7 Smart Ways to Find Low Competition Keywords (Rank Fast Guide for Beginners)

What Are Low Competition Keywords?
Why Low Competition Keywords Are a Beginner’s Best Friend
Step 1: Start with Seed Keywords and Go Long
Step 2: Use Google Autocomplete and Related Searches
Step 3: Mine Question Keywords from Forums and Q&A Sites
Step 4: Leverage Free Tools to Spot Low Competition Gems
Step 5: Analyze the SERP to Confirm Low Competition
Step 6: Spy on Your Competitors’ “Easy” Keywords
Step 7: Look for Low Competition Keywords in Your Niche Gaps
How to Verify a Keyword Is Truly Low Competition
Common Mistakes When Hunting for Low Competition Keywords
Your Action Plan for Today

When I first began my blogging journey, I made a huge rookie mistake. I wrote an article on “digital marketing”, thinking it was a smart, high-traffic topic. After all, millions of people search for it every month, right?

Weeks went by, but my article didn’t rank anywhere. Page after page of Google results was dominated by authority sites like Forbes, HubSpot, and other big agencies. My small blog felt invisible, buried deep on page 27. I was frustrated and almost ready to give up.

Then a friend shared a piece of advice that changed everything:

“Stop competing in the Olympics. Start running the small local races where nobody else is showing up.”

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He was talking about low competition keywords.

Once I learned how to find and target low competition keywords, everything shifted. I started focusing on specific phrases that big websites were ignoring. Within a month, I saw my first article on page one of Google—and then another, and another.

Today, I’m going to show you exactly how to replicate this success. No fluff. No expensive tools. Just simple, proven strategies that let you rank even as a beginner.

eginner blogger achieving success by using low competition keywords to rank fast and increase organic traffic.

What Are Low Competition Keywords?

Let’s start with a clear definition.

Low competition keywords are search terms that few other websites are trying to rank for. They are usually longer, more specific, and less obvious than broad keywords.

Think of it like fishing. If you throw your line into the ocean with thousands of other fishermen, you will struggle to catch anything. But if you find a quiet stream where only a few people are fishing, you will have a much better chance.

Low competition keywords are those quiet streams.

Here are a few examples:

High competition: “weight loss” (millions of websites fighting for this)
Low competition: “how to lose weight after 40 with knee pain” (specific, less competition)
High competition: “blogging tips”
Low competition: “how to start a blog for shy introverts”

Do you see the difference? Low competition keywords are more detailed. They answer a very specific question or solve a very specific problem. Fewer people are writing about them, which means you have a real shot at ranking.

Why Low Competition Keywords Are a Beginner’s Best Friend

If you are new to blogging or SEO, low competition keywords should be your primary focus. Here is why.

You Can Actually Rank

With low competition keywords, you are not competing against huge websites with years of authority. You are competing against small blogs, forums, and sometimes no one at all. That means you can get on the first page of Google even with a brand new site.

You Get Faster Results

Ranking for a high competition keyword can take years. Ranking for a low competition keyword can take weeks or even days. When you see results quickly, it keeps you motivated. You feel like you are making progress.

You Attract the Right Audience

Low competition keywords are often long-tail phrases. People who search for them know exactly what they want. They are not just browsing. They are looking for a solution. When they find your article, they are more likely to read it, share it, and trust you.

They Add Up Over Time

A single low competition keyword might bring only 100 visitors a month. But if you write 50 articles targeting low competition keywords, that is 5,000 visitors a month. And because these visitors are highly targeted, they engage more and stick around.

This is the strategy that took me from zero to thousands of monthly readers. And it is the same strategy I will teach you now.

Step 1: Start with Seed Keywords and Go Long

The first step in how to find low competition keywords is to start with your seed keywords and then make them longer.

Seed keywords are the broad topics of your niche. For a food blog, seed keywords might be “chicken recipes” or “easy dinners.”

Now, take that seed keyword and add modifiers to make it longer and more specific. Modifiers are words like:

for beginners
easy
quick
cheap
best
with [specific ingredient]
without [something]
step by step
for [specific audience]

For example, instead of “chicken recipes,” you could go for:

“easy chicken recipes for beginners”
“quick chicken recipes with 5 ingredients”
“healthy chicken recipes for weight loss”

Each of these is longer, more specific, and likely has lower competition than the broad “chicken recipes.”

Write down your seed keywords and then create 10–20 long-tail variations using modifiers. This gives you a solid list to start with.

Explore additional insights at the Search Engine Journal SEO Guide.

Step 2: Use Google Autocomplete and Related Searches

Google itself is the best free tool for finding low competition keywords. And most people only use it for searching, not for research.

Google Autocomplete

Go to Google and start typing your seed keyword slowly. Do not press Enter. Watch the dropdown suggestions.

If I type “how to start a blog,” Google might suggest:

how to start a blog for free
how to start a blog and make money
how to start a blog for beginners

These are actual searches people make. They are often lower competition than the root keyword.

Write down every suggestion that seems relevant.

Step 3: Mine Question Keywords from Forums and Q&A Sites

People go to forums and Q&A sites to ask real questions. Those questions are often low competition keywords waiting to be turned into blog posts.

Go to Reddit and find subreddits related to your niche. Look at the questions people are asking. Pay attention to posts with lots of comments—those are topics people care about.

For example, in a gardening subreddit, you might see a post titled: “What are the best indoor plants for a dark apartment?” That is a perfect low competition keyword.

Quora

Quora is another goldmine. Search for your seed keyword and look at the questions. You can even sort by “Most Viewed” to see what people are really curious about.

Take the question and turn it into a blog post title. For example, “How to keep indoor plants alive when you travel a lot.”

Facebook Groups

If you are in any Facebook groups related to your niche, pay attention to what members are asking. Real people in your target audience will give you real keyword ideas.

Write down all the questions you find. Many of them will have very low competition because no one has answered them thoroughly.

Step 4: Leverage Free Tools to Spot Low Competition Gems

You do not need expensive SEO tools to find low competition keywords. These free tools work beautifully.

Answer the Public

Go to answerthepublic.com and type in your seed keyword. It will generate a visual map of all the questions people ask.

You will see hundreds of keyword ideas grouped by “how,” “what,” “why,” “where,” “when,” and “which.”

Many of these questions are low competition because they are specific. Pick the ones that resonate with your audience.

Ubersuggest (Free Version)

Ubersuggest gives you keyword ideas along with search volume and a “SEO Difficulty” score. Look for keywords with difficulty under 30. Those are your low competition targets.

Keyword Sheeter

This tool generates hundreds of keyword ideas from Google Autocomplete. It is completely free. Just enter a seed keyword and watch the list grow.

Google Keyword Planner

If you have a Google Ads account (free to create), you can use Keyword Planner. Set the targeting to your country and look for keywords with low competition. You can also filter by “Competition” and select “Low.”

Step 5: Analyze the SERP to Confirm Low Competition

Once you have a list of potential low competition keywords, you need to verify that they are truly easy to rank for. This is a manual check that takes two minutes per keyword.

Type the keyword into Google and look at the first page.

What to look for:

Are the top results forums or Q&A sites? If Reddit, Quora, or niche forums are ranking, it usually means the competition is low. Big commercial sites have not taken over.
Are the top results small blogs? If you see personal blogs or small businesses on page one, that is a green light. You can compete with them.
Are the top results old or low quality? If the articles are short, poorly written, or outdated, you can write something better and outrank them.
Do the titles match the intent? Make sure the top results actually answer the question your keyword is asking.

If you see Wikipedia, Amazon, or major media outlets (Forbes, HuffPost, etc.) dominating the first page, move on to another keyword. Those are too competitive for now.

Step 6: Spy on Your Competitors’ “Easy” Keywords

Your competitors have already done some of the work for you. You can look at their sites and find the low competition keywords they are ranking for.

Find a Small Competitor

Search for a low competition keyword in your niche and look at the blogs that show up. Find a blog that is similar to yours but not huge.

Use a Free Tool to See Their Keywords

If you use Ubersuggest (free version), you can enter that competitor’s domain and go to the “Top Keywords” report. You will see all the keywords they rank for.

Look for keywords with low search volume and low difficulty. Those are your opportunities. If they can rank for them, so can you.

You can also do this manually by looking at their blog posts. See what topics they are writing about. Often, they target low competition keywords without even realizing it.

Step 7: Look for Low Competition Keywords in Your Niche Gaps

Every niche has gaps—topics that are underserved or ignored. Finding these gaps is one of the best ways to find low competition keywords.

Identify Underserved Subtopics

Take your main niche and think about subtopics that most bloggers overlook. For example, in the fitness niche, most bloggers write about weight loss and muscle building. But what about “fitness for people with chronic fatigue” or “workouts for seniors with arthritis”? Those are underserved subtopics.

Use the “Skyscraper Technique” Backwards

The skyscraper technique is about finding popular content and making it better. For low competition, you do the opposite: find content that is unpopular because it is poorly done, and then create something amazing.

Search for a broad topic and scroll to page 5 or 6 of Google. Look at the articles there. If you see a topic that has potential but the content is bad, that is a low competition opportunity. You can write a high-quality version and rank.

Check “People Also Ask”

When you search for a keyword, look at the “People also ask” box. Click on a few questions. More questions will expand. Many of these are low competition because they are very specific.

How to Verify a Keyword Is Truly Low Competition

You can use a simple three-step verification process before you commit to writing an article.

Step 1: Check Search Volume

Use a free tool to see how many people search for the keyword. Do not worry if the volume is low—100 to 500 searches per month is perfectly fine for a beginner. What matters more is competition.

Step 2: Check the SERP

Manually look at the first page of Google. If you see small blogs, forums, or Q&A sites, that is excellent. If you see big brands, skip it.

Step 3: Check the Title Tags

Look at the title tags of the top results. If they are not optimized well (e.g., they are vague or do not include the exact keyword), you have an advantage.

If all three checks look good, you have found a low competition keyword. Start writing.

Free keyword research tools helping beginners find low competition keywords and improve SEO rankings.

Common Mistakes When Hunting for Low Competition Keywords

I have made every mistake in the book. Here are the ones to avoid.

Mistake 1: Ignoring Search Intent

Even if a keyword has low competition, if your content does not match what the searcher wants, you will not rank. Always check the intent. If people are searching “best coffee maker,” they want product comparisons, not a history of coffee.

Mistake 2: Targeting Keywords with Zero Search Volume

While low volume is okay, zero volume means no one is searching. You want keywords that at least a few hundred people search each month.

Mistake 3: Forgetting About User Experience

A low competition keyword still needs a great article. Do not write a short, shallow post. Write the best possible answer. Google rewards thorough, helpful content.

Mistake 4: Not Updating Old Articles

Sometimes a keyword becomes less competitive over time. Go back to old articles and update them with new information. You can rank for new low competition keywords by refreshing your content.

Learn SEO fundamentals from the Moz Beginner SEO Guide.

Your Action Plan for Today

You now have a clear roadmap for how to find low competition keywords. Here is what to do right now.

Write down your seed keywords (5 to 10 broad topics).
Create long-tail variations using modifiers like “for beginners,” “easy,” “step by step.”
Use Google Autocomplete and related searches to add 10 more ideas.
Visit a forum like Reddit or Quora and find 5 questions you can turn into articles.
Plug your favorite keyword into Ubersuggest (or another free tool) and look for keywords with difficulty under 30.
Manually check the SERP to confirm the competition is low.
Pick one keyword and write a detailed, helpful article.

Do this once a week, and you will build a library of content that ranks.

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Final Thoughts

When I stopped chasing big, impossible keywords and focused on finding low competition keywords, my blog completely transformed. I went from invisible to highly visible, built a loyal audience, and even started earning consistent income from my content.

You can achieve the same results.

It doesn’t require a huge budget, years of experience, or complicated tools. What it takes is patience, strategic focus, and a willingness to explore opportunities where others are not looking.

Start small. Focus on the quiet streams. Write for the person who has a specific problem and genuinely help them solve it.

Over time, these small efforts will accumulate, creating a steady river of highly targeted traffic to your blog.

So, take action today. Find your first low competition keyword, craft an amazing article around it, and watch your blog grow faster than you ever imagined. Your journey to becoming a successful blogger starts right now—and I can’t wait to see what you create! 🚀

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