Finding the perfect keywords can determine whether your website flourishes or falters in its search engine visibility. But when you’re just starting, the process may feel daunting. Here’s some good news—there’s a way to drive significant traffic without struggling to compete with major players in your niche.
This blog will walk you through how to find high-volume, low-difficulty keywords, a powerful strategy for SEO beginners, content creators, and digital marketers looking to grow their online presence. By following these steps, you’ll discover how to uncover hidden gems that boost ranking potential without requiring massive domain authority.
Why Focus on High-Volume, Low-Difficulty Keywords?
Before jumping into the process, it’s important to understand why this strategy works so effectively.
- High search volume means a keyword is being frequently searched by users. Targeting these terms ensures you’re writing content people actively seek.
- Keywords with low difficulty are less competitive. It’s easier for smaller or newer websites to rank for these terms, compared to highly competitive keywords dominated by industry giants.
Together, these keywords serve as low-hanging fruit—they drive substantial traffic with less effort compared to more competitive options.
Step 1: Start with Keyword Research Tools
Any keyword research process begins with the right tools. These tools are like virtual treasure maps pointing you toward undiscovered opportunities.
Popular Tools You Can Use:
- Google Keyword Planner (Free): Perfect starting tool, offering valuable data about keyword volume and suggested bid prices.
- Ubersuggest (Freemium): Shows keyword difficulty, search volume, and trends.
- Ahrefs and SEMrush (Paid): High-quality premium tools that deliver detailed insights into keyword metrics, difficulty scores, and competitor research.
- Answer the Public (Freemium): Focuses on content ideas around specific user queries tied to keywords.
Tip: While free tools give good foundational insights, investing in a paid option provides better accuracy and advanced features, especially for digital marketers.
Step 2: Understand Search Volume Metrics
When you search for keywords, you’ll often notice search volume metrics. But a high search volume doesn’t always mean high value. Here’s how to use those numbers:
- Analyze Monthly Search Data:
Look at the average monthly search volume of your keyword. For example, a keyword that gets searched 10,000 times a month will likely have higher potential traffic than something searched 100 times.
- Focus on Geo-Specific Volume:
If your business is location-dependent, choose keywords with high volumes specific to your audience’s location (e.g., “best coffee shop in New York”).
- Beware of Vanity Keywords:
These are highly searched but rigidly competitive, like “Shoes” or “SEO.” Avoid chasing these unless you’re a powerhouse.
Example: If you’re running a small gardening blog, competing for “Gardening Tips” (100K+ vol., very high competition) is a losing battle. Instead, target niche phrases like “Gardening tips for small spaces” or “DIY herb garden ideas.”
Step 3: Assess Keyword Difficulty
Keyword difficulty measures how challenging it is to rank on the search engine results page (SERP) for a keyword. Tools like Ahrefs, Moz, and SEMrush assign a score (usually between 0–100) to keywords based on their competitiveness.
Look for Keywords in the 0–40 Range
- Scores below 40 are generally considered low-difficulty and ideal for beginners.
- Aim for keywords where competitors ranking on the first page don’t have high domain authority websites (DA under 50 is a good indicator). This shows the playing field is even for you to compete.
Quick Hack to Check Competition:
Search for your keyword in Google. If SERP results are dominated by user-generated sites like Reddit, medium-sized blogs, or forums, you’ve likely hit a low-difficulty keyword jackpot. Competing against multimedia websites like YouTube is also easier compared to e-commerce giants like Amazon.
Step 4: Incorporate Long-Tail Keywords
Long-tail keywords are longer, more specific search terms (e.g. “best smartphones for night photography” vs. “smartphones”). While search volumes for these tend to be lower, they cater to user intent and often have reduced competition.
Why Long-Tail Keywords Work:
- They attract niche audiences and improve conversion rates.
- Meet user intent directly by being contextually relevant.
- Easier for smaller sites to rank quickly compared to shorter “head” keywords.
Example: Instead of targeting “SEO agency,” a long-tail approach could be “affordable local SEO agency for startups”. It captures a niche audience while increasing the likelihood of ranking higher in the SERPs.
Step 5: Analyze SERP Features to Find Gaps
When researching keywords, always analyze SERP features (search engine results page elements like featured snippets or top stories) that appear for your target terms.
- If top-ranked results contain short blog posts or don’t fully answer questions, that’s your opportunity to create more detailed and valuable content.
- Additionally, target questions or voice search queries. Keywords similar to “how-to,” “best way to,” or “what’s the easiest way to” are often overlooked by competitors and directly cater to user needs.
Pro Tip:
Use tools like AlsoAsked or sections like Google’s “People Also Ask” to uncover related, low-difficulty keywords you’re not targeting yet.
Step 6: Monitor & Optimize Your Keywords Over Time
After identifying and targeting high-volume, low-difficulty keywords, your job doesn’t end there. Always monitor performance and refine over time!
- Use Google Search Console to check keyword impressions, clicks, and rankings.
- Adjust content strategies in response to trend shifts in search volume or emerging phrases relevant to your niche.
For example, if one of your low-difficulty keywords suddenly spikes in popularity due to seasonal trends or industry changes, focus more energy into optimizing and expanding your content around that specific term.
Tools to Save You Time
Implement these tools regularly to save time and streamline your process:
- Keywords Everywhere (Browser Extension): Displays keyword data directly on search results.
- Surfer SEO (Optimization): Helps optimize existing content for specific keywords.
- GrowthBar (AI Insights): Tailored suggestions for keyword opportunities.
Example in Action:
Imagine you own a fitness-focused blog. By researching keywords, you may find “Best pre-workout for runners” has:
- 7,000 monthly searches
- A keyword difficulty score of 25.
This would make it the perfect keyword to write about in a detailed, well-researched article—possibly boosting organic traffic significantly and quickly.
Final Thoughts
Finding high-volume, low-difficulty keywords may feel like panning for gold, but with the right strategy and tools, these golden nuggets are closer than you think. By focusing on niche, relevant, and low-competition terms, your website can rise through the rankings—even against larger competitors.
Start small, build authority, and keep learning from your data. If you’re looking for more ways to improve your SEO strategy, explore tools like Ahrefs or SEMrush and stay consistent. With time, dedication, and the steps provided here, you’ll turn keyword research into an incredibly rewarding part of your digital marketing plan.
Read Also: Most Effective SEO Techniques to Drive Website Traffic in 2025
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Debashrita @ The WP Website Help Team