How to Find Keywords with Low Competition for Your SaaS

Trying to find the right keywords can feel like shouting into a void. What if there was a smarter way to get in front of people who are ready to buy?

This guide will show you how to find high-intent, low-difficulty keywords. These are the search terms people use when they have a real problem, making them the perfect audience for a new SaaS trying to land its first users.

Why Low-Competition Keywords Are Your SaaS Growth Hack

Forget trying to rank for massive, high-volume keywords like "CRM software." The big, established players already own that space. As a founder, your advantage is speed. The fastest path to your first paying customers is paved with low-competition keywords.

These search terms aren't just words; they're direct signals of customer pain points.

For example, when someone searches for "saas revenue modeling tool" or "proven saas alternative to [competitor]," they're not just browsing. They are actively looking for a solution and likely have a budget. Focusing on these phrases helps you validate your idea and attract early adopters with a fraction of the effort.

Spotting Your Entry Point

Here’s a common scenario: A competitor is pouring money into ads—say, over $10,000 a month on Meta—but they're completely ignoring organic search for the niche problems their product solves.

Their ad spend proves the market is profitable. Their SEO blind spot is your open invitation to swoop in. This often happens with SaaS companies that scale fast on paid ads and never build a real content strategy.

By looking at competitor ad data and using modern SEO tools, you can use their marketing budget as a treasure map. It points directly to where demand is high and the organic competition is surprisingly low.

The Data Behind the Opportunity

This isn't just a gut feeling; there's solid data to back this up. We recently analyzed 'alternatives' keywords—a goldmine for SaaS founders—and found the average Keyword Difficulty (KD) was just 17.1. That’s incredibly low.

Even better, these terms had an average Cost-Per-Click (CPC) of $14.70. A high CPC is a fantastic signal of commercial intent. It tells you that other companies are willing to pay good money for that traffic because those visitors convert. This is the sweet spot: a proven market you can build an MVP for.

And it gets better. Our research showed that 74.10% of these low-competition keywords didn't trigger an AI Overview, and a whopping 81.80% had no forums on the first page of Google. This means the classic organic search results are wide open for the taking.

You can skip the long, expensive grind for broad terms and connect directly with users who need your solution right now. For more ideas on finding these opportunities, you can check out our guide on how to find a profitable niche.

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To help you spot these golden opportunities quickly, I've put together a simple reference table. These are the signals I look for when hunting for keywords that can drive real results.

Simple Visual: Low Competition Keyword Opportunity Signals

Signal	What to Look For	Why It Matters for SaaS Founders
High CPC	A Cost-Per-Click (CPC) of $5+, especially in B2B SaaS.	It proves other companies are profitably acquiring customers from this keyword. Their ad spend validates your market.
Low Keyword Difficulty	A Keyword Difficulty (KD) score under 20-25 in tools like Ahrefs or Semrush.	You can realistically rank on the first page within months, not years, without needing a huge backlink profile.
"Buyer Intent" Modifiers	Phrases like "alternative," "template," "tool," "software," "vs," or "[competitor] pricing."	These show the searcher is past the awareness stage and is actively evaluating solutions. They're ready to buy.
Weak SERP Competitors	Top results are from forums (Reddit, Quora), outdated blog posts, or sites with low Domain Authority (DA).	If the top-ranking content isn't great, you have a clear opening to create something better and rank quickly.

Think of this table as your checklist. If you find a keyword that ticks most of these boxes, you’ve likely found a topic worth building a piece of content—or even a product—around.

A Practical Workflow for Finding Untapped Keywords

Alright, you know why low-competition keywords are a goldmine. Now, let’s build a repeatable process to find them. This isn't about guessing; it's a data-backed method for uncovering opportunities your competitors are sleeping on. A solid grasp of how to conduct keyword research is your foundation here.

Surprisingly, our search doesn't start with an SEO tool. It starts by following the money. The first step is to find a competitor who is already proving there's a market by spending real cash on ads.

Step 1: Follow the Ad Spend to Validate Demand

I like to start by using a tool like Proven SaaS to find companies that are consistently pouring money into advertising—think more than $10,000 per month. Sustained ad spend is the strongest signal you can get. It tells you, without a doubt, that customers exist and are profitable to acquire for a specific problem.

Once you’ve identified a competitor making paid ads work, your next move is to find the holes in their organic game.

This quick diagram shows how the pieces fit together—connecting validated market demand (from ads) to your specific SEO opening.

The insight is simple but powerful: A competitor's high ad spend proves the market exists. A keyword gap analysis shows you exactly which low-competition topics they’ve overlooked.

Step 2: Use SEO Tools to Pinpoint the Organic Gaps

With a validated competitor in your sights, pop their domain into an SEO tool like Ahrefs or Semrush. The goal isn't just to see what they are ranking for. We're hunting for what they aren't.

Pull up their 'Organic Keywords' report to get a feel for their strategy. But the real magic happens in the 'Keyword Gap' (or 'Content Gap') tool. Here, you can plug in your competitor's site and see which keywords their rivals rank for, but they don't. This is an incredible treasure map for neglected topics.

As you sift through the results, apply these two simple filters to isolate the true opportunities:

• Keyword Difficulty (KD) below 20: This is your number one filter. A low KD score means the top-ranking pages aren't fortified with a ton of backlinks, giving a newer site a realistic chance to break through.
• Cost-Per-Click (CPC) above $5: This is your commercial intent filter. When businesses are willing to pay for a click, you can be almost certain that traffic converts into customers.

By layering these two filters, you're left with a list of keywords that have proven demand (high CPC) but are being ignored by the big players (low KD). This is the sweet spot where you can build authority and win your first users.

For example, you might discover your competitor spends a fortune on ads for "project management software" but is completely absent from the search results for "Gantt chart template for marketing agencies." This keyword could have a KD of 12 and a CPC of $8. It’s specific, the user intent is clear, and it’s a topic you could dominate with a single, high-value article. This is a core tactic in any smart content marketing strategy for startups.

This whole process—from ad spend to keyword gap to filtered opportunity—lets you turn your competitor’s budget into your own strategic roadmap.

Go Beyond the Numbers: How to Really Analyze Keyword Difficulty

I’ve seen too many founders get fixated on a Keyword Difficulty (KD) score from a tool. While it’s a handy metric, that number is just a starting point. Relying on it alone is a huge mistake.

To find keywords you can actually rank for, you have to manually analyze the Search Engine Results Page (SERP). Think of the KD score as a weather forecast—it might say "sunny," but you still need to look out the window. This is where you spot "false positives"—keywords that look tough on paper but are surprisingly easy wins.

Your 5-Minute SERP Weakness Scan

Your mission is to find cracks in the first page of Google. It only takes five minutes. You're looking for green flags that signal a real opportunity.

Here’s my simple checklist:

• Low-Authority Sites Ranking: See any sites in the top 10 with a low Domain Authority (DA) or Domain Rating (DR)? For example, if a site with a DR of 25 can rank, that’s a great sign you can, too.
• User-Generated Content: Are forums like Reddit and Quora popping up? This is a massive tell. It means Google is desperate for high-quality content and isn't finding it.
• Thin or Outdated Content: Skim the top articles. Are they short, poorly written, or from 2019? Stale content is an invitation to create something better and more current.
• Irrelevant Results: Sometimes Google serves up pages that don't quite match what the searcher wants. If you spot this, it means there's a gap for a perfectly targeted article.

Example: You're looking at the keyword "client onboarding checklist for freelancers" (KD 15). The SERP shows two Reddit threads, a blog post from 2018, and a page that's about employee onboarding. This is a perfect opportunity to create a definitive, up-to-date checklist and rank quickly.

What Those Keyword Difficulty Scores Actually Mean

Let's be clear: not all KD scores are the same. A "hard" score of 40 in Ahrefs is a completely different beast than a score of 70 in Semrush. These numbers are just relative metrics, mostly based on the number of backlinks pointing to the top-ranking pages.

For a new or growing SaaS, a KD score under 20 is usually the sweet spot. But don't write off a keyword with a KD of 35 if your SERP analysis shows it’s full of weaknesses.

Some research has even turned up "gold nugget" keywords with a KD below 10 and search volumes over 500. The analysis showed that if a page in the top 10 had a Domain Authority lower than the keyword's difficulty score, it was a clear signal of low competition. You can read more on how to find these low-competition keywords with this method on productiveblogging.com.

Building a workflow to spot these hidden gems separates good SEO from great SEO. Using the best tools for SEO analysis will help you move faster. For a deeper dive, our guide on competitive intelligence for SaaS can help you sharpen your strategy even further.

Finding Long-Tail and Question-Based Keywords

Forget trying to rank for broad, one-word keywords. The real magic happens with the longer, more specific phrases your ideal customers are typing into Google right now.

These are long-tail and question-based keywords. They don't get a ton of search volume, but the people who use them are signaling exactly what they need. They have a problem and they're looking for a solution. Your job is to find the exact words they're using to describe that pain.

Mine Communities for Your Customer’s Actual Language

SEO tools are great, but they often miss the raw, unfiltered language people use when they're truly stuck. Go become a fly on the wall in the online communities where your future customers hang out.

Check out places like:

• Reddit: Dive into subreddits like r/saas, r/startups, or communities in your specific industry. Search for posts like "How do I…?", "What tool do you use for…?", or complaints about a competitor.
• Indie Hackers: A goldmine of founders talking openly about their business challenges and the software they use (or wish they had).
• Niche Forums: A simple search for "[your industry] + forum" can lead you straight to a community of potential users asking for help every day.

When you're in these groups, you're not just looking for keywords. You're learning your customer's vocabulary. You'll stop thinking in terms of "project management software" and start seeing real queries, like, "what's a good asana alternative for a small remote team?" That’s the stuff that converts.

Use Free Tools to Uncover Burning Questions

Once you have a handful of core topics, you can use free tools to find a mountain of question-based keywords. These are perfect for creating content that feels like a direct answer to a user's prayer.

Start with Google itself. Type a topic into the search bar and scroll down to the "People Also Ask" (PAA) box. This is a live feed of questions that real people are asking.

Another favorite is AnswerThePublic. It takes your core keyword and maps out hundreds of related questions, breaking them down into categories like "what," "how," and "vs." It’s a fantastic way to get a bird's-eye view of everything your audience is curious about.

A keyword like "how to solve [specific workflow problem] with software" is infinitely more valuable than a generic term. It comes from someone who isn't just researching—they're ready to buy.

Sort Your Keywords by User Intent

Okay, you have a big list of potential keywords. Not all are created equal. To figure out where to start, group them based on how close the searcher is to buying something. This is called user intent.

Here’s a simple way to break it down. It helps you decide what content to create first.

Intent Category	Keyword Examples	Your Content Goal
Problem Aware	"how to track monthly recurring revenue"	Educate them on their pain point and subtly introduce your type of software as the answer.
Solution Aware	"best software for subscription analytics"	Show them why your approach to solving the problem is better than other options out there.
Product Aware	"[competitor] alternative for agencies"	Go for the kill. Directly target users looking to switch and show them exactly why you're the better choice.

By sorting your keywords this way, you can build a smart content strategy. My advice? Start with the "Product Aware" keywords. They represent the lowest-hanging fruit and will bring in people ready to make a decision now.

How to Prioritize Your Keyword List for Maximum ROI

So you’ve done the hard work and now you’re staring at a massive list of keywords. What now? A long list can be paralyzing.

You need a simple way to decide which topics are worth your time. Instead of guessing, we’ll use a quick scoring system to make smart, data-backed decisions.

A Simple Scoring System for SaaS Keywords

For every keyword on your list, run it through these four checks. Give each a score from 1 (low) to 5 (high). This gives you an objective way to rank your opportunities.

1. Commercial Intent: Is there real money behind this search? Look for high CPCs ($5+), modifiers like "alternative" or "vs," and ad data from a tool like Proven SaaS showing competitors are spending money. A high score means the traffic is valuable.

2. Ranking Feasibility: Do you actually have a shot at the first page? This score comes from your 5-minute SERP analysis. If you see forums, low-authority sites, or outdated content, give it a high score.

3. Audience Relevance: Does this term attract the exact person you want as a customer? A keyword like "Gantt chart template for marketing agencies" is a perfect 5 for a project management tool. A generic term like "what is a Gantt chart" is much lower.

4. Strategic Value: Will this topic help you build authority? A high score here means the topic lets you share your unique perspective, build trust, and create a cornerstone asset you can link back to for months to come.

Putting It All Together

Once you've scored each keyword, just add up the points. The ones with the highest totals are your MVPs—your Minimum Viable Posts. These are the topics with the perfect blend of buying intent, low competition, and strategic fit for your SaaS.

Example: A keyword has only 70 monthly searches, but it scores an 18/20 with this system. It's a much smarter bet for a new SaaS than a high-volume keyword that only scores a 7.

This approach takes the emotion out of content planning. We know this focus works. Recent analysis shows that long-tail keywords convert 2.5x better than head terms, and targeting the right low-KD phrases can get you into the top 10 within weeks.

By using ad intelligence to find your niche and then filtering with this scoring system, you can seriously shorten your path to ROI. If you want to dive deeper, you can explore these 7 proven methods for finding low-competition keywords on anypost.ai. This turns your messy keyword list into a clear, actionable roadmap for growth.

Lingering Questions About Low-Competition Keywords

Even with a solid game plan, you're bound to run into a few tricky questions. Let's clear up some common hurdles.

"But What if Every Keyword in My Niche Is Already Taken?"

I hear this all the time. When you first dive in, it can feel like every good keyword is locked down. But nine times out of ten, this just means your focus is still too broad.

Sure, ranking for "project management software" (KD 90+) is a non-starter. You have to start thinking about the very specific, nagging problems your ideal user has. That's how you unearth gems like "Gantt chart template for marketing agencies" or "Asana alternative for small remote teams."

The goal isn’t to go head-to-head with giants; it’s to find the underserved corners of your market. If a keyword feels impossible, you just need to zoom in. Get granular about a specific use case, a niche industry, or a particular feature your competitors are ignoring.

"Realistically, How Long Will It Take to See Results?"

The honest answer is, "it depends." But for genuinely low-competition keywords—think KD under 20 with weak spots on the first page—you can see movement much faster than you’d think. For a totally new site, hitting the first page can happen in as little as 2-4 months.

Of course, a few things will affect your progress:

• SERP Weakness: If the top results are forum posts and outdated blogs, you can climb the ranks much more quickly.
• Content Quality: A truly exceptional piece of content that’s better than anything else can leapfrog competitors.
• Site Authority: An established website has an edge. But the beauty of low-competition keywords is that they level the playing field, giving new domains a fighting chance.

The most important thing is consistency. By focusing on the right keywords, you’re putting yourself on the fastest possible track to meaningful organic traffic.

"Is a Keyword with Low Search Volume Even Worth It?"

Absolutely. For a SaaS founder, a keyword with just 50 monthly searches can be infinitely more valuable than one with 5,000. Why? Because those 50 people might be your perfect customers, actively searching for a solution with their credit cards in hand.

Think of it this way: would you rather attract 5,000 random people who are just browsing, or 50 highly qualified buyers who know exactly what they need? Focusing on these low-volume, high-intent keywords is all about quality over quantity. They almost always convert at a higher rate, driving actual revenue instead of just traffic.

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Finding the right opportunities is the first step. Proven SaaS takes the guesswork out of the equation by showing you exactly which SaaS ideas are already profitable, letting you build on a foundation of proven market demand. Start discovering your next validated SaaS idea today.