Think back to the last time you typed “coffee near me” into Google and, like magic, a cozy café two streets over popped to the top. That little victory for the café owner didn’t happen by chance – it happened because they targeted low competition keywords that bigger chains overlooked. These secret sauce phrases have just enough traffic to matter and far less rivalry, making them perfect for a business on a normal-person budget. Pair them with equally low competitive keywords, and suddenly you’re ranking where it counts: in front of neighbors ready to buy right now.
Over the next few minutes, we shall share – spoken in plain English with no jargon, what those keywords are and why they are invaluable for local SEO, along with ways to turn those keywords into a shop-filling calendar or inbox-balling with local customers. Now, fetch your favorite beverage, and let’s draw for your ranking plan.
What Are Low Competition Keywords?
Let’s say there are two children at a lemonade stand: one set up on the busiest highway ramp, selling alongside a dozen food trucks; the other, at a busy dog park where no one else sells drinks. Fewer cars may come for the second child, but each thirsty dog-walker notices her before anyone else. That is low competition keywords in their essence-too little traffic for the wrong crowd.
Formally, a low-competition keyword is a search term with a modest volume and a low difficulty score in SEO tools. They’re often long-tail, location-based, or hyper-specific to a need:
- “dentist” (high traffic, fierce fight)
- “24-hour pediatric dentist Coquitlam” (much lower traffic, nearly no difficulty)
Those longer, location-rich searches let small brands outrun giants. And because these terms turn up when customers are ready to act, they convert better, too. That’s why smart businesses stack their sites with solid low competitive keywords instead of waging war over generic one-word phrases.
Why Low Competition Keywords Matter for Local SEO
Local SEO is Google’s way of matchmaking people and nearby businesses. It looks at relevance, distance, and prominence. Hitting all three with low competition keywords is like turning on neon lights that whisper, “Hey neighbor, we’ve got exactly what you’re looking for.”
Four reasons they’re your best friend:
1. Speed to the top
Fewer pages fighting means your fresh post can climb page one in weeks.
2. Budget happiness
Lower difficulty slashes the need for pricey backlinks or ads.
3. Hyper-local accuracy
Phrases that include street names, landmarks, or neighborhood slang scream relevance to Google.
4. Warm, ready customers
Folks who search “pressure washer rental in Bloor West tonight” aren’t browsing; they’re buying.
Before you burn cash battling high-traffic terms, pause and find low competition keywords tied to your city, suburb, or even block. You’ll gain visibility while your rivals wonder why their generic keyword spend isn’t converting.
How to Find High-Search Low Competition Keywords
Here’s the million-dollar question: How to find high search, low competition keywords? You need Goldilocks criteria – traffic that’s “just right” and competition you can actually beat.
Start here:
1. List your services
Write down every product or offering you have. Then add modifiers like “near me,” “open late,” “emergency,” or your town’s nickname.
2. Think like a customer
How would someone with no industry knowledge describe what you do? Real people don’t search for “residential HVAC technician”- they type “AC not working Scarborough.” Use those words.
3. Use intent modifiers
These are words like “best,” “affordable,” “same-day,” “top-rated,” “local,” and “reviewed.” Pair them with a service and a location to dig deep into long-tail territory.
4. Include micro-locations
Don’t stop at cities. Use neighborhoods, postal codes, or even landmarks (“near Eaton Centre”) for added relevance.
5. Feed them into keyword tools
Once you have a solid list, run each phrase through a research tool (like Ubersuggest, Ahrefs, or SEMrush). Look for low keyword difficulty (KD) scores – under 25 is ideal for local businesses.
Bonus move: Don’t just look at keyword data – Google the phrase yourself. Who’s showing up? Are the results filled with big national directories or smaller, independent websites? If it’s the latter, that’s your green light.
Another overlooked trick? Use Google’s “People Also Ask” and auto-suggest features. Start typing your service and location and see what pops up. For example, type “dog grooming in Brampton” and you might see “dog grooming Brampton open Sunday” – that’s an easy low competition keyword to target in your FAQ section.
Don’t underestimate seasonal or event-driven searches either:
- “tax help in Mississauga April 2025”
- “graduation photographer Hamilton June specials”
They may not be evergreen, but they offer fast wins when timed right. Collect enough of these, and your local SEO strategy becomes unstoppable. This is because you’re ranking for exactly what your audience is searching for right now, not what the industry thinks they should search.
Tools for Hunting Down Low Competition Keywords
You don’t have to guess which terms qualify. Modern platforms double as a built-in low competition keyword finder. Let’s break down four crowd favorites and how to squeeze the most from each:
| Tool | Why You’ll Love It | Quick-Start Tip |
| Google Keyword Planner | Free, tied to actual Google data, good for volume checks | After entering a seed term, filter by location and sort by competition column to spot easy wins. |
| Ubersuggest | Clean interface, difficulty + volume in one view | Use the “Content Ideas” tab to spy on low-competition posts already driving traffic. |
| Ahrefs | Deep SERP analysis, accurate difficulty scores | Click “Keyword Explorer,” set your city in “Traffic Potential,” and export anything with KD < 20. |
| SEMrush | Keyword gap, local tracking, competitive insights | Run “Keyword Magic” and apply a “difficulty 0-29” filter under “Broad Match.” |
A quick mini-play:
- Enter “mobile bike repair” plus your city.
- Set filters: difficulty under 25, search volume above 30.
- Sort by lowest difficulty.
Within seconds, you’ll see half a dozen phrases perfect for a blog post, service page, or FAQ. Rinse and repeat for each service until you’ve banked twenty future targets. Sprinkle a fresh low competitive keywords list into your content strategy, and you’re positioned to outrank lazier competitors.
Real-World Ways to Use These Keywords Locally
Great – you’ve got the list. Now, where do you place it so people (and search engines) actually see it? Below are field-tested spots to inject low competition keywords without sounding robotic.
1. Website Core Pages
Homepage hero – Instead of “Welcome,” try:
“Expert window cleaning in Junction Triangle – sparkling glass by sunset.”
Service pages – Dedicate a page per service per area:
“Emergency furnace repair Clarkson”
Repurpose synonyms and related low competitive keywords down the page so Google grasps the context.
2. Google Business Profile
- Business description: “Certified arborist offering tree removal in Kanata and nearby suburbs.”
- Posts: Weekly updates using a new keyword – “Now booking lilac pruning in Bridlewood.”
3. Local Blog Posts
Blogs let you double-dip: educate and rank. Try themes like:
- “Top 5 things to check before hiring a fence installer in Orleans”
- “Where to rent a helium tank in Whitby – prices and tips”
Each post can find low competition keywords through “People Also Ask” suggestions, giving you endless future topics.
4. Local Directories & Niche Sites
When a directory lets you customize the title field, insert a phrase naturally:
“Peel Region Gutter Cleaning – Same-Day Service”
Be sure the description repeats one of your low competition keywords once in a way that feels helpful.
5. Industry Snapshots in Action
| Industry | Smart Keyword | Where to Place It |
| Plumbing | “Basement flood cleanup Etobicoke urgent” | Emergency page + Ad headline |
| Real Estate | “townhomes under 600k Orleans 2025” | Blog post + Listing page |
| Café | “oat-milk latte Liberty Village” | Menu page + Google Post |
| Yoga Studio | “prenatal yoga Barrhaven evenings” | Class schedule + FAQ |
By weaving two low competition keywords per priority page and a handful across posts, you create a web of relevance that tells Google, “We own this neighborhood.”
Mistakes That Sink Rankings (Don’t Do These)
Even a perfect keyword plan can tank if you fall into easy traps:
- Overstuffing – Reading “best budget florist Oakville” ten times on one page feels spammy. Aim for natural flow; one or two mentions is plenty.
- Chasing volume over sense – Targeting a district you don’t serve (“lawn care Laval” when you’re in London, Ontario) confuses both Google and customers.
- Ignoring analytics – Install Google Search Console, link keywords to clicks, and see if your low competition keyword finder choices bring visitors. Adjust quickly when something underperforms.
Learn from these missteps once, and your future content will glide past slower-moving competitors.
Conclusion & Next Steps: Your Ticket to Local Fame
Let’s recap: by deploying low competition keywords you cut through crowded SERPs, speak your customer’s language, and do it all without outspending multinational brands. Instead of praying that “pizza” ranks, you rank for “wood-fired pizza Sunnyside late night,” which your neighbors actually type after 10 p.m.
Pick one low competition keyword finder tool tonight. Plug in your top service plus your area, and jot down five promising phrases. Choose one page (your homepage, maybe) and rewrite its headline and first paragraph to feature a single, crystal-clear search term. Publish, submit to Search Console, and watch impressions climb over the next few weeks.
Every time you repeat that cycle – research, rewrite, review – you sharpen your local dominance. Soon enough, “business next door” will sound less like a dream and more like your daily reality. Now fire up that laptop, and let’s get your city seeing you first.
Need backup? CS Web Solutions loves turning data into foot traffic. Reach out, and together we’ll turn whispered search terms into customers who walk through your door smiling and ready to buy.
