How to find high-volume, low-competition keywords

Filter by “positions 6 to 10” in Google Search Console.
Yes, on your own website.

True organic growth doesn't come from competing for the obvious.
It comes from finding hidden opportunities: keywords with good search volume and low competition.

That's the sweet spot of SEO:
🔍 Lots of potential traffic.
🛡️ Few people competing for them.

And yes, they do exist. They are not urban legends. I have used this approach to bring sites from 0 to thousands of visits in months. Today I'll show you how to do it.

What are high-volume, low-competition keywords?

These are terms that:

• They have more than 500 monthly searches (in large markets, even 1K+).
• They have little real competition (not just a low number on a tool).
• They are relevant to your business.
• They have a clear search intention (informational, commercial or transactional).

You don't need millions of views.
With 20 well-chosen keywords, you can generate more organic traffic than with 200 generic articles. Let's see how to find them ⬇️

Step 1: Build your initial list with real seeds

Forget guessing. Start with data.

Use an SEO tool like MAKE IT TOOL, Semrush, Ahrefs, or SE Ranking and do this:

1. Enter the domain of 2 or 3 direct competitors.
2. Go to the organic positions report.
3. Export all the keywords for which they appear in the top 100 positions.

Here's the catch:
Don't search for obvious keywords. Look for the ones they're ranking... but they're not taking advantage of.

For example:
A healthy cooking site ranks for “vegan smoothie recipes for weight loss”, but its content is basic, without structure, without FAQ, without optimized images.

That's your chance 💡

I leave you a post that can help you a lot for this...

How to see what keywords a website is ranking for

Step 2: Expand the list with semantic variations and questions

A keyword isn't just a phrase. It's a topic.

Use the Keyword Magic Tool (Semrush), Keyword Research Tool (SE Ranking) or similar, and enter your seeds.

Then, apply these filters:

• Questions: Search for “how”, “what”, “where”, “why”.
• Longtail: phrases of 4 or more words.
• Low difficulty: KD (Keyword Difficulty) less than 40.
• High volume: more than 300 searches/month (adjust according to your niche).

💡 My expert tip (the one that hardly anyone uses):
Filter by “positions 6 to 10” in Google Search Console.
Yes, on your own website.

Why?
Because if you're already on page 1, you only need 10% more relevance to climb to the top 3. And from position 6 to 3, the CTR doubles. Sometimes it even triples.

Optimize those articles: improve the title, add an FAQ, structure the content.
It's the fastest way to get more traffic.

Step 3: Filter with intelligence, not with blind numbers

This is where many people get it wrong.

To see a “difficulty 20” number and say “this is easy” is an illusion.

The real difficulty is not in the number.
It's in who it's ranking.

Do this:

👉 Choose 5 candidate keywords.

👉 Google each one.

👉 Analyze the first 3 pages:

• What type of domains are they? (personal blogs, large media, stores)?
• Is the content deep or superficial?
• Do they have strong backlinks?
• Is there a highlighted fragment? Do People Also Ask?

📌 Real example:
A keyword with “KD 35” seemed easy.
But the results included Harvard Health and Mayo Clinic.
Easy? No. Impossible for a new site.

On the other hand, another with “KD 45” had small blogs, with thin content and few backlinks.
That was indeed a real opportunity.

The tool gives you an estimate.
Your analysis gives you the truth.

Step 4: Prioritize by search intent

Not all keywords are the same, even if they have the same volume.

Divide them into 3 categories:

Start with informational and commercial.
They are easier to rank and build trust.
Then, when you have authority, get into the transactional ones.

This article can also help you: Why is it important to group relevant keywords together?

Step 5: Use the keyword gap (and don't underestimate it)

This is one of the most powerful methods I know of.

Enter:

• Your domain
• 2 or 3 contestants

And look for:

• Keywords they rank... and you don't.
• With volume > 300
• Difficulty < 45

Those are pure opportunities.
You're not making it up. You're copying what already works... but better.

Create superior content: more complete, better structured, with real data.

And in 3-6 months, you'll be ranking.

My final tip (the one I use with my clients)

Don't search for keywords. Look for unresolved questions.

Google doesn't rank pages. Classify answers.

So go to forums like Reddit, Quora, Facebook groups, and search for:

• “Does anyone know how...?”
• “Do you recommend X for Y?”
• “I can't find information about...”

Those are searches that no one is covering well.

Take those questions, search for them in your tool, check volume and competence, and create a page that answers them in a clear, deep and structured way.

Do it 10 times.
You'll see organic traffic growing without the need for massive backlinks.

SEO isn't about competing. It's about choosing where to play.

The keywords of high volume and low competition exist.
But they're not in the obvious places.

They are in:

👉 The 6-10 positions of your own website.

👉 The questions people ask in forums.

👉 The gaps between you and your competitors.

👉 The topics they cover poorly.

Your job isn't to write anymore.
It's about writing better, at the right time and place.

Start today:
Open MAKE IT TOOL, filter by high volume and low difficulty, analyze who is ranking...
and create something that will make them obsolete.

That's the real shortcut to SEO.