How to Find Low-Competition Keywords in 2026: A 6-Step SEO Guide
Most brands chase the same 20 high-volume keywords everyone in their industry wants. The result: years of content, zero traction. Low-competition keywords are how smaller brands get into the game.
The brands seeing the best organic ROI right now are not the ones with the highest domain authority. They picked keywords where they could realistically win, then built a content moat around them. Here is how to do that, whether you are running ecommerce SEO or a B2B content program.
What Are Low-Competition Keywords?
Low-competition keywords are search terms with a Keyword Difficulty (KD) score under 30, meaning a new or mid-authority site can rank on page one without a years-long link-building campaign. KD is calculated by measuring how many high-authority backlinks the current top-ranking pages have. A lower score means the door is open.
But KD alone does not tell the full story. A keyword can have KD 15 and still deliver no results if the intent does not match your page type. Low-competition is only valuable when it also aligns with what your content actually delivers.
| Keyword Type | Example | Typical KD | Monthly Volume |
|---|---|---|---|
| Broad/head | keyword research | 70-90 | 40,000+ |
| Mid-tail | how to do keyword research | 40-60 | 5,000-15,000 |
| Long-tail | how to find low-competition keywords for new sites | 5-25 | 200-2,000 |
| Conversational/AI | what keywords should a new ecommerce site target | 0-10 | 50-500 |
Where to Use Low-Competition Keywords for Maximum Impact
Low-competition keywords are not just for blog posts. Place them across your entire content stack:
Blog posts — educational content targeting informational queries ranks fastest for newer domains
Product and category pages — long-tail buying-intent phrases like "[product] for [specific use case]" convert well and have low KD
FAQ and support pages — question-based queries that get pulled into AI Overviews and featured snippets
Meta titles and descriptions — include the exact long-tail phrase to signal relevance to both search engines and AI systems
Landing pages — niche service or location-based combinations with low competition but clear commercial intent
How to Find Low-Competition Keywords in 2026: The 6-Step Process
Step 1: Start Broad, Then Narrow Down
Begin with your topic, not your keyword. Think about the broader problem your customer is trying to solve, then work backward to the specific questions they ask at each stage of that research.
If you sell accounting software, start with "business finance" as your seed topic. Break it into sub-problems: invoicing, cash flow, payroll, expense tracking. From "invoicing" you can target "free invoicing software for freelancers" (KD 18) instead of fighting for "invoicing software" (KD 72).
Step 2: Use Keyword Research Tools to Filter by Difficulty
Every major keyword tool has a KD or competition filter. Set the ceiling at KD 30 and look for keywords with at least 200 monthly searches. Lower volume can work but requires more scrutiny to confirm the traffic justifies production cost.
| Tool | Free Tier | KD Scoring | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ahrefs | Limited (Ahrefs Free) | 0-100 (backlink-based, most accurate) | Competitive analysis, content gap |
| Semrush | 10 queries/day | 0-100 | Topical authority, competitor keyword gaps |
| Ubersuggest | 3 searches/day | 0-100 (less precise) | Budget research, long-tail ideation |
| Google Keyword Planner | Free with Ads account | Low/Medium/High | Volume ranges, Google intent signals |
Step 3: Mine AI Search Platforms for Conversational Queries
This is the highest-leverage move in 2026. ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI Overviews, and Gemini are generating demand for conversational queries that do not yet appear in Ahrefs or Semrush with meaningful tracked volume. Because traditional SEO tools have not caught up, these keywords are effectively uncontested.
To mine them: open ChatGPT or Perplexity and ask questions your customer would ask. Look at the follow-up questions the AI suggests. Then check whether any appear in your Google Search Console data already. If they do, demand exists, and a page built around that exact phrasing will surface in AI results before any serious competition forms.
See the full playbook in our guide on how to get your brand mentioned by ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity.
Step 4: Analyze Search Intent Before Committing
Low KD only matters if the searcher intent aligns with what you deliver. There are three intent types to match against your content format:
Informational — "how to" and "what is" queries. Best matched to blog posts, guides, and FAQs.
Navigational — brand or product-specific searches. Only valuable if the searcher is already looking for you.
Transactional — "buy," "price," "best [product] for [use case]." Best matched to product pages or comparison content.
Google the keyword before you build the page. If the top five results are all e-commerce listings and your page is an article, Google will not rank it regardless of KD.
Step 5: Find Competitor Keyword Gaps
Your competitors have already done keyword research. Use their work to your advantage. In Ahrefs, the Content Gap tool shows keywords a competitor ranks for that you do not. In Semrush, the same function is Keyword Gap. Filter results by KD under 30 and look for clusters where a rival has one page covering multiple related queries.
Those clusters tell you where to build. Write a more specific, better-structured page for each cluster rather than a sprawling competitor comparison.
Step 6: Expand Into Long-Tail Variations
Long-tail keywords (4+ words) make up roughly 70% of all searches. They have lower individual volume but collectively drive more targeted traffic than head terms. A page ranking for 50 long-tail variations at 200 searches each outperforms one sitting at position 8 for a 10,000-volume head term.
Use Google's People Also Ask and autocomplete to find natural-language variations of your primary keyword. These appear verbatim in AI Overviews, so optimizing for them serves both traditional and AI search at the same time.
How Digital Marketing Agencies Find Low-Competition Keywords for Clients
The workflow is different when you are doing keyword research for a client's site instead of your own. You are working with their domain authority, their existing content library, and their competitive positioning — often all three at once across multiple accounts. The KD ceiling that is realistic for a DR 55 brand will get a DR 18 startup nowhere. Aligning KD targets to actual domain strength is step zero before any tool research starts.
The fastest wins in any agency keyword engagement are inside the client's existing Google Search Console data. Pages ranking positions 5-20 with real impression volume already have topical authority with Google. A focused content update on those queries moves faster than building new pages from scratch, because you are signaling improvement to an existing signal, not starting cold.
Match the KD Ceiling to the Client's Domain Strength
A site with DR under 20 should target KD 0-15. DR 20-40 can reasonably chase KD up to 30. DR 40+ opens the door to KD 45-50 with well-researched content. Setting this ceiling early prevents months of content production that underperforms because the targets were unrealistic for where the domain actually sits.
Mine GSC Striking-Distance Data Before Touching a Keyword Tool
Export the client's GSC data and filter for keywords ranking positions 5-20 with over 200 monthly impressions. A page already at position 8 has Google's attention. A targeted content update with better structure and an FAQ section can push it to position 2 or 3 faster than any new page can from a standing start.
Build Topic Clusters Before Individual Posts
Map each keyword target to a content cluster before writing a word. One pillar page on the broad topic, with 4-6 spoke pages going deep on sub-topics, outperforms 10 isolated posts chasing unrelated keywords. Every spoke page should internally link to the pillar to build topical authority systematically.
Track Keyword-to-Content Assignments
Maintain a working map of which page owns which keyword target. Publishing two posts that target the same cluster splits the relevance signal. One page with topical depth beats two thin pages competing against each other for the same query.
For CPG and food and beverage clients, keyword priorities connect directly to retail media and paid channel strategy. Which keywords you own organically shapes where you do not need to buy paid traffic. Our CPG retail marketing strategy for 2026 covers how leading brands are allocating across SEO and paid channels in the current environment.
Back in the day when I used to do media buying, I always started with what the account was already telling me. The keywords sitting at position 8 with real impression volume — those are the first ones you address. The opportunity is already in the data.
How to Evaluate Whether Your Traffic Is Actually High-Quality
Traffic quality matters more than traffic volume for most businesses. A keyword with 300 monthly searches and high conversion intent is worth more than one with 3,000 searches and almost none. Look at three signals before you build a page:
Commercial modifiers — words like "best," "vs," "for [industry]," "pricing," or "tool" signal buying research
Cost per click (CPC) — high CPC means advertisers know the traffic converts. CPC above $3-5 in your niche usually indicates commercial intent
SERP composition — if paid ads appear above organic results, the keyword has proven commercial value
For ecommerce brands, pairing low-competition SEO with paid ads on the same keyword cluster dramatically reduces blended CAC. See how this plays out in our Google Ads ecommerce guide for 2026.
What KD score counts as low competition?
Anything under 30 in Ahrefs or Semrush is generally considered low competition. For brand-new sites (under 12 months old or Domain Rating below 20), aim for KD 0-15. Sites with DR 20-40 can realistically target up to KD 30. The benchmark depends on your current domain authority, not an absolute number.
Can AI tools like ChatGPT find low-competition keywords?
ChatGPT and Perplexity do not provide KD scores, but they are excellent for generating keyword ideas, especially conversational long-tail queries. Use them to brainstorm question variations your audience would ask, then validate KD in a dedicated tool like Ahrefs or Semrush. In 2026, the most valuable part of AI tools for keyword research is that the queries they suggest are often not yet tracked in traditional tools, making them effectively zero-competition.
How many keywords should I target per page?
One primary keyword per page, with 5-10 semantically related variations worked in naturally. Trying to rank for 20 unrelated keywords on one page dilutes topical focus. Google rewards pages that clearly address one topic in depth. If you have multiple distinct keyword clusters, build a separate page for each.
What is the difference between low-competition and low-traffic keywords?
Low-competition means few high-authority sites are targeting the keyword (measured by KD). Low-traffic means few people search for it (measured by monthly volume). A keyword can be both low-competition and high-traffic (rare but valuable), or low-competition and low-traffic (only worth targeting if conversion intent is very high). Target keywords that are low-competition with at least 200 monthly searches for measurable results.
Are long-tail keywords always low-competition?
Not always, but most are. Long-tail keywords (4+ words) tend to have lower KD because fewer brands produce content specifically targeting them. The exceptions are highly commercial long-tail queries in lucrative niches like finance, insurance, or SaaS, where even specific phrases attract aggressive targeting. Always verify KD in a keyword tool before assuming a long-tail keyword is winnable.
How do digital marketing agencies find low-competition keywords for their clients?
Start with the client's Google Search Console data before opening any keyword tool. Filter for keywords ranking positions 5-20 with meaningful impression volume — these already have Google's attention and move faster than new pages. Set the KD ceiling based on the client's domain rating: a site with DR under 20 should not target KD 40 keywords regardless of relevance. Build topic clusters rather than isolated posts — a pillar page with 4-6 spoke pages targeting related sub-topics builds topical authority faster than scattered one-off content. The common mistake is building a keyword list in the abstract, disconnected from what the client's domain can realistically win right now.
We build keyword strategies for ecommerce and B2B brands that focus on what can actually rank, not just what looks impressive in a spreadsheet.
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