Finding low competition keywords with high traffic is the holy grail of SEO and content marketing. It allows you to rank more easily and attract a significant audience. Here’s a comprehensive guide on how to uncover these valuable keywords:
I. Understanding the Concepts:
- Search Volume: The number of times a specific keyword is searched for in a given period (usually monthly). High traffic keywords have a large search volume.
- Keyword Competition: The difficulty of ranking for a specific keyword in search engine results pages (SERPs). Low competition means fewer high-authority websites are targeting that exact keyword.
- Keyword Relevance: How closely a keyword matches the intent of the user’s search and the content on your page.
II. Tools for Keyword Research:
You’ll need to utilize various keyword research tools. Some popular options include:
- Free Tools (Good for initial research and validation):
- Google Keyword Planner: Requires a Google Ads account (you don’t need to run ads). Provides search volume ranges and competition levels (AdWords competition, not organic).
- Ubersuggest (Neil Patel): Offers a limited number of free daily searches with keyword suggestions, content ideas, and some competition metrics.
- AnswerThePublic: Visualizes questions and phrases related to your keyword.
- Google Trends: Shows the relative search interest for keywords over time and across regions.
- Keyword Surfer (Chrome Extension): Displays search volume and related keywords directly in Google search results.
- Paid Tools (Offer more in-depth data and analysis):
- Ahrefs: Comprehensive SEO tool with powerful keyword explorer, site explorer, and content explorer.
- SEMrush: Another all-in-one SEO platform with robust keyword research, competitive analysis, and traffic analytics features.
- Moz Keyword Explorer: Provides keyword difficulty scores, organic CTR analysis, and priority metrics.
- Surfer SEO: Focuses on content optimization and provides data-driven insights for ranking.
- Long Tail Pro: Specifically designed for finding long-tail keywords with lower competition.
III. Strategies to Find Low Competition, High Traffic Keywords:
- Focus on Long-Tail Keywords:
- What they are: Longer, more specific keyword phrases (e.g., “best affordable espresso machine for small kitchen” instead of “espresso machine”).
- Why they work: Long-tail keywords have lower search volume individually, but collectively they can drive significant targeted traffic. They also tend to have much lower competition because fewer websites target these specific phrases.
- How to find them:
- Use question-based tools like AnswerThePublic.
- Pay attention to the “People also ask” (PAA) section in Google search results.
- Analyze “Related searches” at the bottom of Google’s SERPs.
- Use keyword research tools and filter for longer keyword phrases (4+ words).
- Explore Untapped Niches and Subtopics:
- Think granular: Instead of broad topics, delve into very specific subcategories or emerging trends within your niche.
- Identify pain points: What specific problems are people in your niche struggling with that aren’t widely addressed?
- Look for gaps in content: Are there topics where the existing content is thin, outdated, or doesn’t fully answer user queries?
- How to find them:
- Brainstorm very specific topics related to your expertise.
- Analyze forums, communities, and social media groups in your niche to identify unmet needs and questions.
- Use content explorer tools (like Ahrefs’ Content Explorer) to find topics with low competition and decent engagement.
- Analyze Competitor Weaknesses:
- Identify keywords they aren’t targeting: Use competitor analysis tools (Ahrefs’ Site Explorer, SEMrush’s Organic Research) to see the keywords your competitors rank for. Look for keywords with decent volume that they are not prominently targeting in their content.
- Find keywords where they rank poorly: They might rank on page 2 or 3 for certain terms with good volume, indicating an opportunity for you to create better, more optimized content.
- Analyze their content gaps: Are there subtopics within their main keywords that they haven’t covered in detail?
- How to find them:
- Enter your competitors’ domains into keyword research tools.
- Filter for keywords with a difficulty score that you believe you can realistically compete for.
- Look for keywords where their content seems superficial or outdated.
- Focus on Question Keywords:
- User intent: People asking questions are often further along in the buying cycle or seeking specific information.
- Lower competition: Question keywords are often long-tail and have lower competition.
- How to find them:
- Use tools like AnswerThePublic.
- Filter keyword research tools for terms containing “how,” “what,” “why,” “where,” “when,” “who,” etc.
- Leverage Local Keywords (if applicable):
- Specificity: Local keywords (e.g., “best coffee shop Dhaka”) have inherently lower competition than broad terms.
- High conversion potential: Users searching locally are often ready to visit or buy.
- How to find them:
- Use keyword research tools and include location modifiers.
- Analyze Google Maps results for your local area to see what terms businesses are ranking for.
- Explore Seasonal and Trending Keywords (with caution):
- Temporary opportunities: Keywords related to specific seasons or trending events can have high but short-lived traffic with potentially lower competition before the peak.
- Timing is crucial: You need to identify these trends early and create content quickly.
- How to find them:
- Use Google Trends to identify emerging trends.
- Monitor industry news and social media for upcoming events.
- Utilize YouTube and Other Platform Keyword Research:
- Different search engines: YouTube is the second largest search engine. Keywords with lower competition on Google might have higher but still manageable competition on YouTube.
- How to find them:
- Use tools specifically for YouTube keyword research (e.g., TubeBuddy, VidIQ).
- Analyze what popular videos in your niche are ranking for.
IV. Analyzing Keyword Competition:
Once you’ve identified potential keywords with high traffic (or decent traffic for long-tail), you need to analyze the competition:
- Organic Difficulty Scores: Most paid keyword research tools provide an organic difficulty score, which estimates how hard it will be to rank in the top 10 for that keyword. Aim for keywords with lower difficulty scores.
- SERP Analysis (Manual): Manually search for your target keywords on Google and analyze the top 10 results:
- Domain Authority (DA) or Domain Rating (DR): Are the top-ranking sites high-authority giants or smaller, niche websites?
- Content Quality and Relevance: Is the content directly targeting the keyword and providing comprehensive information? Can you create better content?
- On-Page Optimization: Are the top-ranking pages well-optimized for the keyword in their title tags, headings, and content?
- Keyword Usage: Are they using the exact match keyword heavily, or are they ranking with related terms?
- Backlink Profile: Use tools to analyze the number and quality of backlinks pointing to the top-ranking pages.
V. Prioritization and Implementation:
- Create a Keyword List: Compile a list of low competition, high (or decent) traffic keywords that are relevant to your niche.
- Prioritize: Focus on the keywords that align best with your content strategy and have a realistic chance of ranking. Consider the search intent behind the keywords.
- Content Creation: Create high-quality, comprehensive, and engaging content that specifically targets these keywords.
- On-Page Optimization: Optimize your page titles, headings, meta descriptions, URL slugs, and content with your target keywords naturally.
- Build High-Quality Backlinks: Earn backlinks from authoritative and relevant websites to increase your domain authority.
- Track Your Rankings: Monitor your progress in Google Search Console and adjust your strategy as needed.
Key Takeaway: Finding low competition keywords with high traffic takes time, research, and a strategic approach. Focus on long-tail keywords, explore niche areas, analyze your competition, and always prioritize creating valuable content for your audience. Good luck!
