Evaluate the keyword difficulty metrics of Semrush and Ahrefs against actual ranking volatility observed in competitive legal service SERPs.
Download run
Fan-out diagram
The searches the AI actually ran for this prompt.
SEED QUERY
Evaluate the keyword difficulty metrics of Semrush and Ahrefs against actual ranking volatility observed in competitive legal service SERPs.
5 real searches · 1 real-search pass
Semrush Keyword Difficulty methodology backlinks referring domains officialGoogle ↗
OBSERVEDReason
Ahrefs Keyword Difficulty metric methodology referring domains officialGoogle ↗
OBSERVEDReason
legal SEO SERP volatility ranking fluctuations personal injury lawyer keywords studyGoogle ↗
OBSERVEDReason
Google ranking volatility legal services local SERP YMYL SEO studyGoogle ↗
OBSERVEDReason
Semrush Ahrefs keyword difficulty comparison predictive accuracy studyGoogle ↗
OBSERVEDComparison
Badge and edge weight = share of passes that produced the query. Hover a query for its intent and routing format.
Query classes
Google's semantic query class for every sub-query: what kind of answer each search is after, simulated vs real.
ChatGPT real searches (5)
Classes come from the query-classifier (a local Laya model). 4 of 5 calls are low-confidence (under 50%) — hover a query in the table to see its confidence.
Searches and sources
ChatGPT5 real searches · gpt-6
Semrush Keyword Difficulty methodology backlinks referring domains official Google ↗
Ahrefs Keyword Difficulty metric methodology referring domains official Google ↗
legal SEO SERP volatility ranking fluctuations personal injury lawyer keywords study Google ↗
Google ranking volatility legal services local SERP YMYL SEO study Google ↗
Semrush Ahrefs keyword difficulty comparison predictive accuracy study Google ↗
- Keyword Difficulty score · semrush.com
- Semrush Launches Upgraded Keyword Difficulty Metric · semrush.com
- Free Keyword Difficulty Checker · ahrefs.com
- Keyword and search traffic metrics · ahrefs.com
- 2025 UPDATE: How Proximity Impacts Google Organic Results · sterlingsky.ca
- SEO Data Science: A Study of 112K Personal Injury Law Firms · rankings.io
- Google Ranking Volatility, Sept 2026: Data From 8 PI Firms · webris.org
- How is the Semrush Sensor score calculated? · semrush.com
- What is Semrush Sensor? · semrush.com
- A Guide to Google Search Ranking Systems | Google Search Central | Documentation | Google for Developers · developers.google.com
Queries
5 queries · click a column to sort
| Query / type | Search | Intent | Query class | Routing format | Cluster | Freq ↓ | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Semrush Keyword Difficulty methodology backlinks referring domains official OBSERVED | Google ↗ AI Mode ↗ | — | Reason | — | — | 1x of 1 | |
Ahrefs Keyword Difficulty metric methodology referring domains official OBSERVED | Google ↗ AI Mode ↗ | — | Reason | — | — | 1x of 1 | |
legal SEO SERP volatility ranking fluctuations personal injury lawyer keywords study OBSERVED | Google ↗ AI Mode ↗ | — | Reason | — | — | 1x of 1 | |
Google ranking volatility legal services local SERP YMYL SEO study OBSERVED | Google ↗ AI Mode ↗ | — | Reason | — | — | 1x of 1 | |
Semrush Ahrefs keyword difficulty comparison predictive accuracy study OBSERVED | Google ↗ AI Mode ↗ | — | Comparison | — | — | 1x of 1 |