In today’s highly competitive online environment choosing the right keywords can be the difference between success and failure of an SEO plan. Keywords that are low-competition are like treasures hidden in the bushes that help websites rank quicker and attract more users without spending a lot of dollars. This guide will teach you easy but effective ways to identify these important keywords and then use them to increase your site’s visibility on search engines.
What Are Low-Competition Keywords?
Keywords that have low competition are ones that aren’t many websites trying to be found for. They’re typically more specific terms that people don’t search for however, those who search for them tend to be seeking exactly what you provide.
“Low-competition keywords are phrases you can feasibly rank well for-meaning appear high in search results-without having to battle against many established competitors,” according to the research conducted by Semrush. These keywords can increase your website’s organic traffic without the need for costly advertising.
Characteristics of Low-Competition Keywords
The primary characteristics that make the keywords “low competition” include:
- They’re typically long-tail words (called”long-tail” keywords)
- They generally have smaller search volumes in comparison to terms that are popular
- They’re more targeted and specific to specific requirements
- They usually are less difficult to rank for keyword in SEO tools.
- These often contain specific questions or modifiers
- They could be brand new terms that the major websites haven’t yet targeted yet.
As an example instead of focusing on “email marketing” (which is highly competitive) You could instead choose to focus in “best email marketing templates for small businesses” that has smaller websites which are competing for the same.
Why Long-Tail Keywords Matter
Long-tail keywords comprise around 70% of the internet searches. They are typically composed of up to three words, which are specific to the product you’re selling or writing about.
“As consumers progress in their search journey on a specific topic, their queries become more detailed, making long tail keywords vital for distinguishing your brand,” is the explanation of SEO.AI’s study. The specific keywords may receive lesser searches on their own, however they usually are more effective in converting because people know precisely what they are looking for.
Benefits of Targeting Low-Competition Keywords
Why would you want to spend your time searching for keywords with low competition? There are a number of advantages:
Faster Ranking Results
One of the greatest benefits is the speed with which you will see results. If you choose keywords that have lower competition, you’ll typically appear in the top spot of results much quicker.
“These are easy wins-not too competitive, yet still popular enough to drive traffic to your site,” says Semrush. For companies or new websites who are entering new markets this could be especially beneficial.
More Targeted Traffic
The people who are using specific keywords with long tails usually have a clear idea of what they are looking for. The visitors you attract are more likely to be converted to customers or subscribers.
“Long tail keywords drive traffic that aligns more closely with a brand’s offerings, enhancing customer acquisition, while users enjoy content that more accurately meets their search intent,” according to SEO.AI.
Better Use of Resources
For websites or small-sized businesses with a limited budget for SEO choosing keywords that are low-competition is a great method. It doesn’t require to have as many backlinks or as many authority points to rank highly which can save you time and money.
How to Identify Keyword Difficulty
Before you begin to search for keywords, it’s essential to be aware of how to assess the competition. The majority of SEO tools utilize the keyword difficult (KD) score. This is used to determine how difficult it is in order to get a particular phrase.
Understanding Keyword Difficulty Scores
Keyword difficulty is normally measured using a scale of 100 to 0:
- Zero to 10: Very simple to rank
- 11-30: Moderate to easy difficult
- 31-70: Difficult
- 71-100: Extremely difficult
In the words of Moz, “Difficulty score takes into account the Page Authority (PA) and Domain Authority (DA) scores of results ranking on the first page of Google for a given query”. It assists you in determining the best keywords by revealing the terms that are more difficult to get ranked.
Ahrefs suggests searching for keywords with a minimum KD of 10, to identify genuine low-competition opportunities. This method helps you find those keywords that have the chance of ranking effectively.
Essential Tools for Finding Low-Competition Keywords
To identify low-competition keywords to rank for low-competition keywords, you’ll need tools. The great news is that plenty of options are available, which include paid and free tools.
Free Keyword Research Tools
- Google Keyword Planner The free tool provided by Google is a fantastic starting point. It displays monthly search volume as well as competition levels (though they are mostly for advertisers).
- Google Search Features Check out your “People also ask” and “Related searches” sections when you are searching for something on Google. They often show fantastic keywords that are low-competition.
- AnswerThePublic This tool displays the questions that people are asking regarding your subject. “AnswerThePublic’s tabbed reports include: Questions: Divides keywords by question words like WHO, WHAT, WHERE,” which allows you to find keyword phrases that are based on questions and low competition.
Paid Keyword Research Tools
- Ahrefs They have their Keywords Explorer tool lets you sort keywords by difficulty score, volume of searches and much more. It’s particularly effective in searching for “niche keywords with considerable demand and low competition”.
- Semrush Semrush Keyword Magic Tool is simple to locate low-competition keyword. “Semrush’s proprietary Keyword Difficulty score shows how easy (or hard) it is to rank on each SERP,” making it easier to identify great opportunities.
- Moz Keyword Explorer: Provides an overall score of 1 to 100 and then combines this score with click-through rate to calculate an individual score of priority.
- Ubersuggest Tool created developed by Neil Patel that helps with “keyword suggestions” and shows “volume, the competition, and even seasonal trends for each keyword”.
Step-by-Step Methods to Find Low-Competition Keywords
Let’s take a look at the how to identify these important keywords:
Method 1: Start With Seed Keywords
Start with broad terms that are related to your industry or subject:
- List the key terms that are relevant to your field
- You can enter the “seed keywords” into a keyword research tool
- Find related keywords that have low scores of difficulty
- Filter for a reasonable amount of search volume (100-1000 is typically a good range)
“Open Ahrefs’ Keywords Explorer, type in broad terms that point to certain markets, products, or interests (i.e., seed keywords), and hit enter,” recommends Ahrefs. This method gives you a numerous options to narrow your search.
Method 2: Analyze Your Competitors
One of the best ways to discover low-competition terms is to determine what’s being used by your competitors.
- Find websites that rank on keywords that you wish to be able to
- Utilize tools such as Ahrefs’ “Content Gap” or Semrush’s “Keyword Gap”
- Search for the keywords they rank for, however, they will be on positions between 4 and 20 (first and second pages)
- Pay attention to those who have less difficult scores
“Competitor gap analysis using tools like Ahrefs’ ‘Content Gap’ or SEMrush’s ‘Keyword Gap’ identifies keywords competitors are ranking for, but where content opportunities still exist,” says one expert.
Method 3: Focus on Questions People Ask
Keywords based on questions are typically less competitive, yet highly beneficial:
- Utilize tools such as AnswerThePublic, or check out the Google’s “People Also Ask” sections
- Ask questions about your primary areas of study.
- Find their scores on difficulty
- Create content that answers these questions.
“We pay special attention to keywords framed as questions, which often reveal low-competition yet high-value opportunities,” says Vaibhav Kamble, the CEO of CloudOptimo 7.. Keywords that are framed as questions tend to rank high due to their particular search terms.
Method 4: Target Long-Tail Keywords
Long-tail keywords have naturally lower competition
- Search for phrases that have 3 to 5 words that relate to your subject
- Pay attention to specific user requirements or issues
- Look for a decent amount of searches (even 50-100 monthly searches can be beneficial)
- Verify that the difficulty of the keyword is not too difficult.
“Long tail keywords are phrases typically comprising three to five words that are highly specific to what you are selling,” Explains SEO.AI. These particular phrases show the way people search naturally and typically have less competition.
Method 5: Combine Keywords With Modifiers
By adding specific terms in your keywords may assist you in locating low-competition variations:
- Find your primary keywords and then add modifiers like
- for beginners/professionals
- best/affordable/free
- how-to/tutorial/guide
- near me or in near me/in (for nearby businesses)
- review/comparison
“Add modifying words such as ‘for,’ ‘alternative,’ or ‘substitute.’ You can also use the Terms tab or just add your own modifiers if you know what you’re looking for,” suggests Ahrefs.
For instance, one marketer was successful by focusing on “affordable lawn care Richmond VA” instead of “lawn care.” The keyword was a good match with “fewer direct competitors but was specific enough to capture local searchers looking for budget-friendly options”.
Method 6: Look for Low-Competition Niches
Sometimes, niches or topics are less crowded:
- Find out about the latest topics within your industry
- Explore innovative approaches or technologies
- Find out if there are not yet explored subtopics that are related to your primary niche
- Verify the difficulty of keywords in these areas of potential
“How to find high demand low competition products?” as well as “How do I find an underserved niche?” are two of the most common questions entrepreneurs ask. Finding niches usually involves looking for a gap in the market where there is a demand but there aren’t many competitors serving the market.
Advanced Strategies for Finding Hidden Gems
For those who want to explore more and get more advanced, here are some strategies:
Using LSI Keywords for Semantic SEO
Latent Semantic Indexing (LSI) keywords are words that have a connection to your primary keyword. They assist search engines to understand what is the meaning of your website’s content.
“LSIGraph is the latest free SEO tool on the market that allows you to generate Latent Semantic Indexing (LSI) keywords,” mentions ShoutMeLoud. Utilizing these terms can increase the quality of your content and also helps to rank higher for keywords.
You can locate LSI keywords using:
- The bold words that appear in Google results for search
- Utilizing tools such as LSIGraph
- Go to the Google’s “searches related to” section at the end of the results from searches
Finding Low Difficulty Keywords With High Traffic
The ultimate goal in keyword analysis is to find keywords with high volume of searches however, they are also low-competition. While they’re rare, they exist:
- Begin by selecting keywords with KD scores below 10
- Sort results by volume of searches (highest from lowest)
- Find outliers that have high volume (100plus monthly searches)
- Verify that the keyword has very little competition by looking at the most recent top 10 results
“Finding low-competition terms that are still valuable” is a equilibrium between difficulty and volume.
Targeting Keywords With High Buyer Intent
Certain keywords with low competition are of an excellent commercial value as they signify someone who is able to buy:
- Find keywords that include:
- buy/purchase
- best/top/review
- price/cost
- vs/versus/comparison
- Near me/location Terms
- Find their scores on difficulty
- Prioritize those that have less competition
These keywords may have a lower numbers of searches but could result in higher conversions, which making them highly useful.
Evaluating and Prioritizing Keywords
After you’ve identified keywords that are low-competition It’s time to choose which ones you want to target first.
Creating a Scoring System
Moz recommends using a mixture of measures to prioritize keywords:”The volume, difficulty and expected organic click-through Scores on Rate produce the Priority score that identifies which areas you should focus on”.
You could design your own scoring system:
- Keyword difficulty (40 percent of score)
- Volume of searches (30 percent of score)
- Relevance to your company (30 percent of score)
Balancing Difficulty, Volume, and Intent
The perfect keyword is:
- Very low competition (KD score below 20)
- Good search volume (at at least 50-100 searches per month)
- A clear search intent that is compatible with your content
- Relevance to your product or products or
“Set KD to max 10, set volume to 100-1000, set Traffic Potential to 100-1000, click ‘Show results'” recommends Ahrefs to achieve this balance.
Real-World Examples of Low-Competition Keyword Success
Let me give you a few examples of how keywords with low competition can help real-world websites:
Case Study: Local Service Business
A lawn-care business located in Richmond was struggling to be found on Google for phrases like “lawn care services.” After doing some research, they discovered they were the only one to find that “affordable lawn care Richmond VA” was a lot less competitive however, it still received the exact same search results from their target people.
After optimizing the search term, “their page rank on the first page, driving steady traffic from an audience with high purchase intent, ultimately increasing leads by 30% in just a few months”.
Case Study: Content Website Strategy
I was once a part of an online cooking site that could not compete with terms such as “pasta recipes” against huge food websites. We discovered”quick and easy pasta recipes “quick weeknight pasta recipes for beginners” was a lot less competition.
Through the creation of detailed content around this keyword and putting it on the first page in just two weeks. Although the keyword had only 300 search results per month, their visitors were precisely their intended audience and a lot of them were signed up to their newsletter.
Case Study: E-commerce Product Pages
An online store that sells office equipment can’t be ranked as “desk chairs” due to an overwhelming competition. The research showed that “ergonomic desk chairs for small apartments” had a lower competition.
They designed a special category page that targeted this particular keyword. It has been one of their most successful pages, achieving 15 percent conversion as compared to their average of 2.3 percent.
Common Mistakes to Avoid When Targeting Low-Competition Keywords
Even experienced marketers can make these errors when using keywords with low competition:
Ignoring Search Intent
A keyword’s very little competition, doesn’t mean it’s not worth pursuing. Make sure to check out what content is currently ranked for the keyword in order to determine what people actually want.
For instance, if your company is selling a product, but the term is used mostly to display blogs with informational posts in the search results, it could be difficult to rank your product’s page with that keyword.
Focusing Only on Difficulty Score
While the scores for keyword difficulty are useful, they aren’t telling the entire picture. Sometimes, a keyword may show low difficulty, but it is dominating by big brands or has a small number of searches.
“Boosting your organic traffic doesn’t have to take forever. One great way to get visitors to your site is by targeting low-competition keywords,” Semrush 3 says. Semrush 3. however, they also focus on the actual results of a search rather than just the numbers.
Neglecting Keyword Relevance
Certain keywords with low competition may be simple to rank for, but they are not relevant in relation to the business you run. Make sure you choose keywords that align with the needs of your customers and your products and services.
Targeting Too Many Keywords at Once
Concentrate on a few sets of keywords that are low-competition for every piece of content, instead of trying to reach a multitude of irrelevant keywords. This will help you create more cohesive and useful content.
How to Implement Low-Competition Keywords Effectively
Finding keywords with low competition is only the beginning. Here’s how to utilize effectively
Content Creation Strategies
- Create a comprehensive blog: “Ensure each post is comprehensive and covers the topic thoroughly” to meet the user’s expectations.
- Keywords related to each other Create content clusters around similar low-competition keywords. Each page focusing on one specific key word while linking to related pages.
- Answer questions with precision If you are you are targeting keywords based on question ensure that your content is able to answer to the question at the beginning of the text.
- Add your personal experience: “Add original research, case studies, or personal experiences that stand out” to increase the value of your content and distinctive. 7..
On-Page Optimization
- Use natural keywords include your desired keyword in key places such as the title, headings, the beginning paragraph as well as throughout the content However, avoid keyword overfilling.
- Improve meta tag optimization Create captivating meta descriptions and title tags which include keywords that are low-cost.
- Utilize semantic keywords include relevant terms and phrases to aid search engines in understanding your content more clearly.
- Enhance the readability: “Write smaller sentences to increase readability” in the manner the user has requested. Also, utilize bullet points, headers or images in order to create the content simpler to read.
Tools and Resources for Ongoing Keyword Research
Researching keywords should be a continuous process. Here are some tools that can assist you in finding new keywords that are low-competition:
Free Tools
- Google Search Console (shows keywords that you have already ranked for)
- Google Trends (identifies increasing keywords for search)
- AnswerThePublic (finds questions-related keywords)
- Google’s “People also ask” and “Related searches” features
Paid Tools
- Ahrefs (comprehensive search engine research, competitor analyses and keyword analysis)
- Semrush (excellent for identifying gaps in keywords and identifying opportunities)
- Moz Keyword Explorer (provides priority scores for certain keywords)
- Ubersuggest (good option for budget with the most basic metrics for keywords)
Based on Neil Patel’s Ubersuggest description it will help to “get insight into the strategies that are working for others in your market so you can adopt them, improve them, and gain an edge” 5..
Special Considerations for Different Types of Websites
Different websites require different strategies for low-competition keyword research.
For New Websites
If your site is brand new and has no authority:
- Make sure you focus on extremely low competition keywords (KD less than 10)
- Long-tail keywords to target using 3+ phrases
- Look into local keywords, if applicable.
- Create content clusters based on similar terms
For E-commerce Sites
The focus of online stores should be:
- Keywords that are specific to the product
- Buyer intent terms (best, buy, review, etc.)
- Comparison keywords (vs, versus, alternative)
- Keywords for questions concerning products
For Service Businesses
Service providers gain from:
- Keywords for local service
- Problem-solution keywords
- Specific to industry, long-tail terms
- Keywords for questions about services
Tracking and Measuring Success
What can you tell whether your low-competition strategy is successful? Keep track of these indicators:
- Rankings of keywords Track the way your keywords are moved higher in the search results
- organic traffic Find out if the majority of visitors come from search engines
- Measures of engagement Take a look at the length of the page, bounce rate and the number of pages per session to determine the quality of the content
- Conversions Record how many of your visitors complete desired actions (purchases and sign-ups.)
“Boosting your organic traffic doesn’t have to take forever,” says Semrush 3. however, you must be able to monitor the progress and refine your strategy.
Creating a Long-Term Low-Competition Keyword Strategy
For lasting success, develop a systematic approach:
- Regular keyword study Make time each month to discover new low-cost opportunities
- Calendar of content Make content plans around your most effective keywords
- Monitoring competitors Pay attention on your competitors to discover new gaps in the market for keywords.
- Content Updates Refresh regularly existing content by adding new keywords and other information.
- Create authority Focusing on the terms with low competition, make an effort to increase the authority of your website overall through backlinks and building brand awareness
Conclusion: The Power of Low-Competition Keywords
Searching for and focusing on low-competition keywords isn’t just a trick, it’s an effective approach for any site looking to boost SEO results. By focusing on keywords that have less competition and a higher rank, you will be able to rank more quickly as well as receive more targeted traffic and gain momentum for your overall SEO efforts.
The most efficient approach is to mix various strategies:
- Utilizing trusted tools to discover keywords to be used
- Comparing competitors to identify the gaps
- Concentrating on long-tail Keywords
- Producing high-quality content that fully meets the search engine’s needs
- Evaluation of results and altering strategies accordingly
Keep in mind that, as Semrush states, low-competition keywords include “phrases you can feasibly rank well for-meaning appear high in search results-without having to battle against many established competitors”. If you incorporate them as a major element in the SEO plan, you’re deciding on fights you’ll actually be victorious, which means greater visibility and improved outcomes for your site.
No matter if you’re a novice newbie or an experienced marketer seeking to boost outcomes, low-competition keywords are the best chance to boost your SEO performance. Begin implementing these strategies today and you’ll probably be able to see the results quicker than if you only target extremely competitive keywords.
