying the top positions. The open formula behind Storelift's version, and why most vendors won't publish theirs, is on the full page.

## How to read a difficulty score

A difficulty score is only as good as the wall it's measuring — read it alongside competitor overlap, not instead of it. A high score with five thin, recent apps above you is a different situation than a high score with five apps that have held the spot for years.