How to Find Low Competition Keywords for Beginners, The Secret to Fast Traffic
 |
| How to Find Low Competition Keywords for Beginners |
Hey bloggers!
If you are reading this, you are probably feeling the same frustration I felt when I started my blog. You are working hard, writing great stuff and hitting "Publish" but crickets. Silence. Zero traffic.
I was trying to rank for giant, impossible words like “SEO” “Blogging” or “Keyword Research.” These huge words are already owned by massive companies like Google, SEMrush and Ahrefs. Trying to beat them is like a tiny scooter trying to beat a Formula 1 race car. It’s just not going to happen!
The secret? Low Competition Keywords.
Ready to find your traffic superpower? Let’s go!
What is a Low Competition Keyword and Why It’s Your New Best Friend?
Let’s keep this simple.
Imagine traffic as a big race. You can try to win the race on the main Highway that's a High Competition Keyword like "SEO". The Highway is packed with massive, expensive trucks the giant websites. You have almost no chance of winning.
A Low Competition Keyword is like a quiet, sunny Side Street. Only a few cars are on it and some of those cars are old and broken down. If you drive your shiny new car which is your blog post onto that Side Street, you win that race instantly!
That "Side Street" is where beginners find their first real traffic.
The 3 Simple Rules for a “Gold Nugget” Keyword
A Gold Nugget keyword is one you can actually rank for. When you find one, it feels like winning the lottery. Here is a super-easy checklist to know if a keyword is a Gold Nugget:
Rule 1: It Must Be a Full Sentence (4+ words is best)
Forget one or two-word phrases. They are too competitive. We want long phrases that sound like a question a person would type into Google.
- Bad (Too Competitive): Coffee beans
- Good (Gold Nugget): best coffee beans for french press in cold weather
These long phrases are called Long-Tail Keywords and they are the backbone of a successful new blog.
Rule 2: It Must Have a Low KD Score (under 30)
"KD" stands for Keyword Difficulty. It’s a score usually from 0 to 100 that tells you how hard it is to rank for that word.
KD 70+: Forget about it. You need thousands of links.
KD 40-60: Maybe later, once your blog is strong.
KD 0-30: This is your sweet spot! Any keyword with a difficulty under 30 is a great target for a new blog.
Rule 3: It Must Solve a Problem
The best keywords aren't just about things they are about helping people. Look for words like How to, Best way to, Fix, Troubleshoot or Reviews. These show that the person searching is ready for an answer and maybe ready to buy something you recommend!.
The Free Golden Trio: Finding Keywords Without Paid Tools
Here’s the part where we save money! You absolutely do not need expensive tools like Ahrefs or Semrush to start finding low competition keywords. You only need your brain and Google.
This method-the Free Golden Trio-is all about finding the questions people are actually typing.
Tool 1: Google Autocomplete (The Mind Reader)
Google Autocomplete is your best friend. It literally tells you what other people are searching for!
How to use it:
Go to Google and start typing your general topic (your "Seed Keyword"). For example, let’s type: how to start selling digital products
STOP! Don't press Enter. Just look at the drop-down list.
The suggestions that pop up-like “how to start selling digital products on blog,” “how to start selling digital products on Instagram,” etc. are amazing long-tail keywords. Google is reading the mind of millions of users and giving you the answers for free!
Tip for Beginners: The longer the suggested phrase, the lower the competition will be.
Tool 2: People Also Ask (PAA) Box (The Question Goldmine)
When you do a Google search, you often see a box that says "People also ask." This box is pure keyword gold!
How to use it:
Search your general topic, for example: internal linking strategy
Find the "People also ask" box.
Click on the first question to see the answer.
Watch what happens, When you click one question, two or three new questions pop up underneath it!
You can keep clicking and expanding for several layers deep. Every single one of those new questions is a long-tail keyword idea you can use for your H2s, H3s, or an entirely new blog post.
My Own Secret: I often use PAA questions to create the exact FAQ section for my blog posts.
Tool 3: Reddit & Quora (The Honest Feedback Loop)
Reddit and Quora are where people go when they are truly frustrated and need help. The language they use is honest, simple and exactly what you need to target.
How to use it:
Go to Google (not Reddit/Quora directly).
Use this simple search formula: site:reddit.com "your topic" "help"
Example: site:reddit.com "choosing correct neiche" "help"
You will find real threads where people are complaining, asking specific questions, and detailing their struggles.
This is incredible because you get the exact, simple language to use in your post and you find problems that no big SEO company has bothered to solve yet.
How to Spot a Weak Competitor (The Easy SERP Check)
Finding the Gold Nugget keyword is only half the battle. The final step is checking the competition.
Since we are skipping the expensive tools for now, we will use a simple visual check on the Search Engine Results Page (SERP). This is the most important step before you write a single word!
What to Look for on Page 1 (The 3 Green Flags)
Type your long-tail keyword into Google and look at the first 10 results. You are looking for things that tell you the competition is weak.
Flag 1: Forums & Videos
If you see a result on the first page that is a YouTube video, a Reddit thread or a Quora answer, it means Google really struggled to find a good blog post for that topic. This is a HUGE Green Flag!
Your Plan: You can write a single, high-quality article that easily beats a 5-minute video or a random forum comment.
Flag 2: Vague Titles
Look at the titles of the top 10 articles. Do they perfectly match your long-tail keyword?
If you searched for: best keyword research tools for beginner bloggers
And the top result title is: 10 Tools for SEO (Vague, not specific to "beginner bloggers")
If the titles don't match exactly, it means your perfectly targeted, specific title will stand out and Google will reward you for having the exact answer.
Flag 3: Old Dates
This is the easiest flag to spot. Look for the year in the search results. If the articles on Page 1 are from 2021, 2022, or 2023, it means the content is old and needs an update.
Your Plan: You can easily crush these old posts by writing a brand-new, updated post for 2025 that gives fresh examples and current information.
Turning High-Intent Keywords into Sales
The beauty of finding these very specific, low-competition keywords is that the searcher has high Intent. If they search for “how to sell digital products on blog with low traffic,” they are ready to buy a course or an eBook that teaches them exactly how to do that.
Finding a low-competition keyword is the first step toward finding a customer!
Putting It All Together: The 4-Step Keyword Workflow
Let's summarize everything into one easy plan you can follow every day.
Step 1: Start with a Seed Keyword (Your Main Topic)
Pick one big topic for your blog. For example, “internal linking” or “SEO audit.” This is your starting point.
Step 2: Expand the List (Use the Golden Trio Tools)
Use Google Autocomplete, the PAA box and Reddit/Quora searches to turn your Seed Keyword into a long list of 20+ long-tail questions and phrases.
Step 3: Check the SERP (Look for the 3 Green Flags)
For the best 5 keywords on your list, search them on Google. Look for the 3 Green Flags (Forums/Videos, Vague Titles, or Old Dates). If you see 2 or 3 flags, you have a winner!
Step 4: Create a Post Plan
Once you have your Gold Nugget keyword, you need a plan to write a post that beats the competition. Use the long-tail phrases you found to create a strong outline.
(For example, if your keyword is “how to write quality blog post for beginners,” use the PAA questions as your H2s/H3s.)
If you want a step-by-step guide on how to build that perfect post, you should definitely check out my guide on How to write quality blog post next!
This whole workflow ensures you spend your writing time on topics that actually have a chance to rank.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is low competition keyword good for SEO?
Absolutely! Low competition keywords are the backbone of good SEO for new blogs. They help you get fast traffic and show Google that your blog is an expert on specific topics. Once Google trusts you for these small topics, it will start ranking you for the bigger, harder ones later.
What is a good Keyword Difficulty (KD) score for a new blog?
As a beginner, you should focus on keywords with a KD score of 30 or lower. The closer you can get to 0-10, the better! Don't waste time on anything above 40 until you have at least 50 high-quality, traffic-getting posts published.
How many words should a blog post be for a low competition keyword?
It depends! Check your competitors. If the top 5 results are short (500-800 words), write 1,200 words. Your goal is to be more thorough and helpful than anyone else. A general rule is to aim for at least 1,200 words, which gives you plenty of space to be helpful and include all your keywords naturally.
Can I find low competition keywords without paying for tools?
Yes, 100%! As we covered in the Free Golden Trio section, you can use Google Autocomplete, People Also Ask, and search forums like Reddit and Quora to find dozens of amazing, easy-to-rank keywords without spending a dime.
Conclusion: Your New Keyword Superpower
Congratulations! You now have the secret roadmap that took me months and a lot of headaches to figure out.
Stop fighting the giants. Start looking for those sunny, quiet Side Streets where you can quickly become the only car on the road.
Finding low competition keywords is not about cheating; it’s about being smart and being specific with your help. You are now equipped to find the exact questions your audience is asking and give them the best possible answer.
This is how you get traffic fast.
Ready to put this keyword research into practice? Now that you have the keywords, the next step is building a winning post structure.
Go check out my guide on How to write quality blog post next!
0 Comments