How to Find Low-Competition Keywords a New Website Can Actually Rank For
A brand-new site can’t win the big keywords yet. “How to create a website” gets around 178,000 searches a month with a keyword difficulty of 65, and the top results belong to sites with thousands of links. But there are thousands of smaller searches that a new site can win within months. This lesson shows you how to find them in Ahrefs, in Semrush and for free, how to read a results page for weak spots, and how I picked the keywords for every lesson in this course.
To find low-competition keywords, filter your keyword tool for keyword difficulty under 10 to 20 and volume over 100, then open the Google results for each one and look for weak signals: low-authority sites, Reddit or Quora threads, thin or outdated pages, and results that don’t match the search. If two or more weak results show up in the top 10, a new site can compete.
- Keyword difficulty (KD) is a score from 0 to 100 that estimates how many links you need to reach the top 10. For a new site, start at KD 0 to 10.
- The tool’s score is only a start. Always check the actual results page for weak spots.
- Forum threads, low-authority sites and outdated pages in the top 10 are the clearest signs a keyword is winnable.
- Parent topic tells you whether to write a new page or cover the keyword inside a bigger one.
- “How to find low competition keywords” gets about 600 US searches a month with a keyword difficulty of 0 in Ahrefs (November 2026).
What “low competition” means for a new site
A low-competition keyword is one where the pages ranking on Google are weak enough that a new site with a good article and few links can get onto page one. SEO tools estimate this with a keyword difficulty (KD) score. Ahrefs bases it mainly on how many sites link to the current top 10 results.
| Ahrefs KD | What it usually means for a new site |
|---|---|
| 0 to 10 | Winnable with a strong article and internal links, often within months |
| 11 to 30 | Winnable once the site has some links and topical depth |
| 31 to 50 | Needs a stronger site and a link-building plan |
| 51 and up | Save it for later and use it as a secondary keyword for now |
A rule of thumb, not a law. Your own site’s authority changes what’s realistic: as your Domain Rating grows, so does the KD you can target.
Low competition doesn’t mean low value. In young industries like AI tools and SaaS, many useful keywords are still easy because few sites have had time to build links. Lesson 2 covers why.
The Ahrefs method
- Enter a broad seed keyword for your niche in Keywords Explorer, for example “AI video editor”.
- Open Matching terms (or Related terms for wider ideas), and switch on Questions if you want how-to topics.
- Filter: KD from 0 to 10, volume from 100, and include words that show intent, like “best”, “how to”, “vs” or “for”.
- Check Parent topic for each keyword. If the parent topic is a different, bigger keyword, you may be better off covering it inside that article.
- Open the SERP overview for your shortlist and look at the Domain Rating and backlinks of the top 10 pages.
- Save winners to a keyword list, with volume, KD, parent topic and your notes.
On Ahrefs Free (formerly Ahrefs Webmaster Tools) you can still use Ahrefs’ free keyword generator for ideas with difficulty scores for the first results.
The Semrush method
- Open the Keyword Magic Tool and enter your seed keyword.
- Filter KD% to “Very easy” or “Easy” and set a minimum volume.
- Use the Questions tab for how-to ideas and the groups on the left to spot sub-topics.
- Check the SERP features column and open the results for your shortlist.
- Send keepers to the Keyword Manager so you can cluster them later.
If you don’t pay for either tool yet, lesson 4 shows how to do this whole process inside a free trial.
The free method
- Google autocomplete: type your topic and note the suggestions. Add letters (“AI video editor a”, “b”…) to see more.
- People also ask: every question box is a real search. Click a few to load more.
- Ahrefs’ free keyword generator and Google Keyword Planner for rough volumes.
- Forums and Reddit: the questions people ask in your niche are often keywords nobody has answered well.
- Google Search Console: once your site is live, the Performance report shows searches you already appear for on pages two and three. Those are your easiest wins.
Reading the results: 6 weak-competition signals
Google the keyword (in a private window) and look at the top 10. The more of these you see, the better your chances:
- Reddit, Quora or forum threads in the top 10: Google couldn’t find a good dedicated article.
- Low-authority sites ranking (DR under about 30 in Ahrefs).
- Pages with few or no backlinks to the ranking URL itself.
- Outdated content, such as an “in 2022” title for a fast-moving topic.
- Thin or off-target pages that only partly answer the search.
- Big sites with a passing mention rather than a page made for the topic.
If two or more of the top 10 results show these signals, a new site with a better, more specific article has a real chance.
Case study: how I chose this course’s keywords
ranktoearn.com had a Domain Rating of 32 in Ahrefs when I planned this course, so I aimed most lessons at KD 35 or lower and kept the hard head terms as secondary keywords. Here are some of the targets, with Ahrefs US data from November 2026:
| Lesson | Primary keyword | US volume | KD |
|---|---|---|---|
| This lesson | how to find low competition keywords | 600 | 0 |
| Topic clusters | topic clusters | 700 | 2 |
| SEO content writing | seo content writing | 2,400 | 7 |
| Blogger template | blogger template | 300 | 0 |
| How to promote your website | how to promote your website | 600 | 0 |
| Fiverr backlinks | fiverr backlinks | 150 | 0 |
| Contrast: a head term | keyword difficulty | 6,100 | 51 |
Notice the pattern: specific, intent-driven phrases with modest volume and very low difficulty. Together they add up to real traffic, and each one is a page a new site can own.
- Pick three seed keywords for your niche and pull matching terms with KD 0 to 10 and volume 100+.
- Google your top 20 candidates and score each one for the six weak-competition signals.
- Save the best 20 to 30 keywords with volume, KD and parent topic. You’ll cluster them in lesson 12.
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Previous← Website launch checklistSummary: how to find low-competition keywords
Start with broad seed keywords, then filter Ahrefs Matching terms or the Semrush Keyword Magic Tool for keyword difficulty 0 to 10 and volume 100+. Check each keyword’s parent topic, then open the Google results and look for forum threads, low-authority sites, weakly linked or outdated pages and off-target results. Two or more weak results in the top 10 means a new site can compete. Without a paid tool, use autocomplete, People also ask, Ahrefs’ free keyword generator, forums and Search Console.
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Frequently asked questions
What is a good keyword difficulty for a new website?
For a brand-new site, start with keywords at KD 0 to 10 in Ahrefs. As your site earns links and authority, you can target KD 11 to 30 and higher.
How do I find low-competition keywords for free?
Use Google autocomplete, People also ask, Ahrefs’ free keyword generator, Google Keyword Planner and forum questions, then check the results page for weak signals like Reddit threads and low-authority sites.
Is keyword difficulty accurate?
It’s a useful estimate, not a guarantee. It’s mostly based on links to the top results, so always check the results page yourself for content quality, intent and forum results.
How much search volume should a keyword have?
For a new site, 100 or more US searches a month is a good minimum, but low-volume keywords with clear buying intent can still be worth a page, especially if the traffic potential is higher than the volume.
What are low-competition keywords with high traffic?
They’re keywords with low difficulty but decent volume or traffic potential. You find them by filtering for low KD and then sorting by volume or traffic potential, often in newer niches where few sites have built links yet.
About Eugene Madondo
Eugene is a Cape Town-based SEO specialist and digital entrepreneur who has been earning online since 2012. He has worked in SEO at a tech startup, an agency and in-house tech roles, ran a consulting business, and has generated over $1.4 million from his own affiliate websites since 2020. He teaches website operators through Rank to Earn.
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