The SEO tool mistake most beginners make

I think beginners rely too much on metrics like DR or keyword difficulty without understanding what’s behind them. Once I stopped treating those numbers as rules and started looking at actual search results, things made more sense.
Did anyone else have that “aha” moment when tools finally clicked?

I always recommend manual research when picking a niche or identifying competitors. I have learnt a lot and found great things through manual research. The tools are great for bulk processes but it's just laziness to use tools for simple things.