What Are Low Competition Keywords?

Forget competing with giants. These "hidden gem" keywords can rank you on page one in just 30 days with zero backlinks.

Low competition keywords are simply those search terms with fewer competing sites for search engine results page rankings. They represent your backroad back door to traffic without having to fight it out with industry leaders. These are the streets parallel to the highway that gets you to your destination while the rest of your competition just sits idling on the highway.

They usually will have lower search volume, but have better conversion rates. Someone who is searching "best noise canceling headphones for small ears under $100", is much closer to buying, than someone searching for just "headphones".

Studies have found that low competition long-tail keywords generate 70% of all search traffic , so incredibly important as part of a successful SEO strategy.

The Significance of Low Competition Keywords Amplified in 2025

The SEO landscape has radically shifted! Big brands now have extensive budgets and years of authority backing them for competitive keywords. Attempting to go head to head with them is like bringing a knife to a gunfight.

Today's search strategies must center around intentional low-competition keywords, rather than just combining numbers. Here is what savvy marketers are recognizing:

• Speed to Rank: You can reach position one within weeks rather than 12–18 months when going after competitive terms
• Higher Conversion Rates: These words have buyer intent rather than browser intent
• Lower Costs: Save on content promotion and link building
• Establish Authority: Each time you rank for a low-competition term, it builds authority for your site in the eyes of Google

Ranking for competitive terms can take 12–18 months and often requires significant link-building as well. Perhaps time and money you could be utilizing to grow your business instead.

Finding Low Competition Keywords: A Step-by-Step Plan

Step 1: Apply Keyword Research Tools

Take time to engage quality keyword research tools that will provide you with the data you require. Some to consider are and aren’t limited to SE Ranking, Mangools, and Semrush (my three personal favorites for 2025), due to their different strengths.

Free Tools:

• Google Keyword Planner (excellent at validating search volume)
• Google Trends (identify rising trends before your competition)
• AnswerThePublic (since it is based on questions, you can find some specific keywords)

Paid Tools:

• SE Ranking (excellent features, price IDEAL, starting from $23.52/month)
• KWFinder from Mangools (great for beginners as well, starting from €29/month)
• Semrush (Double-check this one--actually has the most amount of any data source, approximately 25 billion keywords)

Step 2: Filter for the Right Metrics

Once you have the tool in place, focus on these three numbers--key numbers:

Keyword Difficulty (KD): Your target level should be below a KD of 30, anything lower will generally give you easier opportunities to rank. If you are new to the game and/or you are targeting a more competitive niche, your target should be selected keywords under 15.

Search Volume: Low volume search may give you some indication about the validity. A low volume number doesn't mean that the benefit isn't valid if it is a match, and anything 50-500 is highly targeted traffic that can convert better than general early high-volume keywords.

Search Intent: Always match keyword intent to the product of service, but certain keywords convey value: "best," "reviews," "comparison," or "buy."

Step 3: Analyze the SERP Manually

Software gives you the data, but your eyes give you the truth. Type your target keyword into Google and look for these signs of winning:

• Low authority sites ranking: Are the sites on page one below Domain Authority 40?
• Forum posts showing up: If you see Reddit, Quora, or forum posts in the results, that means trust is low.
• Outdated content: Old, thin articles from 3+ years ago, and you can probably beat it with your new content.
• Content gaps: Are the first results missing content that your audience would want or need?

If you notice these traits, you just found a perfect opportunity.

Best Practices to Use Low Competition Keywords

Build Topic Clusters

Don't just write random articles. Establish a content hub around one main topic and have supporting articles around it that connect back to this main article. Doing this can show google that you are an authority on the subject.

For Example

• Pillar page - "Complete Guide to Home Coffee Brewing."
• Cluster articles - "best grind size for french press," "how to clean a drip coffee maker," "choosing coffee beans for cold brew."

Identifying Target Keywords

Question-based keywords (how, what, why, where) are almost always long-tail keywords that show intent very clearly. (Check out this "How to Use Keywords, SEO and Long-Tail Keywords for Blog Content" for more information about an intent-based strategy). Use tools to find the actual questions that people are searching for:

• "How to get red wine out of white carpet?"
• "What is the difference between semi-gloss and satin paint?"
• "Why won't my sourdough starter rise?"

Optimize Your Content

Finding target keywords is only half the battle. Now you need to approach content creation as a creative challenge, to create content that is better than what is currently ranking for your keyword:

• Write a comprehensive guide on the topic (1500+ words for most topics)
• Use simple headers and short paragraphs
• Include images/videos/example
• Answer the question completely
• Remove links to related content

Track Your Growth

With a newer site, you will typically see the very first signs of traction, such as appearing on the first couple pages of Google searches within a few weeks to a couple months of the post being published. Establish a regular schedule to monitor your rankings (daily or weekly or monthly) and adjust your strategy as needed.

Mistakes to Avoid

Ignoring Search Intent: A keyword may have "low competition", but if it doesn't allow readers to choose you, it's useless. Having traffic with conversions is just another vanity metric.

Chasing High Volume Keywords Only: Oftentimes, low-competition keywords represent ultra-specific search intent, so they'll convert higher. A keyword that has 50 searches a month and drives 5 customers to your website beats 1,000 searches in a month with 0 purchasers.

Not Looking at SERPs: Keyword difficulty scores do not tell the whole story. Always manually check and take notice to see who still ranks before committing to a keyword.

Writing Thin Content: Do not just throw a bunch of keywords into a 3oo-something-word post. Even the lowest competition keyword requires quality content, quality links, and strategy to rank.

Your Game Plan - Start Small, Go Big

So, low-competition keywords aren't just for newbies. They're also a smart way for anyone in search of growing organic traffic without completely going broke from competing.

Just start to gain traffic, then credibility, then expand to more competitive words as the site grows. Ranking for one keyword only builds momentum for the next.

The websites that are ranking at the top of search results today did not start out attempting the most difficult keywords. They built authority through the easy keywords, one keyword to one keyword. You can do it too.

Ready To Dominate Your Niche?

Quit wasting time guessing what keywords you should try to rank for. Stop wasting time creating content that will never rank.

MaxRankr can help you discover which low competition keywords are profitable and help you track your ranking in real-time. Our platform provides you with a powerful research tool and distills the data into an easily digestible format that sets you up for a quick decision.

MaxRankr has the insights you need to outrank your competition whether you are running a local business, building a blog, or optimizing websites for clients.

Start discovering your winning keywords at maxrankr.com and see your traffic explode.