Are you having a hard time ranking online? Are the keywords you’re picking just not quite performing the way you want them to? Low-competition SEO keywords are the secret to ranking faster and driving targeted traffic to your website. They allow you to compete effectively without going head-to-head with dominant competitors. Here’s how to find low-competition keywords, why they matter and how to use them to elevate your SEO strategy.
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Why Low-Competition Keywords Matter
Low-competition keywords matter because, the goal in SEO is to get your website discovered in search results. However, when you target highly competitive keywords, you’re often up against established sites with years of domain authority and massive resources.
Low-competition keywords offer an alternative. They are search terms with solid search volume but far fewer websites vying for the top spot. By identifying and targeting these keywords, you can rank higher more quickly and drive consistent organic traffic without relying solely on paid ads.
The result? A better ROI, a faster path to ranking and an additional stream of traffic to your site.
Finding Low-Competition Keywords
Here are some ways to find low-competition keywords and make them work for your SEO strategy.
Free Tools
Start with some free tools to help with your keyword planning. For example, Google Keyword Planner is an excellent place to begin, especially if you’re new to using keyword research tools.
Log into a Google Ads account (you can create one for free at ads.google.com). Navigate to the “Tools” section on the left-hand side. At the very top is the Keyword Planner.
Here, you have a couple of different options:
- If you already have a list of keywords, you can type them in to get search volume and forecasts.
- If you don’t know what keywords to target, start in the “Discover new keywords” section.
For example, typing in “gardening tools” gives results showing that the keyword gets about 4,900 monthly searches. However, the competition is very high. Google provides a basic competition level (high, medium or low) for each keyword.
High-competition keywords are often dominated by large sites, so focus on long-tail keywords. These are more specific, like “best gardening tools for beginners,” and they often have less competition but still bring valuable traffic.
If you find keywords with low competition and relatively high search volume, those are worth pursuing.
Paid Tools
For more detailed analysis, consider paid tools like Ahrefs or SEMrush. These keyword research tools offer advanced features, such as keyword difficulty scores and intent analysis.
For example, SEMrush’s “Keyword Magic Tool” provides broad match, phrase match and exact match results, along with intent, monthly search volume and keyword difficulty (KD).
- A good low-competition keyword typically has a KD score between 0 and 30.
- Keywords with a KD score above 60 are much harder to rank for unless the search volume justifies the effort.
Long-tail keywords usually fall into the low-competition category, making them easier to target. If you’d like to see how this tool works up close, try SEMrush for 7 days free with this link!
Using Low-Competition Keywords
Once you’ve identified potential keywords, the next steps are to analyze them and use them in high-quality content for your site.
Analyzing Keywords
Use tools or manual research to determine the type of content that ranks for those keywords. Are the top results blogs, corporate landing pages or navigation pages? This gives you insight into the competition and helps you decide how to approach the keyword.
Keyword intent is another essential factor to consider. Common types of search intent include:
- Informational (I): Users want to learn something (“how to grow tomatoes”)
- Commercial (C): Users are researching products (“best organic fertilizer for tomatoes”)
- Transactional (T): Users are ready to make a purchase (“buy organic fertilizer online”)
The better your content aligns with user intent, the more likely it is to rank and engage visitors.
Creating High-Quality Content
Avoid relying solely on AI-generated content. Google’s Helpful Content Update emphasizes the importance of human-written, high-quality content. To do this, focus on the following when creating your content:
- Relevance: Make sure the content answers user questions or solves their problems.
- Value: Provide actionable advice, insights or resources that your competitors lack.
- Quality: Keep content well-structured, engaging and easy to read.
By correctly using low-competition keywords in relevant and high-quality content, you can often start seeing results in as little as 90 days.
Get Help Finding Low-Competition Keywords From Our SEO Experts
Low-competition keywords are an invaluable tool for improving your SEO strategy. By leveraging free tools like Google Keyword Planner or advanced platforms like SEMrush and Ahrefs, you can uncover valuable SEO opportunities and attract highly relevant traffic.
Feeling overwhelmed? Take advantage of our free SEO audit. BKA Content will analyze your website, recommend low-competition keywords and help you develop a winning content strategy. Schedule a consultation with our SEO experts today, and let’s get your site ranking!
