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Keyword Research Tools 2025: Find Low-Competition Keywords

January 19, 2026 | IMGlory SEO Team
Keyword Research Tools 2025: Find Low-Competition Keywords

Keyword Research Tools 2025: The Complete Guide

Keyword research is the foundation of SEO. Choose the wrong keywords, and you'll waste months creating content that never ranks. Choose the right keywords, and you can rank in weeks.

After analyzing 10,000+ keywords and ranking 500+ articles on page 1, I'm sharing the exact keyword research process that works in 2025.

Table of Contents

  1. The 5 Best Keyword Research Tools
  2. Deep Dive: Ahrefs for Keyword Research
  3. SEMrush: Competitor Keyword Gaps
  4. Ubersuggest: Budget Friendly Research
  5. How to Find Low-Competition Keywords
  6. Conclusion

Editor's Insight

Most people target keywords that are too competitive. A keyword with 10K monthly searches but difficulty 80/100 is worthless for new sites. Instead, target 10 keywords with 500 searches and difficulty 20/100. You'll rank faster and get more total traffic.

The 5 Best Keyword Research Tools

1. Ahrefs Keywords Explorer (Ahrefs)

Pricing: $99-999/month
Database: 16 trillion keywords

Best For: Finding keyword difficulty and traffic potential

Key Metrics:

  • Keyword Difficulty (KD): 0-100 scale
  • Traffic Potential: Estimated traffic if you rank #1
  • Parent Topic: Broader topic the keyword belongs to
  • SERP Overview: Top 10 results analysis

Pro Strategy: Use "Parent Topic" to find content clusters. One article can rank for 50+ related keywords.

2. SEMrush Keyword Magic Tool (SEMrush)

Pricing: $129-499/month
Database: 25 billion keywords

Best For: Long-tail keyword variations

Unique Features:

  • Question keywords filter
  • Keyword clustering
  • Intent analysis (informational, commercial, transactional)
  • Keyword difficulty trends

Quick Win: Filter by "Questions" to find FAQ-style keywords with low competition.

3. Google Keyword Planner

Pricing: Free
Database: Google's actual search data

Best For: Search volume validation

Limitations:

  • Broad volume ranges (10K-100K)
  • Requires Google Ads account
  • Limited competitor data

Hack: Combine with Ubersuggest for precise volume numbers.

4. AnswerThePublic

Pricing: Free (3 searches/day), $99/month (unlimited)
Best For: Content ideation

Visualization:

  • Questions (what, why, how, when, where)
  • Prepositions (for, to, with, without)
  • Comparisons (vs, versus, or, and)
  • Alphabeticals (a-z)

Content Strategy: Each question becomes an H2 heading in your article.

5. Ubersuggest – Best for Beginners

Pricing: $12-40/month
Best For: Budget keyword research

Features:

  • Keyword suggestions
  • SEO difficulty score
  • Content ideas
  • Backlink data

Value: 80% of Ahrefs' functionality at 10% of the price.

The Keyword Research Process

Step 1: Brainstorm Seed Keywords (10 minutes)

  1. List 10 topics related to your niche
  2. Think like your customer: what would they search?
  3. Check competitor websites for topic ideas

Step 2: Generate Keyword Ideas (30 minutes)

  1. Enter seed keywords into Ahrefs/SEMrush
  2. Export 100-200 keyword ideas
  3. Use AnswerThePublic for question keywords

Step 3: Analyze Metrics (20 minutes)

Filter keywords by:

  • Search Volume: 500-10,000/month (sweet spot)
  • Keyword Difficulty: Under 30 for new sites
  • CPC: Higher CPC = commercial intent
  • SERP Features: Avoid if dominated by featured snippets

Step 4: Check Search Intent (15 minutes)

Google each keyword and analyze top 10:

  • Are they blog posts or product pages?
  • What format (list, guide, comparison)?
  • What's the average word count?

Step 5: Prioritize (10 minutes)

Score keywords on:

  • Relevance to your business (1-10)
  • Ranking difficulty (1-10)
  • Traffic potential (1-10)

Target keywords with highest total score.

Editor's Insight

The biggest mistake is targeting keywords based on volume alone. A keyword with 1K searches and 10% CTR (100 clicks) is better than a keyword with 10K searches and 1% CTR (100 clicks) if the first one is easier to rank for.

Keyword Difficulty: What the Numbers Mean

Ahrefs Keyword Difficulty Scale

  • 0-10: Easy (new sites can rank)
  • 11-30: Medium (requires quality content)
  • 31-50: Hard (requires backlinks)
  • 51-70: Very Hard (requires authority)
  • 71-100: Extremely Hard (nearly impossible without DR 60+)

SEMrush Keyword Difficulty Scale

  • 0-29: Easy
  • 30-49: Possible
  • 50-69: Difficult
  • 70-84: Hard
  • 85-100: Very Hard

Important: These are estimates. Always manually check the SERP.

Finding Low-Competition Keywords

Strategy #1: Long-Tail Keywords

Instead of "SEO tools" (KD 85), target:

  • "best SEO tools for small business" (KD 35)
  • "free SEO tools for bloggers" (KD 22)
  • "SEO tools for WordPress beginners" (KD 18)

Strategy #2: Question Keywords

  • "how to use SEO tools" (KD 25)
  • "what are the best SEO tools" (KD 30)
  • "why do I need SEO tools" (KD 15)

Strategy #3: Comparison Keywords

  • "Ahrefs vs SEMrush" (KD 40)
  • "free vs paid SEO tools" (KD 28)
  • "SEMrush alternative" (KD 35)

Strategy #4: Location-Based Keywords

  • "SEO tools for UK businesses" (KD 20)
  • "best SEO agency in Austin" (KD 25)

Common Keyword Research Mistakes

Mistake #1: Ignoring Search Intent

Fix: Match your content format to top-ranking results.

Mistake #2: Targeting Only High-Volume Keywords

Fix: Mix high-volume (hard) and low-volume (easy) keywords.

Mistake #3: Not Checking SERP Features

Fix: Avoid keywords dominated by featured snippets or ads.

Mistake #4: Forgetting About Seasonality

Fix: Use Google Trends to identify seasonal keywords.

Data-Driven Insights

Insight #1: Long-Tail Keywords Convert Better

Keywords with 4+ words have 2.5x higher conversion rates than 1-2 word keywords.

Insight #2: Question Keywords Are Easier to Rank

"How to" and "what is" keywords have 30% lower average difficulty than commercial keywords.

Insight #3: Low-Volume Keywords Add Up

100 keywords with 100 searches each = 10,000 monthly traffic potential.

Conclusion & Next Steps

Keyword research is a skill that improves with practice. Start with low-competition keywords, build authority, then target harder keywords.

Your Action Plan

Week 1: Research 50 keyword ideas with Ubersuggest
Week 2: Analyze top 10 results for each keyword
Week 3: Create content for 5 easiest keywords
Week 4: Track rankings and optimize

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