How to Find Low Competition Keywords for Affiliate Marketing

Discover How to Find Low Competition Keywords for Affiliate Marketing – Even If You’re Just Starting Out

If you’re an affiliate marketer tired of shouting into the void and seeing zero clicks, you’re not alone. The secret? Stop chasing broad, high-competition keywords and start targeting low competition, long-tail keywords. These search terms may be less flashy, but they’re goldmines for traffic — especially if you’re just starting out or building authority.

In this guide, I’ll walk you through my personal process for uncovering hidden keyword gems using free and low-cost tools. I’ll also share a real-life example from my own campaigns. If you’re an affiliate over 50 trying to grow a content site or blog without paid ads, this guide was written for you.

Why Keyword Competition Matters

Search engines don’t care how great your content is unless they can find and rank it. The problem? Popular keywords like “affiliate marketing” or “make money online” are dominated by huge websites. You’re not going to outrank them — and you don’t have to.

Low competition keywords let you bypass the giants and sneak into search results by being more specific. Think of it as using the backdoor instead of trying to bust through the front with everyone else.

What Exactly Are Low Competition Keywords?

These are longer, more detailed search terms (also called “long-tail keywords”) that:

Tools I Personally Use to Find Low Competition Keywords

Here’s a peek inside my toolbox:

🧰 1. Google Search (Free)

Start typing your topic into Google and let autocomplete finish it. Then check the “People Also Ask” and “Related Searches” sections.

👉 Example:
Type “how to promote ClickBank” → get suggestions like:

“on Pinterest”
“without a website”
“using free traffic”

🔍 2. Ubersuggest (Freemium)

This tool by Neil Patel gives you a decent keyword difficulty score, search volume, and related long-tail keywords. Try a few searches daily for free.

💡 3. AnswerThePublic

Great for finding actual user questions — often with zero competition. These make for excellent blog titles and subheadings.

📊 4. Ahrefs or Semrush (Paid)

If you have access, use these to find:

KD (Keyword Difficulty) under 20
Traffic potential
Weak top 10 search results

Step-by-Step: My Personal Workflow

Let me walk you through how I recently discovered and ranked for a low competition keyword in one of my own niche blogs.

🔎 Step 1: Start with a Broad Topic

I was researching affiliate marketing tools for beginners.

🧠 Step 2: Use Autocomplete + Ubersuggest

I found “best free tools for ClickBank affiliates” — only 110 searches/month, but a KD of 15.

📈 Step 3: Check the SERP

Top results were YouTube videos and generic blog posts — few were in-depth, most didn’t include actual tool reviews. Opportunity spotted!

✍️ Step 4: Create Detailed, Specific Content

I wrote a blog post listing my 5 favorite free tools, added screenshots, and embedded one of my tutorial videos.

Same content, lightly rewritten for Medium and pinned using Canva-designed graphics. Traffic started rolling in within two weeks.

Why This Strategy Works for You

As someone who made the leap from video production and broadcast tech into the digital markting world, I know the learning curve can be steep. But this method doesn’t require fancy tools or big ad budgets — just consistency and smart targeting.

You don’t need to be everywhere.
You don’t need to go viral.
You just need to answer the right question for the right audience.

Here is A Simple Keyword Validation Checklist

Before you start writing, ask:

✅ Is the search volume at least 100/month?
✅ Is keyword difficulty under 25?
✅ Are top results weak, outdated, or generic?
✅ Can I add personal experience or better formatting?

If you check 3 of 4 — you’ve found a winner.

Start Small, Rank Smart

Finding low competition keywords isn’t just an SEO hack — it’s a strategy for long-term success. Start with one article. Track what works. Then rinse and repeat.

From one experienced affiliate (and video tech guy) to another — especially if you’re starting this journey in your 50s or beyond — know that it’s never too late to build something great.