How to Find Low Competition Keywords for Your Blog

The Low Competition Keyword Formula

A rankable keyword has three characteristics: Search volume: at least 50-100 monthly searches (enough traffic to matter). Low competition: the top 10 results include forums (Reddit, Quora), small blogs, or thin content (not established authority sites). Clear intent: you can tell what the searcher wants (information, product, comparison). The easiest keywords for beginners are "long-tail" (4-8 words) because they're specific and less competitive. Example: "best Bluetooth speaker for outdoor camping under $50" has less competition than "best speaker." Long-tail keywords convert better too — specific searches mean specific intent. Link to SEO Basics Guide.

Free Keyword Research Tools

Google Keyword Planner: free with a Google Ads account. Gives search volume and competition data. Best for seeing keyword ideas. Ubersuggest (free tier): shows volume, SEO difficulty, and content ideas. Limited to a few searches per day on free. AnswerThePublic: shows questions people ask about a topic — great for long-tail keyword ideas. Google Search: type your topic and look at "People also ask" and "Searches related to" at the bottom. Google Autocomplete: start typing in Google and see what it suggests. Each suggestion is a real search. AlsoAsked.com: visualizes related questions people search. Reddit: search subreddits in your niche for questions people ask — these are keyword opportunities. Link to Best Blogging Tools.

How to Assess Keyword Competition Manually

No tool needed — assess competition yourself with this 5-minute check: (1) Search your keyword in Google incognito. (2) Look at the top 10 results. Are they from big brands (Forbes, Amazon, Wikipedia)? If yes, skip this keyword. (3) Are the results thin (short articles, poor formatting, no images)? This is a good sign — you can outrank them. (4) Is there a featured snippet or "People also ask" box? These are ranking opportunities. (5) Are there forum results (Reddit, Quora) ranking for the keyword? This is the best signal — if a forum page ranks, you can definitely beat it with a well-structured article. The sweet spot: keywords where search volume is 100-1,000/month and the top 10 results include at least 2-3 forum posts, small blogs, or thin content. Link to Rank Blog Posts Fast.

Building a Keyword List That Ranks

Start with 1-3 "seed" topics in your niche. Use Ubersuggest or Google Keyword Planner to get 20-50 keyword ideas from each seed. Filter by competition (choose only low or very low). Group keywords into clusters (3-5 related keywords per topic). For each cluster: create one pillar article targeting the main keyword and 2-3 supporting articles targeting related long-tail keywords. Internal link between all articles in the cluster. Repeat this process and publish 20-30 articles. After 3-6 months, review which keywords rank and double down on that pattern. This systematic approach beats guessing every time. Link to Write SEO Articles.

FAQs

What is considered "low competition" for keywords?

Low competition (KD 5-20 in Ahrefs/Ubersuggest) means small blogs can realistically reach page 1. Very low competition (KD 0-5) means almost anyone can rank with decent content.

How many keywords should I target per article?

One primary keyword (in your H1 and first 100 words) and 3-5 secondary keywords (in H2s and body). Write naturally — keyword stuffing hurts rankings.

Do I need paid tools for keyword research?

No. The free methods described above (Google incognito check, Ubersuggest free tier, AnswerThePublic) are enough to find plenty of low-competition keywords.