how much harder is shuffle tracking?

Contrasted with how difficult it is to learn how to count, how difficult is to learn shuffle tracking, ace steering and other advanced techniques?

counting is primarily dependant on the player while other techniques are more dealer dependant. For the most part it is apples to oranges however you must be able to count in order to shuffle track. You must be able to sequence or spot in order to steer.
BW

it isnt so much the initial learning for those advanced techniques that makes them "harder". to be profitable for someone, that person generally must practice the techniques MUCH more often, even daily to keep your eyes sharp.

This is also known as cluster tracking from my experience, it is much more difficult than counting cards.
Suppose a player is involved in a multiple deck blackjack game and is an exceptional card counter. They would have an idea that the vital face cards are still to be played. If they could find a way to visually track the cards left in the shoe during the succeeding shuffle and monitor if the cards would remain bunched together and where they will end up, they would be able to have a great advantage in the succeeding rounds. This is tough to do, on top of counting cards if that is your forte.
The technique involves tracking clumps of tens and face cards and monitoring them in the next round of shuffles. The prominence of cards with a value of ten increases the possibility of the dealer getting busted and thus gives the advantage to the player. Shuffle trackers will then increase their bets once the bunch of tens emerges from the dealer

Its not notoriously difficult, what makes it intangable for most players is that they dont understand as well as they need to what exactly they are betting on and what the counts are representing.

You need to be able to "wing it" when you track shuffles factoring the weight of individual cards, imbalances in the size of card segments, how the game and counting system reacts to cards being removed from and added to the game. And how all that related to the instantanious house edge.

You also need a good understanding and confidence in how averages and expected value will come to life. Many times you will find your self placing a bet knowing that you have a 1:7 chance of being dealt an ace and need to know if thats worth putting money out on, which it totally is.

I think shuffle tracking is to card counting what turbocharging is to tuning carbs. YOu need to have a very good understanding of the underlaying mechanicas and variables or you wont have a quality end product, and it may not even be better than what you started with because it wont work at all.