Find Keywords with Low Competition to Rank Faster

Do not index

Simply put, low-competition keywords are search terms that aren't being targeted by every major player in your industry. This makes it much easier for new or smaller websites to actually show up on the first page of Google.

Think of them as the strategic backroads to attracting the right kind of traffic, without having to fight tooth and nail against the big dogs.

Your Secret Weapon for SEO Success

Ever tried merging onto a packed highway during rush hour? That’s what it feels like trying to rank for a super popular keyword. You’re stuck in a frustrating crawl, barely moving, with zero chance of getting ahead.

Now, imagine spotting a clear, open side road that leads right where you need to go. That’s the power of targeting keywords with low competition.

These terms are your secret weapon, letting you bypass the digital gridlock. They give new and smaller sites a real shot at gaining traction, building authority, and seeing tangible results without getting crushed by established industry giants. This guide is your map to finding and leveraging these invaluable keywords.

Why Focus on Less Crowded Terms?

For anyone just starting out, going after broad, high-volume keywords is like a tiny boat trying to ride out a hurricane. The waves created by massive, authoritative websites are just too powerful.

Low-competition keywords, on the other hand, offer a much calmer sea and a more direct route to your ideal audience. This approach comes with some serious perks:

Faster Rankings: You have a realistic shot at hitting page one for terms that aren't already dominated by household names.

Highly Targeted Traffic: People searching for super-specific phrases are usually much further along in their buying journey and are more likely to convert.

Building Authority: Every time you rank for one of these keywords, you send a positive signal to search engines, slowly but surely building your site's credibility.

This strategy is a game-changer for newer websites. In fact, these keywords can often lead to rankings within weeks, even if you don't have a massive backlink profile. Their specificity doesn't just cut down on the competition; it actually speeds up your SEO momentum, allowing you to build authority that will eventually help you target bigger terms.

By consistently creating killer content around these less competitive topics, you start showing Google that you're an authority in your niche. Search engines begin to understand what your site is all about by connecting the dots between all these semantically related keywords.

This process of building topical relevance is the bedrock of modern SEO. If you want to dive deeper into how this works, check out our guide on what is semantic SEO.

Ultimately, this isn't just about scoring easy wins. It's about laying a strong, sustainable foundation for long-term growth and visibility.

What Makes a Keyword Low Competition

Figuring out what makes a keyword low competition is less about hard science and more about smart observation. It's not just a hunt for terms with low search volume. Instead, it’s about finding those overlooked corners of the internet where you can genuinely add value that no one else is providing.

Think of it like a real estate developer scouting for the next up-and-coming neighborhood. While everyone else is locked in a bidding war over downtown skyscrapers (high-competition keywords), the savvy developer finds a hidden gem of a neighborhood that’s being completely ignored. It might not have the flashy foot traffic yet, but all the signs point to massive potential. In SEO, those signs are the metrics that tell us a keyword is ready for the taking.

The Core Metrics That Signal Opportunity

To really see if a keyword is low-hanging fruit, you have to look past the surface. A handful of key indicators will tell you the real story about the competitive landscape. Any solid keyword research strategy involves looking at these factors together, not in isolation.

Here are the most important signals to watch for:

Keyword Difficulty (KD): This is a score, usually from 0-100, that SEO tools provide to estimate how hard it'll be to crack the first page of Google. A lower KD score, typically anything below 30, is a strong hint that the competition is weak.

Domain Authority (DA) of Ranking Pages: This metric gives you a sense of a website's overall ranking power. If the top results for a keyword are all dominated by sites with a DA of 80+, you’re in for a serious fight. But if you spot sites with DAs under 50, that's basically an open invitation to jump in.

Quality of Existing Content: This is where your human brain comes in. Click on the top-ranking pages. Is the content thin, outdated, or just plain unhelpful? If the current results are weak, you have a clear shot at outranking them by simply creating something better.

To make this crystal clear, let's break down the differences in a simple table.

Characteristics of Low vs High Competition Keywords

This table shows the key differences between the keywords you should target and the ones you should probably avoid, at least for now.

Characteristic	Low Competition Keywords	High Competition Keywords
Search Volume	Typically lower (e.g., 50-500/month)	Very high (e.g., 10,000+/month)
Keyword Difficulty (KD)	Low (usually <30)	High (often 70+)
Ranking DAs	Mix of low and high DAs (<50)	Dominated by high DAs (70-90+)
Content Quality	Often thin, outdated, or low-quality	Typically high-quality, comprehensive
Search Intent	Very specific, high-intent	Broad, general-intent
Conversion Potential	High, as users are closer to a decision	Low, as users are often browsing

Looking at it this way, you can see that the goal isn't just to find any keyword, but the right keyword—one where the path to ranking is clear and the reward is worth the effort.

Unpopular vs. Undiscovered Keywords

Here's a classic rookie mistake: confusing an unpopular keyword with an undiscovered one. There's a huge difference. An unpopular keyword has low search volume because, well, nobody is searching for it. An undiscovered keyword, on the other hand, has real search volume but is being ignored by the big players.

Let's say you find a keyword like "best vegan dog food for senior poodles with allergies." It might only get 50 monthly searches. But the people typing that in are incredibly specific and probably have their credit card in hand. If the top results are just random forum threads or generic blog posts, that's a goldmine.

A keyword with 50 specific, high-intent searches can be far more valuable than one with 5,000 broad, low-intent searches. It’s about attracting the right audience, not just any audience.

Now, consider a keyword like "best cat food." It might pull in a whopping 50,000 monthly searches, but it's completely dominated by pet food giants and massive retailers. Trying to rank for that is like that small developer trying to outbid a multi-billion dollar corporation for a skyscraper in Times Square. It's just not a smart fight.

By focusing on those specific, underserved queries, you can build a powerful foundation of targeted traffic that actually converts.

Why Long-Tail Keywords Are Your Best Friends

Here's a little secret: keywords with low competition and long-tail keywords are basically two sides of the same coin. They're deeply connected, and understanding this relationship is key to unlocking some serious SEO wins.

To really get it, let's follow a typical customer's search journey. Nobody starts their search with a super-specific, perfectly formed query. It's a process.

Imagine someone needs new running shoes. Their journey probably starts with a broad, vague search like "running shoes." This is a classic high-competition term. Google is flooded with results from Nike, Adidas, and massive retailers. The searcher is just browsing, and their intent to buy is pretty low.

As they click around, they start to figure out what they actually need. Their search gets a little more specific, maybe evolving to "trail running shoes." The competition is still tough, but it's a step closer.

The Power of Specificity

After a bit more research, they've nailed down their exact requirements. They have wide feet, run on wet trails, and need something that will last.

Suddenly, their search query transforms into: "waterproof trail running shoes for wide feet."

Boom. That’s a long-tail keyword. It’s a longer, more conversational phrase that, by its very nature, weeds out most of the competition. The big brands duking it out for "running shoes" probably aren't creating content for this super-niche query. And that's exactly where you come in.

By its very nature, a long-tail keyword carves out a smaller, more defined audience. This specificity dramatically reduces competition and connects you with users who know exactly what they want.

These hyper-specific phrases are the backbone of any smart SEO strategy. In fact, some studies have shown that longer search queries get roughly 1.76 times more clicks than generic one or two-word searches. Why? Because the results feel tailor-made for the searcher's exact problem, making them far more likely to click.

Higher Intent Equals Higher Conversions

The real magic of long-tail keywords isn't just dodging the competition—it's the user intent behind the search.

Someone typing "shoes" into Google is just window shopping. But a person searching for "best waterproof trail running shoes for wide feet size 11" has their credit card in hand. They've moved past the research phase and are ready to make a purchase.

This direct link to high-purchase intent is why long-tail keywords have such awesome conversion rates. You aren't just attracting eyeballs; you're attracting qualified buyers who are actively looking for the solution you offer.

Here’s a quick breakdown of why these phrases are so valuable:

Less Competition: Far fewer websites are targeting these ultra-specific queries.

Targeted Audience: You're connecting with people who have a crystal-clear need.

Higher Conversion Rates: The traffic you attract is way more likely to lead to a sale or a signup.

Builds Authority: Ranking for dozens of specific long-tail terms establishes you as the expert in your niche.

When you understand how people naturally narrow down their searches, you can meet them at that critical final step of their journey. For a deeper dive, check out our complete guide on long-tail keyword research. It’s all about shifting your focus from chasing the biggest audience to capturing the right audience.

Alright, let's move from theory to action. This is where the real wins happen. Finding keywords with low competition isn't about getting lucky; it's about building a smart, repeatable process you can use over and over again.

We'll walk through a workflow that blends free, gut-instinct methods with the hard data from dedicated SEO tools. The goal is simple: build a list of high-potential keywords you can start creating content for right away.

Think of it like panning for gold. First, you scoop up a wide net of rocks and sediment—that's your initial brainstorming. Then, you bring in the specialized tools to sift through it all, filtering out the worthless gravel until only the shiny nuggets are left. Let's get our hands dirty and start gathering that sediment.

This simple workflow shows how we'll go from broad ideas, to using tools for refinement, and finally analyzing the results to pinpoint your best opportunities.

This process is designed to take you from a massive pool of possibilities to a tight, focused list of actionable, low-competition keywords ready for content.

Start With Free and Powerful Manual Methods

Before you even think about opening a paid tool, you can dig up dozens of keyword ideas just by paying attention to how real people search and talk online. These methods are free, fast, and incredibly good at tapping into the actual language your audience uses.

1. Mine Google's Built-in Features Google itself is your first and best research partner. It's constantly trying to guess what people want, leaving a trail of valuable keyword clues in plain sight.

Google Autocomplete: Just start typing a seed keyword into the search bar. Pay close attention to what Google suggests. These are popular, real-time searches that can spark some fantastic long-tail ideas.

People Also Ask (PAA): This little box is a goldmine for question-based keywords. If you can answer these specific questions directly and clearly, you have a much better shot at ranking quickly.

Related Searches: Always scroll to the bottom of the results page. This section often uncovers different ways people phrase their searches and related topics you might not have thought of.

2. Explore Community Hubs and Forums Want to know what your audience is really struggling with? Go hang out where they do. Forums and Q&A sites are unfiltered firehoses of user pain points, burning questions, and unmet needs.

Websites like Reddit and Quora are raw, unedited windows into your customer’s mind. The language they use—the exact phrasing of their problems—is the language you should be using in your content.

Search these platforms for your core topics. Look for thread titles and questions that pop up again and again. A question that gets asked repeatedly is a massive flashing sign of an underserved topic—and a perfect low-competition keyword opportunity. For an even deeper dive on these foundational steps, you can learn more about how to find low-competition keywords in our dedicated guide.

Use SEO Tools to Filter and Validate

Once you've got a healthy list of brainstormed ideas, it's time to bring in the heavy machinery. SEO tools like Ahrefs or Semrush are what let you add cold, hard data to your intuition, helping you filter your list down to the most promising candidates.

Your goal here is to analyze the "rocks" you gathered in the first step. You'll plug in your seed keywords and use specific filters to sift for the gold—keywords that have low Keyword Difficulty (KD) scores but still have decent search volume.

Here's a typical workflow inside an SEO tool:

Enter Your Seed Keywords: Start by plugging the core topics and ideas you brainstormed into the tool's keyword explorer feature.

Apply a Keyword Difficulty Filter: This is your most important move. Set the KD filter to a maximum of 20 or 30. This immediately cuts out the hyper-competitive terms you can't realistically rank for yet.

Set a Minimum Search Volume: To make sure there's at least some traffic potential, you can set a minimum monthly search volume, maybe around 50 or 100. Don't be scared of the smaller numbers; a cluster of keywords with 50 monthly searches each can add up to significant traffic.

Look for Modifiers: Use the tool’s filters to include question words like "how," "what," "where," or "why." This is an awesome trick for surfacing informational long-tail keywords that are often way less competitive.

For those in the e-commerce world, especially on Amazon, don't overlook platform-specific tools. For instance, finding winning keywords using Brand Analytics can give you a completely different—and powerful—layer of insight that complements traditional SEO tools perfectly.

By combining manual observation with data-driven filtering, you create a solid, repeatable process for consistently uncovering those low-competition keywords that will drive targeted, high-intent traffic to your site.

How to Analyze the SERPs and Validate Your Choices

A keyword tool’s difficulty score is a fantastic starting point, but it's never the final word. Think of it as an educated guess—a weather forecast for your ranking chances. To know if you’ll really need a raincoat, you have to look outside. The same is true for low-competition keywords. The absolute truth lies on the search engine results page (SERP).

Learning to manually analyze the SERPs is a non-negotiable skill for any serious SEO or content creator. It’s the difference between blindly trusting an algorithm and making a sharp, strategic decision. This is where you move from theory to reality, looking at the actual pages Google has deemed worthy of the top spots and critically assessing your odds of breaking in.

You’re essentially becoming a digital detective. Your mission? Hunt for clues that signal a weak or vulnerable SERP. These clues show you where the gaps are, giving you a clear blueprint for creating content that can realistically outrank the current players.

Reading the SERP Like a Pro

The goal of a manual SERP check is simple: to confirm whether a keyword is actually as easy to rank for as the tools suggest. You're looking for tell-tale signs that the current top-ranking pages are not as untouchable as they seem.

Here's a quick visual example of a standard SERP you'd start picking apart for your chosen keyword.

Everything you see on this page tells a story about the level of competition you'll face.

A SERP crowded with powerhouse domains can be a red flag, sure, but the reality is often much more nuanced. Many search results are filled with older, weaker content just waiting for someone to come along and build something better.

Your SERP Analysis Checklist

As you scan the first page of Google, keep an eye out for these clear signs of a winnable keyword. Finding just one or two of these is a good sign; finding several is a major green light to go all in.

1. Weak Domain Authority Take a look at who is ranking. Is it dominated by household names like Forbes, Wikipedia, or major industry blogs? Or are you seeing smaller, niche blogs or company websites you’ve never heard of? If sites with a Domain Authority (DA) under 40 or 50 are ranking, it’s an open invitation for you to join the party.

2. Low-Quality or Outdated Content This is where your human judgment is irreplaceable. Click on the top few results and ask yourself some honest questions:

Is the information thin, generic, or just plain unhelpful?

Does the article have a publication date from several years ago?

Is the page poorly formatted, with huge walls of text and no visuals?

If you can confidently say, "I can create something 10x better than this," you've struck gold. Google’s primary goal is to serve the best possible answer to a query, and old, tired content is rarely the best.

3. User-Generated Content is Ranking High Are forum posts from sites like Reddit or Quora cracking the top five? This is one of the strongest signals of a weak SERP you can find.

This is your cue to create the definitive, well-structured article that directly answers the user’s question. You can easily leapfrog these results by providing a more comprehensive and organized piece of content. By spotting these weaknesses, you're no longer just guessing—you're making truly data-informed SEO decisions with a high probability of success.

Finding Keyword Opportunities in Your Industry

It’s one thing to understand the theory behind low-competition keywords. It's another thing entirely to know where to actually find them in your specific industry. This is where the real results come from.

Not all niches are created equal. Some are battlegrounds packed with digital giants, while others are wide-open fields just waiting to be claimed. The trick is knowing where to point your shovel.

Think of it like this: some industries, like consumer electronics, are saturated digital jungles. But others, especially in emerging tech sectors, are constantly creating new, uncharted territory. Knowing the climate your business operates in is the first step toward a smarter keyword strategy.

The good news? Recent trends show a few specific industries are absolutely overflowing with these opportunities. If you focus your search there, you’ll dramatically increase your odds of ranking fast and gaining traction.

Hotspots for Low Competition Keywords

The data doesn't lie—these golden opportunities aren't spread out randomly. An in-depth analysis across global markets spotted a very clear trend.

A massive 38.4% of low-competition keywords are found in the software industry. The financial services sector comes in next at 21.5%, followed by IT services at 13.85%. This makes perfect sense when you think about the explosive growth and constant innovation in these areas, which churns out new, underserved search terms every day.

This data is basically a treasure map. It shows you exactly where to start digging. If your business is in one of these sectors, you're already ahead of the game.

This is a critical distinction. A keyword might be an easy win for your blog content but an expensive bet for a paid campaign. It really reinforces the power of a solid, content-first SEO approach.

When you figure out how to spot these keywords, you're doing more than just finding search terms; you're uncovering strategic business advantages. The real skill is learning to see these openings before everyone else does. If you're ready to start hunting, our guide on finding low competition keywords breaks down the entire process.

Common Questions About Low Competition Keywords

Alright, so you're bought into the idea of hunting for low-competition keywords. Smart move. But before you dive headfirst into the SERPs, a few questions are probably bouncing around in your head.

How long will this actually take? Are those keywords with "zero" searches a complete waste of time? Can you really build a whole strategy on this? Let's clear the air and tackle these common questions so you can move forward with confidence.

How Long Does It Take to Rank?

This is the big one, isn't it? The honest answer is: it depends. But the good news is that ranking for a low-competition keyword is a sprint, not the marathon that high-volume head terms require.

For a truly weak SERP and a genuinely great piece of content, a newer site could start cracking the first few pages within weeks or a couple of months. That's a world away from the six, twelve, or even eighteen months it can take to get a whiff of page one for a hyper-competitive term.

Of course, a few things can speed up or slow down your timeline:

Your Content's Quality: Is your article just good, or is it the absolute best, most helpful answer out there? It needs to be the latter.

Your Site's Authority: A site that already has some credibility and a decent backlink profile will naturally climb faster than a brand-new domain.

Your SERP Analysis: This whole thing hinges on one question: Did you actually find a weak spot? If your assessment was on point, you'll see results.

The Value of Zero Search Volume

You run a keyword through your favorite tool, and it spits back a big fat "0" for monthly search volume. Useless, right? Not so fast.

Thinking a "zero search" keyword has no value is one of the biggest mistakes you can make. It often means the search volume is too low for the tool to track accurately, not that nobody is searching for it. In fact, these queries are often goldmines for traffic that converts.

A handful of these ultra-specific keywords might not seem like much on their own. But when you rank for a whole cluster of them, the combined traffic from highly-qualified, ready-to-act users can become a serious engine for your business.

Can This Be My Entire SEO Strategy?

For a new or small website? Absolutely. In fact, it’s probably the smartest way to get in the game. Building your entire initial strategy around keywords with low competition is a "bottom-up" approach that lets you stack wins and build real momentum.

Think about it. By ranking for dozens of these easier terms, you're not just getting traffic. You're also building topical authority in Google's eyes, proving you're a legitimate expert in your niche.

That authority and traffic often lead to natural backlinks, which makes your entire site stronger. This creates a powerful foundation that allows you to eventually punch higher and start competing for those bigger, tougher keywords. It’s a sustainable path to building a real SEO moat around your business.

Ready to stop fighting for crowded keywords and start ranking? Outrank uses AI to help you discover untapped keyword opportunities and create perfectly optimized content in minutes. Build your SEO foundation with Outrank and see how quickly you can climb the SERPs.