How to Find Low Competition Keywords (Step-by-Step Guide)

Most people start their keyword research by chasing high-volume terms. They target “email marketing” or “project management” and wonder why nothing ranks.

The problem is not their content. It is their target. High-volume keywords are dominated by sites with years of authority and thousands of backlinks. Competing against them as a newer site is like opening a restaurant next to a Michelin-starred one on day one.

Low competition keywords flip the equation. They are specific enough that the existing results are weak — and realistic enough that good content can break through. This guide walks you through how to find them systematically using the SEO principles that actually work.

A low competition keyword is a search query where the pages currently ranking are weak enough that a new, well-optimized page can realistically reach the first page of Google.

“Weak” means one or more of these signals:

• Low domain authority in the top results. If small blogs and niche sites rank on page one instead of Forbes or HubSpot, competition is low.
• Thin or outdated content. When the top results are forum posts, 2021 articles, or pages that barely answer the query, there is room for something better.
• Few backlinks. If top-ranking pages have fewer than 10–20 referring domains, content quality matters more than link building.
• Poor intent match. When the current results do not fully answer what the searcher wants, a page that nails the search intent can win.

Low competition keywords are not a shortcut — they are a strategy. Here is why they matter, especially for newer or growing sites.

The compounding effect is key. Low competition keywords are not a one-time tactic — they are the foundation of a sustainable SEO strategy that gets stronger over time.

This is the practical process. It combines data analysis with manual SERP checking — because no single metric tells you everything.

Let's say you run a project management tool for small teams. Here is how the process looks in practice.

The second keyword has 70x less volume — but it is realistic. A well-structured page targeting “project management for freelancers” can rank on page one within weeks. The first keyword might never rank at all.

This is the core idea: trade volume for achievability. Ten low competition keywords ranking on page one will always outperform one impossible keyword sitting on page 5.

Use this checklist to evaluate any keyword before you commit to writing content for it.

If a keyword passes most of these checks, it is worth targeting. You do not need a perfect score — four or five out of seven is a strong signal.

• Only looking at difficulty scores. A keyword with a score of 15 might still be impossible if three authority sites dominate the SERP. Always verify by checking the actual results. See the keyword difficulty guide for how to read beyond the number.
• Targeting keywords with no search volume. Low competition does not mean zero searches. A keyword needs some demand to be worth creating content for. Even 50 monthly searches can be valuable if the intent is strong.
• Ignoring search intent. Finding a low competition keyword is only half the job. If you create a blog post for a keyword where Google shows product pages, you will not rank regardless of competition level.
• Picking irrelevant keywords. A keyword is only useful if it connects to your business. Ranking for something your audience does not care about brings traffic that never converts.
• Not publishing. The biggest mistake is spending weeks researching and never writing. Pick a realistic keyword, create the best page you can, and publish. Imperfect and live beats perfect and unpublished.

Doing this manually works for a handful of keywords. But when you need to evaluate dozens of variations across multiple topics, you need a faster system.

• Surfaces low competition opportunities by combining difficulty scores with real SERP analysis — not just a single number
• Filters keywords by your site's current authority level so you see what is realistic for you
• Shows which queries you already get impressions for but are not ranking well — quick wins hiding in your own data
• Connects keyword discovery to content creation so you go from research to published page without losing momentum

The difference between finding keywords manually and using RankSEO is speed and confidence. You still make the decisions — RankSEO gives you better data to make them with. For a broader overview of finding easy keywords and the complete keyword research process, explore those guides next.