How to Find Low Competition Keywords for SEO

Low-Competition Keywords

Low-competition keywords: search terms with relatively low keyword difficulty and fewer authoritative pages targeting them, making it easier for new or smaller websites to rank on the first page of search results with modest SEO effort.

How to Find Low-Competition Keywords

Low-competition keywords are search terms with relatively low difficulty and fewer authoritative pages targeting them, making it easier for new or smaller sites to rank on the first page with modest SEO effort.

Start with seed ideas

• List core topics, product or service features, customer questions, forum threads, and FAQs.


• Expand using Autocomplete, People Also Ask, AnswerThePublic, and related searches.

Use multiple keyword tools and filters

Tools: Ahrefs, Semrush, Moz, Keyword Planner, Ubersuggest, KWFinder, Keywords Everywhere, Google Search Console, Bing Webmaster Tools.

Filter strategy: Set low KD/Competition (tool-specific), apply a search volume threshold (e.g., 50–300+ monthly for niche sites), and use CPC if you want commercial intent. Export results and deduplicate.

Target long-tail, intent-driven phrases

• Focus on 3+ word queries, questions, and modifiers such as “how to,” “best,” “for beginners,” “cheap,” “near me,” “vs,” “tutorial,” “example.”


• Prioritize buyer/transactional intent for monetization; prioritize informational intent to build topical authority.

Check SERP competitiveness manually

• Search the target keyword in an incognito or localized view. Evaluate the top 10 for:
  
  
  
  • Domain authority/trust (use tool metrics)
  
  
  • Page type (forum, blog, product, marketplace)
  
  
  • Content quality and depth
  
  
  • Presence of strong brands, Wikipedia, Amazon, or big exact-match domains
  
  
  • Rich results (featured snippets, People Also Ask, videos) that may indicate easier opportunities
  
  
  
  


• Low-competition signals: blogs or forum posts, weak on-page content, few backlinks, no strong brand domains.

Analyze backlink and content gaps

• Use Ahrefs or Semrush to view backlinks and referring domains for top pages. Low-competition keywords often have top pages with fewer than 10–20 backlinks.


• Identify content gaps: longer, fresher, better-structured content, step-by-step guides, unique data, multimedia, or templates can outperform thin content.

Leverage competitor and niche site research

• In Search Console, find queries where you rank positions 8–20 with solid impressions—optimize these first.


• Use the site: operator to find competitor pages targeting similar queries and assess their depth and backlink profile.

Exploit local, niche, and seasonal angles

• Add geographic modifiers for local SEO (city, neighborhood).


• Use seasonal or event-related modifiers for short-term low-competition windows.

Validate search intent and volume

• Cross-check volume with multiple tools; prioritize keywords where actual clicks are likely (high-CTR features, low SERP saturation).


• Use Google Trends to confirm the interest trajectory.

Create a prioritization matrix

Score each keyword by: search volume (1–3), KD/backlink difficulty (1–3, lower is better), intent/revenue potential (1–3), and content gap/opportunity (1–3). Prioritize the highest totals where difficulty is low and intent is strong.

Quick workflow summary

• Gather seed ideas and expand via Autocomplete, PAA, and AnswerThePublic.


• Pull lists from 2–3 tools; filter by low KD and minimum volume.


• Manually audit the top 10 SERPs for brand strength, backlinks, and content quality.


• Check competitor backlinks and Search Console opportunities.


• Create content that fills gaps (longer, fresher, specific, local) and build a few targeted links.


• Track rankings and impressions; iterate.

Example low-competition content tactics

• Answer a single, specific user question with a thorough 800–1,500 word guide plus an FAQ and schema.


• Create comparison or “vs” pages for niche alternatives.


• Publish templates, checklists, or calculators that attract links.


• Repurpose forum threads into canonical how-to posts with better structure and visuals.

Quick checklist before publishing

• Intent match and natural use of the target phrase in the title and H1.


• Comprehensive on-page coverage and internal links from related content.


• Use schema where useful.


• Acquire 1–3 high-quality contextual backlinks.


• Monitor via GSC and a rank tracker.

How to Validate and Prioritize Low-Competition Keywords for SEO

1. 
   

   Validate quickly

   
   
   
   
   • Confirm search intent: review the top 10 results for the keyword (informational, transactional, or navigational). If the intent matches your page goal, keep it.
   
   
   • Check SERP features: note snippets, People Also Ask, maps, and shopping results, as these affect click-through rate (CTR).
   
   
   • Sanity-check search volume: use multiple sources (Google Keyword Planner, Ahrefs or SEMrush, KWFinder). Prefer consistent monthly trends over one-off spikes.
   
   
   • Assess trends and seasonality: use Google Trends to ensure interest is stable or aligns with your campaign timing.
   
   
   • Evaluate top-ranking page quality: inspect domain authority, backlink counts, content depth, and freshness. Low-competition keywords often have weak or thin top-ranking pages.
   
   
   • Gauge on-page difficulty: check whether top pages target the keyword explicitly in the title, H1, and body. If they do not, it is easier to outrank them.
   
   
   • Run a backlink gap analysis: compare backlink profiles of the top 10 pages to your site. If you can match or exceed them with a few quality links, the keyword is attainable.
   
   
   • Estimate CPC and commercial value: use CPC as a proxy for commercial intent; higher CPC often indicates better conversion potential.
   
   
   • Estimate organic CTR potential: keywords with featured snippets or local packs may reduce organic clicks; factor this into traffic estimates.
   
   
   
   


2. 
   

   Prioritize with a simple scoring model

   
   
   
   
   • Assign 1–5 scores for each factor:
     
     
     
     • Intent match (1–5)
     
     
     • Volume (1–5)
     
     
     • Trend stability (1–5)
     
     
     • Top-page strength (inverse: weaker = higher score) (1–5)
     
     
     • Backlink gap (inverse: smaller gap = higher score) (1–5)
     
     
     • Commercial value or CPC (1–5)
     
     
     • On-site relevance or ease of content creation (1–5)
     
     
     
     
   
   
   • Weight scores by business goals (example weights: Intent 25%, Volume 20%, Top-page strength 20%, Backlink gap 15%, CPC 10%, Content ease 10%).
   
   
   • Calculate the weighted total and rank keywords.
   
   
   
   


3. 
   

   Triage categories

   
   
   
   
   • Quick Wins: high total score, low backlink gap, strong intent — create optimized, comprehensive content and add internal links.
   
   
   • Strategic Bets: moderate score, seasonal or trending — plan content and promotion; build a few high-quality links.
   
   
   • Long-term Plays: high volume but strong competition — consider pillar content and sustained link building.
   
   
   • Reject or Archive: low intent or SERP features that block opportunity (for example, dominated by big brands or local packs with no organic opportunity).
   
   
   
   


4. 
   

   Execution checklist (per keyword)

   
   
   
   
   • Create a page title and H1 that match intent; include the keyword and variations.
   
   
   • Produce comprehensive content addressing subtopics found in top results and People Also Ask.
   
   
   • Target featured snippet formats where appropriate (concise definitions, lists, tables).
   
   
   • Add internal links from related pages; optimize the URL, meta description, and schema where relevant.
   
   
   • Build 2–5 contextual backlinks from niche sites for Quick Wins; build more for Strategic Bets and Long-term Plays.
   
   
   • Track rankings, clicks, and conversions weekly for 8–12 weeks; re-optimize based on CTR and engagement.
   
   
   
   


5. 
   

   Tools to use

   
   
   
   
   • Keyword research: Google Keyword Planner, Ahrefs, SEMrush, KWFinder, Ubersuggest.
   
   
   • Intent and SERP review: manual Google searches, Ahrefs SERP overview, Moz.
   
   
   • Trends: Google Trends.
   
   
   • Backlinks: Ahrefs, Majestic, Moz Link Explorer.
   
   
   • Tracking: Google Search Console, Google Analytics, rank trackers.
   
   
   
   


6. 
   

   One-page decision rule

   
   
   
   
   • If Intent match ≥ 4, weighted score ≥ 70%, and the backlink gap is manageable, pursue now.
   
   
   • If Intent match ≥ 3 and the score is 50–69%, plan with promotion and link targets.
   
   
   • Otherwise, deprioritize.
   
   
   
   


7. 
   

   Output

   
   
   
   
   • Produce a prioritized list of keywords with score, category (Quick Win, Strategic, or Long-term), required content type, and link target to build your content calendar.