How to Find Low Competition Keywords: A 6-Step Guide

To find low competition keywords, start by listing the topics your buyers search. Expand them into a keyword list with volume and difficulty scores. Then filter to terms with real demand that a small site can win. The final test is reading the actual search results: if forums, thin pages, or weak domains rank, you can compete. This guide walks through how to find low competition keywords in six repeatable steps, so your next article targets a term you can actually rank for in 2026.

Why Do Low Competition Keywords Matter?

Low competition keywords matter because ranking is relative. You do not need the best page on the web, only a better one than the sites currently ranking. For a small domain, a low-difficulty term is often the only realistic path to the first page.

The data backs this up. According to an Ahrefs study, 94.74% of all search queries get 10 or fewer searches a month. Most demand lives in the long tail, where competition is thin. Chasing only high-volume head terms means fighting big brands for a sliver of the total searches.

Low competition keywords let a new site win now and save the hard terms for later, once it has earned authority.

What You'll Need Before You Start

You do not need an expensive stack to find low competition keywords. You need three things:

• A keyword data source. Managed keyword data, an Ahrefs or Semrush seat, or even free tools plus Google Search Console all work.
• An honest read on your authority. A brand-new site should aim lower than one with years of links.
• A list of seed topics. The problems, tools, and questions your audience actually types into Google.

With those in hand, the six steps below turn a vague topic into a shortlist of winnable terms.

How Do You Find Low Competition Keywords Step by Step?

Work through these six steps in order. Each one narrows the list toward terms you can rank for.

1. List seed topics your buyers search. Write down the real problems and questions your audience has. These seeds feed every later step, so make them specific.
2. Expand seeds into a keyword list. Run each seed through a keyword tool to pull related terms, monthly volume, and a difficulty score for every variation.
3. Filter by difficulty and volume. Keep terms with real search volume and a difficulty score your site can win. A new site should focus on low difficulty keywords, roughly under 10 to 20.
4. Read the actual search results. Open the results page for each survivor. Forums, thin posts, and small domains on page one signal a beatable term, whatever the score says.
5. Favor long-tail and question terms. Longer, more specific phrases carry less competition and clearer intent. A three or four word question often beats a one-word head term.
6. Map winners to intent and write. Group the keywords you kept by what the searcher wants, then write one strong page per topic that answers the query directly.

The output is a shortlist of high search volume low competition keywords, ranked by how easily you can win them.

What Are Common Mistakes to Avoid?

Most keyword hunts fail in the same few ways. Watch for these:

• Trusting the difficulty score alone. A low number means nothing if the results page is full of major brands. Always read the SERP.
• Chasing zero-demand terms. A keyword with no competition and no searches is not a win. Confirm real volume first.
• Ignoring intent. A term whose searchers want a product, not an article, brings traffic that never converts.
• Writing thin pages per keyword. Group related terms into one strong page instead of ten shallow ones.
• Skipping fresh trending keywords. New topics have a window of low competition before everyone piles in. Move early.

What Results Should You Expect?

Done well, this process gives you a backlog of terms you can rank for, not a wish list. Expect early wins on the easiest long-tail terms within a few months, and steady gains as your authority grows.

A concrete example helps. Say your seed is "invoice software." The head term is brutal, but "how to send a recurring invoice in stripe" is specific, has clear intent, and often shows forum threads on page one. That is a term a small site can win. Stack ten wins like it and you have a real traffic base, plus the internal links and authority to attempt harder terms next quarter.

The bottleneck then shifts from finding keywords to writing pages that actually rank for them. That is where Jack's SEO MCP fits. Your AI agent researches demand and writes each article from your business profile. Every draft must clear blocking anti-slop gates before it ships. If you want a wider primer first, our guide on choosing keywords for blog posts pairs well with this one, and you can compare data plans on the pricing page.

Key Takeaways

• Low competition keywords are terms few strong sites target, so a small site can rank without the best page on the web.
• Most demand is long-tail: 94.74% of queries get 10 or fewer monthly searches, per Ahrefs.
• Find them in six steps: seed topics, expand, filter, read the SERP, favor long-tail, then map to intent and write.
• The difficulty score is a hint, not the answer. Reading the actual results page is the real test.
• Confirm every keyword has real demand, or a low-competition term is just a page nobody searches for.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are low competition keywords?

Low competition keywords are search terms that few strong sites target, so a newer or smaller site has a real chance to rank. They usually have modest search volume, a low keyword difficulty score, and a results page that includes forums, thin pages, or weak domains. Low competition keywords are the fastest route to traffic for a site with little authority.

How do you know if a keyword is low competition?

You know a keyword is low competition by reading its search results, not just its difficulty score. Check whether the first page includes forums, Q&A sites, thin posts, or small domains rather than only big brands. A low keyword difficulty number is a hint, but the real test is whether a page like yours already ranks. If it does, you can compete.

Are low competition keywords worth targeting?

Low competition keywords are worth targeting for most small sites because they convert effort into rankings faster. A cluster of low-difficulty, long-tail terms can bring steady traffic while your domain earns the authority to chase harder keywords later. The trap is chasing terms with no demand at all, so always confirm each keyword has real searches behind it.

What is a good keyword difficulty score to aim for?

A good keyword difficulty score depends on your domain authority, but a new site should mostly target terms scored under 10 to 20 on a 0 to 100 scale. As your site earns links and ranks for easier terms, you can raise that ceiling. Difficulty scores differ between tools, so treat them as a rough guide and confirm with the actual results page.