How to Find Low-Competition Keywords With Real Traffic (2026 Method)

Low-competition keywords are how small sites beat big ones. You won’t outrank a national brand for “accountant”, but you can own “accountant for YouTubers UK” within months. Here’s how to find those keywords on purpose instead of by luck.

Last updated: 31 October 2026 · By Alan Spicer, YouTube Certified Expert

Part of the Website SEO series.

What is a low-competition keyword?

A low-competition keyword is a search term that enough people type to be worth targeting, where the pages currently ranking are weak enough for your site to beat. Competition is about the pages and sites in the top 10, not just a score in a tool.

Keyword difficulty scores are a useful filter. Semrush, Ahrefs and Moz all grade keywords from 0 to 100 based mostly on the links pointing at the pages that rank. But each tool calculates it differently, and none of them knows how good the ranking content is. That’s why the final check is always the search results page itself.

Most low-competition keywords are long-tail: specific searches of three words or more. Ahrefs found that almost 93% of keywords in its US database get fewer than 10 searches a month. Individually they’re small. A site with 50 pages each winning a cluster of them is not.

What’s the fastest way to find low-competition keywords?

The fastest way is to combine a keyword tool’s filters with a manual check of the search results. Here’s the six-step method I use.

1. Pick narrow seed topics. Start from specific angles of your topic, such as your audience, location, problem or product type, rather than the broad head term everyone targets.
2. Pull long-tail variations. Put each seed into a keyword tool and pull question keywords and longer phrases. In Semrush’s Keyword Magic Tool, use the Questions filter and broad match.
3. Filter by difficulty and volume. Filter keyword difficulty to under 30 and volume to at least 20 searches a month. For local or B2B niches, lower volume is fine if the searcher could become a customer.
4. Check the search results by hand. Google each keyword and look at the top 10. You’re looking for weak spots: forums, social posts, thin pages, outdated articles, or pages that don’t answer the query.
5. Compare site strength. Check the Authority Score or equivalent of the sites ranking. If several are similar to yours or weaker, you can compete.
6. Confirm with your own data. Once live, watch Search Console. If the page climbs to positions 5 to 20 within a few weeks, improve it to push into the top three.

How do you tell if a keyword is easy to rank for?

A keyword is easy to rank for when the current top results are weak. These signs on the search results page are worth more than any score.

Forums ranking for a keyword are my favourite signal. They mean people are asking and Google can’t find a proper answer. Write the proper answer and you’re often on page one within weeks.

Where do you find low-competition keyword ideas?

The best low-competition ideas come from places your competitors don’t look. Tools find the obvious ones; these sources find the rest.

• **Google’s People Also Ask and autocomplete:** real questions, often with no dedicated page answering them.
• **Your own Search Console:** searches where you already appear on page two or three. Google has decided you’re relevant, so you’re halfway there.
• **Customer questions:** emails, sales calls and reviews. If customers ask it, others are searching it.
• **Competitor gaps:** Semrush’s Keyword Gap shows keywords smaller competitors rank for that you don’t.
• **Forums and Reddit threads:** questions with long reply chains and no clear answer.
• **YouTube search suggestions:** if a question has demand on YouTube, it usually has demand on Google too.

If you’re doing the same exercise for a YouTube channel, my guide to finding low-competition YouTube keywords with vidIQ uses the same thinking with YouTube’s own data.

How do you find low-competition keywords in Semrush?

In Semrush, open the Keyword Magic Tool, enter a seed keyword, then set the KD% filter to a maximum of 29 and the volume filter to a minimum that suits your niche. Add the Questions filter to see question-style long-tail keywords, and use the Intent filter to keep the ones that match what you sell.

Semrush groups results into topic folders on the left, which makes it easy to spot a cluster of related easy keywords you can cover with one strong page. Then run Keyword Gap against two or three smaller competitors, filter for keywords where they rank in the top 10 with KD under 30, and you’ve got proven, winnable targets.

The SEO plan includes all of this, and you can test it on the 7-day trial. My free trial guide has a day-by-day plan, and the free account gives you 10 lookups a day if you just want to try the filters.

How long does it take to rank for a low-competition keyword?

Low-competition keywords can rank within weeks; harder ones take months or years. Ahrefs found that of the pages that reached Google’s top 10 within a year, 40.82% got there in the first month. That fast group is mostly low-competition, well-matched content.

New sites still face a trust gap. A brand-new domain may take a few months to rank for anything, even easy keywords. Publish consistently, link related posts together, and focus on a single topic so Google learns what your site is about. My guide on keyword research for SEO covers how to turn your list into a publishing plan.

What mistakes should you avoid?

The biggest mistake is trusting a difficulty score without looking at the results. A KD of 15 means little if the top three results are perfect, fresh guides from household names.

• Chasing zero-volume keywords with no business value just because they’re easy.
• Writing one page per tiny variation instead of one page that covers the cluster.
• Ignoring intent: an easy keyword where people want a free tool won’t convert into enquiries for a service.
• Picking keywords outside your topic just because they’re easy. Topical focus helps you rank.

People also ask

Frequently asked questions

What makes a keyword low competition?

A keyword is low competition when the pages ranking now are weak: thin, outdated, off-topic, forums, or from sites no stronger than yours. A low difficulty score is a starting point, not proof.

How much search volume is enough?

It depends on what a visitor is worth. Twenty searches a month from people ready to hire you can be worth more than thousands from casual browsers. Judge volume against intent.

Do low-competition keywords bring real traffic?

Each one brings modest traffic, but one good page often ranks for dozens of related long-tail searches. Fifty such pages add up to steady, compounding traffic.

Should I target zero-volume keywords?

Sometimes. Tools often show zero for niche or brand-new searches that do get traffic. If customers ask the question and it fits your business, it can be worth a page.

Is keyword difficulty the same in every tool?

No. Semrush, Ahrefs and Moz each calculate difficulty their own way, so a keyword might score 20 in one and 35 in another. Compare keywords within a single tool.

How many low-competition keywords should I target per page?

Target one main keyword and include the close variations and related questions on the same page. If two keywords need different answers, they need different pages.

What if a low-competition keyword has no ranking results that match it?

That’s often the best opportunity. If Google shows near-miss pages, a page that answers the exact question can rank quickly.