How to find low competition keywords with high traffic potential using Ahrefs

If you’re tired of chasing keywords everyone else is fighting over, you’re not alone. Whether you run a blog, a niche site, or handle SEO for clients, you know the gold is in topics you can actually rank for—without needing a fortune or a decade. This guide shows you, step by step, how to use Ahrefs to dig up low competition keywords with real traffic potential. No fluff, no “industry secrets”—just a practical process that works.

Why Low Competition, High Traffic Keywords Matter

If you’re spending hours writing content that never ranks, you’re probably targeting the same keywords as everyone else. High-volume, high-difficulty keywords are nice in theory, but unless you have a huge site or tons of backlinks, you’re likely to get buried. What you want: topics people actually search for, but big sites have ignored or half-assed. That’s your sweet spot.

Step 1: Get Clear on What “Low Competition” and “High Traffic Potential” Mean

Before you dive into Ahrefs, get your definitions straight. Otherwise, you’ll waste time chasing ghosts.

  • Low competition usually means:
  • Few (or weak) sites competing in the top 10 Google results
  • Low Domain Ratings (DR) among top-ranking pages
  • Backlinks to top pages are minimal or low-quality

  • SERP isn’t dominated by big brands or Google features (like answer boxes)

  • High traffic potential is more than just keyword volume:

  • The keyword gets searched often and the top page ranks for lots of other similar queries
  • The traffic potential number in Ahrefs is higher than the exact volume
  • The intent matches what you can actually serve (don’t chase irrelevant stuff)

Pro tip: Don’t obsess over exact numbers. You’re looking for patterns and opportunities, not a silver bullet.

Step 2: Start with Broad Topics or “Seed” Keywords

Open Ahrefs’ Keywords Explorer and toss in a broad topic related to your site—something your ideal reader actually cares about. For example, if you’re about hiking, use “hiking boots” or “trail snacks.”

  • Don’t overthink this. You just need a starting point.
  • Use simple, 1-2 word phrases or real questions you get from your audience.

Step 3: Use Keyword Suggestions to Expand Your List

Once your seed keyword is loaded, use Ahrefs’ keyword suggestion tools:

  • Matching Terms: Shows keywords that contain your seed.
  • Related Terms: Finds keywords that are semantically linked.

Apply filters right away (don’t scroll through 200,000 keywords):

  • KD (Keyword Difficulty): Set a max—usually 10 or 20 is a good starting point. Ahrefs’ KD is backlink-based, so low KD means fewer strong links needed.
  • Volume: Set a minimum—at least 100 searches/month, but go lower if your niche is tiny.
  • Exclude: Hide branded terms or anything irrelevant (e.g., “near me” if you’re not local).

What to ignore: - Don’t get caught up in “Parent Topic” yet. It’s helpful, but can distract from low-hanging fruit. - Don’t blindly trust volume numbers—they’re estimates, and sometimes way off.

Step 4: Sort by Traffic Potential, Not Just Search Volume

Here’s where most people mess up. Search volume is a vanity metric. What you really want is “Traffic Potential,” which estimates how much traffic the top page for that keyword actually gets (often from dozens or hundreds of keywords).

In Ahrefs:

  1. Click on a keyword that looks interesting.
  2. Look at the “Traffic Potential” number for the top-ranking page.
  3. If it’s much higher than the search volume, that’s a good sign—it means you could pull in traffic from related queries.

Pro tip: Plug the top-ranking URL for promising keywords into Ahrefs’ Site Explorer. See what other keywords that page ranks for. Sometimes you’ll find even better opportunities hidden under your nose.

Step 5: Analyze the SERP for Weak Spots

Don’t trust any tool blindly. Always check the actual search results:

  • Look for pages with low Domain Rating (DR) or few backlinks in the top 10.
  • Notice if forums, Reddit, or Quora are ranking—Google puts these there when no “authority” sites have covered it well. That’s a green light for you.
  • Avoid keywords dominated by big brands, official docs, or Google’s own features (like “People Also Ask” boxes that take up half the page).

What doesn’t work: - Targeting “zero search volume” keywords just because there’s no competition. Sometimes these deliver, sometimes they’re just dead ends. Use your judgment.

Step 6: Check Keyword Intent and Content Gaps

Even if a keyword looks easy and juicy, ask: what’s the searcher really after? If the top results are product pages and you have a blog, you probably won’t win. Match the style and intent of what’s already ranking, but aim to do it better.

Spot content gaps: - If the top pages are outdated, thin, or just plain bad, you can beat them—even if their DR is a bit higher. - If no one’s answered a specific angle (e.g., “hiking snacks for diabetics”), fill that gap.

Step 7: Build a Shortlist and Prioritize

You’ll end up with a list of 10-50 keywords that look winnable and have genuine traffic upside.

How to prioritize: - Go for keywords where you have something unique to add (experience, data, stories). - Start with topics you can cover thoroughly, not just “me too” content. - Don’t get greedy—one solid ranking page can bring in hundreds of long-tail visitors.

Pro tip: If you’re unsure, pick one and publish. You’ll learn more from real results than endless spreadsheet tweaking.

What to Ignore (and Why)

Ahrefs is powerful, but it’s not magic. Here’s what not to obsess over:

  • Exact keyword matching: Google’s smarter than that. Focus on topics, not just specific phrases.
  • Keyword Difficulty as gospel: It’s a helpful filter, but sometimes low-KD keywords still have tough SERPs, and vice versa.
  • Chasing every new shiny metric: Traffic Potential, DR, and backlinks are useful, but don’t let analysis freeze you. If it looks doable and useful, try it.

A Quick Example (Real-World)

Let’s say you’re in the running niche. You seed with “trail running shoes.”

  1. Plug “trail running shoes” into Keywords Explorer.
  2. Filter KD to max 10, volume min 100.
  3. Find “best trail running shoes for flat feet” with:
  4. KD 8
  5. Volume 200 (but Traffic Potential 800)
  6. Top results: a few small blogs, a Reddit thread, and a low-DR site
  7. Check the SERP: half the pages are thin reviews or generic lists.
  8. You know shoes (or can test/review some). You write a deep guide actually testing them for flat feet.

That’s the process—repeat for your niche.

Keep It Simple—and Iterate

Don’t let keyword research become a rabbit hole. Use Ahrefs to spot opportunities, but don’t wait for the “perfect” keyword. Publish, see what works, and double down on what gets traction. The real wins come from shipping and learning, not obsessing over spreadsheets.

Happy hunting.