How to Find Long-Tail Keywords With Low Competition

Why Long-Tail Keywords Are the Fastest Path to Organic Traffic

Long-tail keywords are search queries that are three or more words long and have relatively low search volume. "Running shoes" is a head keyword with approximately 165,000 monthly searches and extreme competition. "Best running shoes for flat feet women under $100" is a long-tail keyword with maybe 200 monthly searches but very low competition. The head keyword is nearly impossible for a new or small website to rank for, while the long-tail keyword is achievable and — critically — has much higher commercial intent. Someone searching for that specific phrase is ready to buy.

The cumulative effect of targeting many long-tail keywords is significant. A website that ranks for 100 long-tail keywords with 200 monthly searches each generates 20,000 monthly visits from those keywords alone. And because long-tail keywords are more specific, the traffic they bring converts at 2-3 times the rate of traffic from broad keywords. For businesses focused on revenue rather than vanity metrics, long-tail keyword targeting is the most efficient SEO strategy.

Method 1: Google Autocomplete for Instant Long-Tail Ideas

Type any keyword into Google's search bar and the autocomplete dropdown shows up to 10 related searches. These suggestions are based on actual searches that users have performed, making them reliable long-tail keyword candidates. Type your seed keyword followed by each letter of the alphabet to generate dozens of variations — "running shoes a" might suggest "running shoes arch support," "running shoes at Kohl's," and "running shoes ankle support," while "running shoes b" might suggest "running shoes for bad knees" and "running shoes for beginners."

This manual approach is time-consuming but completely free and highly effective. To automate it, use tools like KeywordTool.io or Ubersuggest, which pull Google autocomplete suggestions programmatically and add search volume estimates. KeywordTool.io returns up to 750 suggestions per seed keyword across Google, YouTube, Bing, Amazon, and other platforms, with a free tier that shows the first 10 suggestions per platform.

Method 2: Google's "People Also Ask" and "Related Searches"

After searching for any keyword, scroll past the ads and the featured snippet to find the "People Also Ask" (PAA) box. This section lists 4-8 questions related to your search. Click any question to expand it and reveal the answer, along with 3-4 additional related questions. Each expansion reveals new questions, creating a branching tree of question-based keywords. These questions are excellent long-tail keyword targets because they represent real user queries with clear informational intent.

At the bottom of the search results page, the "Related Searches" section shows 8 additional keyword variations. Combine the PAA questions with the related searches and you have 15-20 long-tail keyword ideas from a single search. Repeat this process for 5-10 seed keywords and you will have a list of 100+ potential long-tail targets.

Method 3: Using Ahrefs and SEMrush to Find Low-Difficulty Keywords

Both Ahrefs and SEMrush include keyword difficulty scores that estimate how hard it is to rank for each keyword. In Ahrefs Keywords Explorer, enter a broad topic and filter for keywords with a Keyword Difficulty (KD) score below 20. Sort by search volume descending to find the highest-volume keywords that are still relatively easy to rank for. Focus on keywords with 3+ words — these tend to have lower difficulty and more specific intent.

In SEMrush's Keyword Magic Tool, apply the "KD%" filter to show only keywords with difficulty below 30%. Add a word count filter of 3+ words to focus on long-tail phrases. SEMrush also provides a "Questions" filter that shows only question-based keywords — these are particularly valuable because they align with Google's increasing preference for content that directly answers user questions.

Both tools also show the number of referring domains (backlinks) that the top-ranking pages have. If the top-ranking pages for a keyword have fewer than 10-15 backlinks each, the keyword is likely achievable with good content alone, without an aggressive link building campaign. This is a useful secondary indicator of competition level.

Validating Long-Tail Keywords Before Creating Content

Not every long-tail keyword is worth targeting. Before investing time in creating content, validate your keyword choices using a quick checklist. First, search for the keyword in Google and check the top 10 results — if they are all from major publications with high domain authority (DA 60+), the keyword may be more competitive than its difficulty score suggests. Second, check whether the top results have comprehensive content or thin content — if the top results are forum posts or thin directory pages, a well-written article can easily outrank them.

Third, evaluate search intent by looking at the type of content in the top results. If the top results are product pages, the keyword has transactional intent and your content should focus on comparison and purchasing guidance. If the top results are blog posts or how-to guides, the keyword has informational intent and your content should be educational and comprehensive. Matching search intent is more important than any other ranking factor — if your content type does not match what users expect, Google will not rank it regardless of how well it is optimized.

Method 4: Forum and Community Research

Online forums like Reddit, Quora, and industry-specific communities are goldmines for long-tail keyword ideas. People ask specific, detailed questions in these communities — questions that often translate directly into valuable long-tail keywords. Search Reddit for your topic and note the exact phrases people use in their post titles and questions. These phrases reflect how real people talk about your topic, which is often different from the formal language used in existing content.

Quora is particularly useful because it ranks well in Google search results. Search your topic on Quora and note which questions have the most followers and answers — high engagement indicates significant search demand. Create content that comprehensively answers these questions, and you may earn traffic both from organic search and from Quora itself by linking to your content in relevant answers.