How to Find Low Competition Keywords for SEO Success

One of the big rookie mistakes many beginner SEO marketers make is chasing for high-volume, high-difficulty keywords. Yes, indeed, being able to rank for such keywords can create a serious SEO boost for your website, but, of course, there’s a catch. 

First, high-competition keywords are expensive. You’ll need to have an exponentially unlimited budget to continue supporting them. But it’s actually the second reason that makes it practically impossible for a vast majority of websites to rank for high-competition keywords.

You need to have a very high Domain Authority score. 

How high? Well, if you want to rank for keywords with a difficulty of 70-80% and higher, you’ll need to be on the level of established industry leaders. Think Forbes, Amazon, Wikipedia. Or you need to be a long-standing niche expert with a decade or more of consistent content and high-quality backlinks, like HubSpot in marketing or WebMD in health.

If you aren’t a .gov or .edu domain and aren’t already doing extremely well in SEO, low-competition keywords with a difficulty of 50% is realistically what you can try to rank for. 

Luckily, it’s totally not bad news. 

In this article, we talk in detail about how to use low-competition keywords to advance your SEO.

What Are Low Competition Keywords?

Low competition keywords are those keywords that have a low level of keyword difficulty. 

Keyword difficulty is a SEO metric which estimates how hard it would be to rank for this or that keyword. It’s usually measured on a 1-100 scale with 100 being the hardest. 

You can use SEO tools like Ahrefs, SEMrush, and Moz and they, each in turn, use various methods to calculate KD, but the general formula includes:

• The number of backlinks pointing to top-ranking pages.
• The authority of ranking domains (e.g., Domain Rating (DR) or Domain Authority (DA)).
• The content quality of top-ranking pages.

Keyword Difficulty (%)	Example Keyword	How Hard Is It to Rank
20% (Easy)	“best ergonomic mouse for small hands”	🔹 Low competition. 🔹 New websites with good content and basic SEO can rank. 🔹 Few backlinks required.
50% (Medium)	“best wireless keyboard 2025”	🔹 Moderate competition. 🔹 Requires strong content, some backlinks, and good on-page SEO. 🔹 Established niche sites will rank more easily.
80% (Hard)	“best gaming laptop”	🔹 High competition. 🔹 Dominated by major brands (Amazon, Best Buy, CNET, etc.). 🔹 Requires a high-authority website, strong backlink profile, and highly optimized content to compete.

As you can see, keywords with lower difficulty tend to get much more specific, while higher difficulty keywords are more generic. That is why lower-difficulty keywords have fewer websites competing for them and they are called low-competition keywords. 

Where there’s less competition, new sites tend to have more elbow room to work on their rankings. 

Lower-competition keywords very often:

• Have lower search volume, but attract highly targeted users because of narrower queries. These users know exactly what they’re searching for and often have search intent other than informational. 
• Require fewer backlinks to rank, which is good if you’re just starting out.
• Present faster ranking opportunities with well-optimized content.

Low Competition Keywords vs. Long-Tail Keywords

Low competition keywords are not to be confused with long-tail keywords. 

• Long-tail keywords are simply more specific search phrases of 3 or more words. 

They can still have an impossibly high difficulty level. 

For example: Best DSLR camera for professional photographers 2025 has an estimated difficulty of 75-80%.

• Low-competition words can be both short-tail and long-tail. The competition level is not determined by the length of the query and how specific it is, but rather by factors like search volume, backlink competition, and authority of ranking pages.

For example: fermented honey has an estimated keyword difficulty of 10-20% (low and easy to rank for even for new sites). 

Why Low Competition Keywords Are Crucial for SEO

The first and foremost reason is quite obvious: they are the only option available to new sites. Every site has to start somewhere, and it would be low-competition keywords. However, they have their own benefits which make low-difficulty keywords an essential part of the SEO strategy for any site. 

1. Easier to Rank For – few websites rank for them, so you have a better chance of ranking on page one.
2. Higher Conversion Rates – These keywords often indicate strong user intent, leading to better click-through rates (CTR) and conversions.
3. Faster SEO Results – Instead of waiting months or years to rank for a high-competition keyword, you can gain visibility in weeks with low competition terms.
4. Cost-Effective for Paid Ads – If you’re running PPC campaigns, low competition keywords usually have a much, much lower cost-per-click (CPC) compared to high-competition ones.
5. Great for Niche Authority – Consistently ranking for low competition keywords helps build topical authority in your niche, making it easier to rank for harder keywords over time.

How to find low competition keywords

If you want to find low-competition keywords, you should approach it as a constant, systematic process which should involve analysis, research and validation stages. You will also need to select tools that help you to carry out these tasks, sort, filter and estimate results. 

Here are a few key steps that will allow you to build a solid workflow for locating low-competition keywords for your niche. 

Step 1: Brainstorm Seed Keywords

Seed keywords are actually broad topics or semantic clusters for your niche. You should start by identifying them. 

To define your seed keywords you need to answer a few very specific questions:

• What questions does my target audience ask most often?
• What topics do my competitors cover?
• What are Google Autocomplete results for the most generic search starters in my niche?

Example: 

You are selling equipment for sports, fitness and workouts. You target audience are gyms but also people who workout at home. One of your sub-fields would be home workout equipment. Resistance bands are used a lot for home workouts. This keyword itself is high-competition, but it’s your starting point for making it more specific and lower-difficulty. 

Here are some example of low-competition variations:

• “best resistance bands for seniors” (KD: 20%)
• “how to clean resistance bands” (KD: 15%)
• “resistance band exercises for arms” (KD: 30%)

Step 2: Use Keyword Research Tools to Find Long-Tail and Low-Difficulty Variations

If you work in a certain niche, a mere fact of pin-pointing a seed keyword will immediately spark a few low-difficulty variants, like we’ve shown above. But your task is to find as many as possible. And it’s perfectly okay to use tools to help you brainstorm.

AI tools like ChatGPT, DeepSeek, Gemini or Grok are good for ideation. But you can also use keyword-specific tools which don’t just help you find keyword variations but give immediate estimation and SEO metrics for your finds.

Best keyword research tools:

• Google Keyword Planner (Free) – Provides search volume and competition estimates.
• Ahrefs / SEMrush / Ubersuggest – Show keyword difficulty (KD) and ranking potential.
• AnswerThePublic – Extracts user questions from Google searches.
• Keywords Everywhere – A browser extension that provides keyword metrics on Google searches.

Step 3: Analyze Keyword Difficulty and Competition

At this point you should have a spreadsheet with your seed keywords/semantic clusters and preferably a few dozen variants of low-competition keywords for each. 

You need to populate it with stats for each and select the best opportunities. Your goal is to locate keywords with low KD but higher search volumes. 

How to evaluate keyword difficulty:

• Use Ahrefs / SEMrush / Moz to check Keyword Difficulty (KD) (aim for 30% or lower for easier ranking).
• Analyze the top 10 search results:
  • Are they dominated by high-authority sites (Amazon, Wikipedia, Forbes)?
  • Are there low-DA sites or forums (like Quora, Reddit)?
• Check the backlink profile of top-ranking pages. If top results have few backlinks, it’s easier to outrank them.

Example:

• Keyword: “best resistance bands for travel”
• KD: 18% (low competition)
• Top results: Small fitness blogs, Quora, niche e-commerce pages (not Amazon or big brands)
• Good target keyword for a new blog or small website!

Step 4: Check Search Intent

When you are researching your keywords and are trying to find low-difficulty queries that will actually work, you absolutely need to consider search intent. Why is it so essential? 

Search intent determines why users search for a keyword and whether ranking for it will drive relevant traffic.  

Types of search intent:

• Informational (How-to guides, blogs) → easier to rank, but will drive a lot of online ‘window-shoppers’. Good when your priority is to show general traffic increase. 
• Navigational (Brand searches) → harder to rank for,  but if you use targeted keywords, can drive ‘warmed-up’ audience. 
• Commercial and/or Transactional (Buy, best, review) → higher competition but converts well, finding lower-difficulty variants will increase conversions. 

How to check search intent:

• Google the keyword – Do the top results contain guides, product pages, or forum discussions? 
• Look for Featured Snippets – If Google answers the query directly, competition is sure to be tough. 

Example:

• Keyword: “how to use resistance bands for chest”
• Intent: Informational (best for a blog post)
• Ranking difficulty: Low, because fitness blogs dominate results (not big e-commerce sites).
• Impact: will drive traffic, but not a lot of visitors may be potential buyers.

Step 5: Validate with Google Trends and SERP Analysis

Now, you should be able to sort and filter your already huge spreadsheet with seed keywords and their lower-competition variants by their difficulty, search volume and search intent. Before committing to a keyword, it’s best if you also check trends and SERP competitiveness. 

Validation steps:

• Use Google Trends to see if search interest is growing.
• Perform a Google search and analyze:
  • Are low-DA sites ranking or is the first SERP is dominated by competitors out of your league completely?
  • Are there gaps in content you can fill, especially for your direct and equal competitors?
  • Does Google suggest related searches that could be easier?

Example:

• Keyword: “best resistance bands for men”
• Google Trends: This query shows seasonal spikes (interest increases in January, after meal-heavy holiday season).
• SERP analysis: Top results are blog posts and YouTube videos, not just e-commerce sites, which is a good sign for smaller sites.
• Ranking is possible with a well-optimized article and some backlinks.

Step 6: Monitor and Adjust Your Strategy

As you have already realized by now, after you’ve done this extensive research, you cannot rely on its results being relevant always. Trends come and go, your SEO goals change as you grow. You may want to readjust your strategy for different search intent or keyword difficulty level or once you have your first results. 

That’s why you should always track your results and refine your strategy. 

Tracking tools:

• Google Search Console → See keyword rankings and impressions.
• Ahrefs / SEMrush → Monitor keyword position changes.
• Google Analytics → Track traffic and user engagement.

When to optimize keywords:

• If a keyword ranks on page 2, update content and build more backlinks.
• If traffic is low, tweak meta descriptions for better CTR.
• If a keyword gains traction, expand with related content.

Tips for Optimizing Content with Low Competition Keywords

Defining a pool of keywords you can rank for with a fair chance to score well isn’t enough. You need to also prepare your content accordingly so that your ranking strategy is based on a great on-page SEO.  Here are some important things you should checkbox. 

1. Place Keywords in Key On-Page Elements

Google doesn’t evaluate the entire body of your content equally. Instead, it scans for specific parts of it.  Thus, you need your low competition keywords to appear in the right places:

✅ Title Tag (H1) – Include the keyword naturally.
✅ URL – Keep it short and keyword-rich (e.g., example.com/best-budget-resistance-bands).
✅ Meta Description – Write a concise, keyword-optimized summary that is neither misleading nor clickbait.
✅ Headings (H2, H3, H4) – Use keywords and variations in subheadings.
✅ First 100 Words – Place the main keyword early in your introduction. Preferably, in the very first sentence. If you can answer a specific user question with a text containing your keyword – do it. It increases your chances of getting picked for Google Featured Snippets.
✅ Image Alt Text – Optimize images with descriptive, keyword-rich alt tags.

Example:

• Keyword: “best resistance bands for beginners”
• Title: “Best Resistance Bands for Beginners: Top Picks & How to Use Them”
• Meta Description: “Looking for the best resistance bands for beginners? Explore our expert-recommended options and learn how to use them effectively.”

2. Focus on Search Intent and Quality User Experience

Low-competition keywords are most of the times narrowly targeted, highly specific and have a defined search intent. Your content should align with all of these. When a user opens your page, they should find exactly what they’ve been looking for, not a generic piece on the topic. 

If the keyword is informational:

• Create in-depth guides, tutorials, or FAQs (e.g., “how to use resistance bands for legs”).
• Add step-by-step instructions and images for clarity.

If the keyword is more commercial:

• Write product reviews, comparison articles, or best-of lists (e.g., “best resistance bands under $20”).
• Include clear recommendations, pros & cons, and buying guides.

It will also be a good practice to check SERP for each keyword to see what format do top-ranking results use. 

3. Create Comprehensive and Well-Structured Content

Google gives more points to content that is on-point, easy to read and navigate through and answers the search query in full detail. 

✅ Use bullet points and  short paragraphs for readability.
✅ Break up content with H2s, H3s, and images.
✅ Include tables, table-of-contents, FAQs, and key takeaways for easy scanning.

Example Structure for “How to Use Resistance Bands for Arms”
🔹 Introduction
🔹 Benefits of Resistance Bands for Arm Workouts
🔹 Step-by-Step Guide (with images)
🔹 Common Mistakes & How to Avoid Them
🔹 Best Resistance Bands for Arm Workouts

4. Optimize for Featured Snippets

Featured Snippets (position 0 on Google) can hugely prop your efforts because it will be on page 1 at the very top of the list even if in SERP your site isn’t #1. Although the very presence of featured snippets for the keyword you’re trying to rank for is rather a sign of higher competition. 

But if you find a keyword that doesn’t have Featured Snippers on SERP, it’s your chance to stand out. 

✅ Answer the question directly in the first 1-2 sentences.
✅ Use numbered lists or bullet points for step-by-step queries.
✅ Include a concise summary at the end of sections.

Example (For “How to Clean Resistance Bands”)
How to Clean Resistance Bands:

1. Fill a bowl with lukewarm water and mild soap.
2. Soak the bands for 5-10 minutes.
3. Gently wipe them with a soft cloth.
4. Rinse with clean water and air dry.

5. Use the Right Combination of Internal and External Links

🔗 Internal Links:

• Link to related content on your site. This actually greatly improves user experience (e.g., “Best resistance bands” → “How to use resistance bands for legs”) and can help you score some important website metrics like user penetration or lower bounce rates.

🔗 External Links:

• Link to trusted sources (studies, brand websites) to add credibility.

6. Use Images, Videos, and Infographics

According to statistics, most users prefer the presence of visual content to solid sheets of texts. It keeps users on your page longer and engages multiple perception channels.

✅ Use custom images or product photos instead of stock photos.
✅ Embed videos (especially if search results include YouTube videos).
✅ Create infographics for step-by-step guides.

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Targeting Low Competition Keywords

Low-competition keywords are really easier to rank for. While most websites don’t really make mistakes that have detrimental consequences, a lot of them actually fail completely to use low-competition keywords to their full potential. 

Below are 3 common errors that won’t kill your SEO, but will make ranking for low-difficulty keywords and exercise in futility. 

1. Ignoring Search Intent

🔴 The Mistake:

• Choosing a keyword without considering what users actually want when they search for it.
• Creating the wrong type of content (e.g., writing a blog post when users expect a product page).

✅ How to Avoid It:

• Analyze top-ranking pages for your keyword—if most results are “how-to” guides, write an in-depth tutorial instead of a sales page.
• Use Google’s “People Also Ask” and related searches to refine your content approach.
• Structure your content based on the expected format and intent (informational, commercial, navigational, or transactional).

Example:

• Bad: Writing a long philosophical blog post for “best budget resistance bands” when searchers are looking for a product list or comparison.
• Good: Creating a comparison guide with pros & cons, links to buy, and product images.

2. Not Optimizing for On-Page SEO

🔴 The Mistake:

• Finding a great low competition keyword but not placing it strategically in key on-page elements.
• Writing content without structured formatting, internal linking, or metadata optimization.

✅ How to Avoid It:

• Use the keyword naturally in the title tag, URL, headings, first paragraph, and meta description.
• Optimize images with descriptive alt text and filename keywords (e.g., resistance-bands-exercises.jpg).

Improve readability with bullet points, subheadings, and short paragraphs. Use tools like Grammarly if you have to, to check your readability score.

Example:

• Bad: Keyword appears only once in the entire article, making it hard for search engines to determine relevance.
• Good: Keyword is included in H1, URL, H2s, image alt text, and naturally throughout the content.

3. Targeting Low Competition Keywords with Zero Search Volume

🔴 The Mistake:

• You focus on ultra-low competition keywords that no one is searching for.
• Waste effort on ranking for terms with no traffic potential.

✅ How to Avoid It:

• Check search volume using Google Keyword Planner, Ahrefs, SEMrush, or Ubersuggest.
• Aim for low competition keywords with at least 100+ monthly searches.
• Balance competition and traffic potential—don’t just go for the lowest KD%, ensure people are actually searching for it.

Example:

• Bad: Writing an article for “how to use blue resistance bands for yoga” (too specific, near-zero searches).
• Good: Targeting “best resistance bands for yoga” (low competition but has real search traffic).

Conclusion:

Working with low-competition keywords requires a systematic, complex approach. It entails extensive research and analysis that you will need to do on a regular basis. It also requires you to consider user search intent and align your strategy with it at all times. And last but not least, it can quickly go pear-shaped if you neglect your on-page SEO. 

Working with low-competition keywords can be an excellent SEO opportunity not just for new sites, but for any SEO marketers who value highly targeted traffic and are working on a budget. With tips and tricks described in this article, it is made easy!