How to Find Low Competition Keywords That Rank Fast

Everyone wants high-volume keywords. The problem is everyone else wants them too. The real opportunity lies in low competition keywords. These are search terms with decent volume but weak competition. Rank for them and you get traffic without fighting industry giants.

This guide explains how to find low competition keywords. It covers the tools, metrics, and evaluation process that separates easy wins from traps.

What Are Low Competition Keywords

Low competition keywords are search terms where the current ranking pages have weak authority, thin content, or both. You can outrank them with better content and basic optimization.

Signs of low competition:

• Top-ranking pages have low domain authority (under 30)
• Content is thin or outdated
• No major brands rank in the top 10
• Results are dominated by forums, Q&A sites, or thin affiliate pages
• SERP features are minimal (no featured snippets, few ads)

Not all low competition keywords are worth targeting. Some have low volume, poor intent, or are dominated by sites you cannot beat (like Wikipedia or government pages).

Low Competition vs. Low Volume

Factor	Low Competition	Low Volume
Definition	Weak ranking pages	Few monthly searches
Traffic potential	Moderate to high	Very low
Time to rank	1-3 months	1-3 months
Strategic value	High	Low
Example	”best running shoes for flat feet under $100"	"shoe lace color codes 1987”

A keyword can have low competition AND decent volume. That is the sweet spot.

How to Evaluate Keyword Competition

Metric 1: Keyword Difficulty Score

Most SEO tools assign a difficulty score from 0 to 100. Lower is easier.

Difficulty Range	What It Means	Target?
0-10	Very easy. Few or no backlinks needed.	Yes
11-20	Easy. A few quality backlinks help.	Yes
21-30	Moderate. Requires some authority building.	Yes, if volume justifies
31-50	Hard. Needs strong backlink profile.	Only for high-value terms
51-100	Very hard. Dominated by major sites.	No, unless you are a major site

Tool-specific scales:

• Ahrefs: 0-10 = easy, 11-30 = medium, 31+ = hard
• Semrush: Similar scale, but tends to rate keywords slightly harder
• Ubersuggest: 0-35 = easy, 36-70 = medium, 71+ = hard

Metric 2: Domain Authority of Top Rankers

Check the domain authority or domain rating of the top 10 results.

Evaluation process:

1. Run your keyword through an SEO tool
2. Note the domain authority of each top 10 result
3. Calculate the average
4. Compare to your own domain authority

Rule of thumb: If the average domain authority of top 10 is within 10 points of yours, you can compete. If it is 20+ points higher, look for another keyword.

Metric 3: Content Quality of Top Rankers

Read the top 3 ranking pages. Ask:

• Is the content outdated?
• Is it thin (under 1,000 words)?
• Does it lack images, tables, or formatting?
• Is the writing poor or clearly AI-generated without editing?
• Does it miss subtopics that searchers care about?

If you answer yes to 3+ questions, this keyword has low content competition.

Metric 4: SERP Features

The presence of certain SERP features indicates competition level.

SERP Feature	Competition Level
Many ads (4+)	High commercial competition
Featured snippet	Moderate to high
Knowledge panel	Very high (brand dominance)
Video carousel	Moderate
Image pack	Low to moderate
People Also Ask	Moderate
No features	Often low competition

Metric 5: Search Intent Match

Even an easy keyword is not worth targeting if you cannot match the intent.

Intent types:

• Informational: “how to,” “what is,” “guide”
• Commercial: “best,” “top,” “vs”
• Transactional: “buy,” “price,” “discount”
• Navigational: Brand names, product names

Match your content type to the intent. A transactional keyword needs a product page. An informational keyword needs a blog post.

Tools for Finding Low Competition Keywords

Tool 1: Ahrefs Keyword Explorer

Ahrefs provides the most reliable difficulty scores and backlink data.

Process:

1. Enter a seed keyword
2. Filter by KD (Keyword Difficulty) under 20
3. Filter by volume over 100
4. Sort by volume descending
5. Evaluate top 10 manually

Pro tip: Use the “Questions” report to find low competition informational keywords.

Tool 2: Semrush Keyword Magic

Semrush excels at finding keyword variations and grouping them by topic.

Process:

1. Enter a seed keyword
2. Set difficulty filter to “Easy” or “Very Easy”
3. Set volume minimum to 100
4. Browse the keyword groups
5. Export promising terms

Tool 3: Google Keyword Planner

Free but limited. Best for finding related terms and volume estimates.

Process:

1. Enter a seed keyword or URL
2. Review keyword ideas
3. Filter by competition level (Low)
4. Note volume ranges
5. Cross-reference with other tools for difficulty

Tool 4: AnswerThePublic

Finds question-based keywords that are often low competition.

Process:

1. Enter a seed keyword
2. Browse question, preposition, and comparison visualizations
3. Export questions with search volume
4. Evaluate competition manually

Tool 5: Google Search (Manual)

The most underrated tool. Search your keyword and analyze the results.

What to check:

• Are the top results from major brands?
• Is the content recent?
• Are there forum threads or Q&A pages ranking?
• How many ads appear?
• Does a featured snippet exist?

Tool	Best For	Free Tier
Ahrefs	Difficulty accuracy	Limited
Semrush	Keyword grouping	Limited
Google Keyword Planner	Volume data	Yes
AnswerThePublic	Question keywords	Limited
Google Search	Manual validation	Yes

Where to Find Low Competition Keywords

Source 1: Long-Tail Variations

Long-tail keywords are longer, more specific phrases. They have lower volume but much lower competition.

Example:

• Head term: “running shoes” (hard)
• Long-tail: “best running shoes for flat feet women” (easier)
• Longer tail: “best cushioned running shoes for flat feet under $100” (easiest)

How to find: Use Ahrefs or Semrush to filter keywords by word count (4+ words).

Source 2: Question Keywords

Questions often have weak competition because few pages answer them directly.

Example:

• “How long does SEO take to work”
• “What is the difference between on-page and off-page SEO”
• “Why is my website not showing up on Google”

How to find: Use AnswerThePublic, AlsoAsked, or the PAA box in Google.

Source 3: Comparison Keywords

“Vs” and “alternative” keywords often have moderate volume and weak competition.

Example:

• “Ahrefs vs Semrush for beginners”
• “Mailchimp alternatives for small business”
• “WordPress vs Shopify for service business”

How to find: Search “[tool] vs” or “[tool] alternatives” and note the autocomplete suggestions.

Source 4: Location-Based Keywords

Adding a location modifier dramatically reduces competition.

Example:

• “digital marketing agency” (hard)
• “digital marketing agency in Austin” (easier)
• “digital marketing agency for dentists in Austin” (easiest)

How to find: Use your keyword + city, state, or neighborhood.

Source 5: Industry-Specific Jargon

Niche terms that generalist sites do not target.

Example:

• “EHR integration for dental practices”
• “CFD analysis for HVAC systems”
• “GDPR compliance for SaaS startups”

How to find: Talk to subject matter experts. Read industry forums. Review sales call transcripts.

The Evaluation Checklist

Before committing to a keyword, run it through this checklist.

Difficulty checks:

• Keyword difficulty under 20 (or within 10 points of your DA)
• Top 10 average DA is beatable
• At least 2 top 10 results are thin or outdated
• No major brands (Amazon, Wikipedia, Forbes) in top 5

Opportunity checks:

• Monthly search volume over 100
• Search intent matches your content type
• You can create content better than the top 3 results
• The keyword aligns with your business goals
• You can capture featured snippet or PAA

If a keyword passes 8+ checks, it is worth targeting.

How to Rank for Low Competition Keywords

Step 1: Create Better Content

Write content that is definitively better than what currently ranks.

Requirements:

• Longer and more complete than top 3 results
• Better formatted (tables, lists, images)
• More recent data and examples
• Clearer explanations
• Original research or examples

Step 2: Optimize On-Page SEO

Apply basic SEO optimization.

Checklist:

• Primary keyword in title tag
• Primary keyword in H1
• Primary keyword in first 100 words
• Secondary keywords in H2/H3
• Meta description includes keyword
• URL is short and includes keyword
• Internal links to related content
• External links to authoritative sources
• Images with descriptive alt text
• Fast page speed

Step 3: Build a Few Backlinks

Low competition keywords often need just 2-5 quality backlinks to rank.

Quick wins:

• Internal links from high-authority pages
• Guest posts on niche blogs
• Resource page outreach
• HARO responses
• Directory listings (industry-specific)

Step 4: Wait and Optimize

Low competition keywords often rank within 2-4 weeks. Monitor and optimize.

Month 1: Publish and promote Month 2: Check rankings, optimize title and meta if CTR is low Month 3: Add content depth, build 1-2 more backlinks Month 4: Evaluate. If not top 10, analyze why and adjust.

Find easy wins automatically. Stacc identifies low competition keywords for your niche and creates content that ranks. No manual research required. Start for $1 →

FAQ

What is a low competition keyword?

A search term where the current top-ranking pages have weak authority, thin content, or both. You can outrank them with better content and basic SEO.

How do I know if a keyword is truly low competition?

Check the keyword difficulty score, domain authority of top rankers, content quality, and SERP features. If the average DA is within 10 points of yours and the content is thin, it is low competition.

What tools show keyword difficulty?

Ahrefs, Semrush, Ubersuggest, and Moz all provide keyword difficulty scores. Ahrefs is generally the most accurate.

Are low competition keywords worth targeting?

Yes, if they have sufficient volume (100+ monthly searches) and match your business intent. They are the fastest path to organic traffic for new and growing sites.

How long does it take to rank for low competition keywords?

Typically 2-8 weeks if you create quality content and have basic domain authority. Some rank within days if competition is extremely weak.

Can I rank for low competition keywords without backlinks?

Sometimes, if the competition is extremely weak and your content is significantly better. Most low competition keywords need 2-5 quality backlinks to reach page 1.