How to Find Easy-to-Rank Keywords

If you’ve ever struggled to get your content to rank on Google—whether you’re a local roofer in Hamilton or an RMT in Kitchener—it might be because you’re targeting the wrong keywords. Many businesses get drawn in by high-traffic search terms, not realizing that these are fiercely competitive. When you’re up against large industry players, locking down a top spot can feel nearly impossible.

Instead, a smarter strategy is to focus on “easy-to-rank” keywords, also called low-competition keywords. These are search terms that strike the right balance between decent search volume and manageable competition, making them much more realistic (and faster) to rank for—especially if you’re just starting out or operating in a competitive local market like Brantford or Hamilton.

Here’s proof of why it matters: By zeroing in on a specific low-competition keyword in your niche—say, “emergency roof repair in Kitchener” for a roofing company—you’ll face fewer competitors. That means you can climb the rankings and start seeing organic traffic sooner, without the uphill battle that generic keywords bring.

Disclaimer: We’ve been navigating the ever-changing world of SEO for over 10 years, and one thing remains constant: keywords are the foundation. While keyword research is just one piece of the puzzle (there are at least 99 other factors involved in ranking!), it’s still the essential first step. Finding the right keywords can significantly boost your visibility, but remember that true, long-term success also depends on consistently refining and optimizing your overall SEO strategy.

Table Of Contents

What Makes a Keyword “Easy to Rank”?

• Moderate to Good Search Volume
  A keyword should have enough people searching for it to justify your efforts, but not so many that giant competitors dominate the results.

• Low Keyword Difficulty
  Fewer authoritative competitors means you can stand out. A smaller local muffler shop in Brantford can outrank bigger chains if it targets niche or location-specific terms.

• Alignment with Your Niche
  Keywords should be relevant to your audience and expertise—like “deep tissue massage in Hamilton” for an RMT clinic.

• Clear Search Intent
  If someone is searching “best muffler shop near Kitchener,” they’re likely ready to book an appointment or at least compare options. Meeting that intent with targeted content boosts conversions.

Examples of Easy-to-Rank Keywords

Focusing on these keyword types helps smaller or local businesses—like roofers, RMTs, or muffler shops—gain visibility without going head-to-head with industry giants.

1. Long-Tail Keywords

Longer, more specific phrases typically have lower search volume—but they’re easier to rank for and often convert better because they match highly focused user intent.

• Too broad & competitive: “roof repair”

• More targeted: “emergency roof repair in Hamilton with same-day service”

• Too general: “massage therapy”

• Better: “affordable sports massage therapy in Kitchener”

Users searching for these specific terms are farther down the buying funnel and more likely to convert.

2. Geo-Specific Keywords

Adding a location narrows competition and taps directly into local search traffic.

• High competition: “muffler shop”

• Local goldmine: “best muffler shop in Brantford for quick repairs”

• Vague: “RMT clinic”

• Specific: “registered massage therapist in Kitchener for chronic pain relief”

Local keywords help you stand out in your city or region, attracting visitors who are ready to visit your shop or book your services.

3. Niche-Specific Keywords

By focusing on a more specialized subset, you can cater to a targeted audience.

• Too competitive: “roofing company”

• More niche: “eco-friendly roofing company in Hamilton”

• Generic: “muffler installation”

• Narrow focus: “performance muffler installation for classic cars in Brantford”

A narrower niche often means less competition and an audience eager for exactly what you offer.

4. Question-Based Keywords

With the rise of voice search and Q&A-style queries, ranking for specific questions can be an easy win.

• Broad keyword: “roof leak”

• Question-based: “how to fix a small roof leak without professional help?”

• General: “massage tips”

• Better: “how often should you get an RMT massage for back pain?”

Answering questions positions you as an authority and naturally draws traffic from curious users.

5. Product-Specific Keywords

When people search for specific products or services, they’re often close to making a purchase or booking an appointment.

• Competitive & vague: “exhaust system replacement”

• More refined: “affordable exhaust system replacement for SUVs in Kitchener”

• Broad: “new roof cost”

• Product-specific: “average cost of asphalt shingle roof replacement in Hamilton”

Targeting product-specific keywords captures high-intent customers who know exactly what they need.

How to Find Easy-to-Rank Keywords

Now that you know what low-competition keywords are—and why they’re a potential gold mine—let’s get into how to actually find them using AI and a bit of manual SERP analysis.

Below is a 6-step process that merges AI-driven research with practical, hands-on strategies:

1. Brainstorm Seed Keywords with AI
2. Use AI to Expand Your Keyword List
3. Steal Easy-to-Rank Keywords from Competitors Using AI
4. Find Easy-to-Rank Keywords with AI
5. Understanding Search Intent and How to Use It
6. Analyze the SERPs (Manual Approach)

Step 1: Brainstorm Seed Keywords with AI

Before diving into AI-based keyword expansion, start with a few core terms that define your niche. For instance, if you’re a roofer in Hamilton, your seed keywords might be:

• “roof repair Hamilton”
• “emergency roofing service”
• “asphalt shingle replacement”

Using AI to Generate More Seed Ideas

Open your favorite AI chatbot (e.g., ChatGPT, Bard, or Bing Chat) and ask:

“Give me a list of seed keywords for a roofing company in Hamilton, Ontario, that specializes in emergency repairs.”

AI will suggest additional ideas—like “storm damage roof repair Hamilton” or “24/7 roofing contractor”—which you can refine and incorporate into your master list.

Step 2: Use AI to Expand Your Keyword List

Once you have your seed keywords, ask AI to expand them into longer phrases or variations:

“Expand these seed keywords into 10 long-tail keyword phrases each.”

For a Brantford muffler shop, AI might produce terms like:

• “affordable muffler replacement in Brantford”
• “same-day exhaust system repair near Brantford”
• “performance muffler upgrade for classic cars in Ontario”

Keep track of these suggestions in a spreadsheet or a simple note-taking app. Don’t worry about metrics yet—just gather as many relevant phrases as possible.

Step 3: Steal Easy-to-Rank Keywords from Your Competitors Using AI

Competitor research can save you time. By examining what similar businesses rank for, you can spot keywords they’re targeting (or missing).

1. Identify Competitors

   • Search for main services plus your city (e.g., “roof repair Hamilton”) to see who appears.
   • List the top 3–5 competitors.

2. Use AI for Keyword Gaps

   • Provide AI with your competitors’ URLs (if publicly available data exists).
   • Ask:
     

     “AI, analyze these competitor websites [URL1, URL2, etc.] and provide a list of unique keywords they rank for related to roof repair services in Hamilton.”

   • Depending on the AI’s capabilities and data access, it may or may not give you exact details. However, it can at least highlight thematic ideas or commonly used phrases.

3. Check Competitors’ Content

   • Look at their blogs, service pages, and FAQs. Note any phrases repeated in headings or meta descriptions.
   • Ask AI to summarize or generate potential keywords from that content.

Step 4: Find Easy-to-Rank Keywords with AI

Now you have a large list of potential keywords—some from your brainstorm, others from competitor analysis. The next step is filtering out the tough ones.

Ask AI for Difficulty Estimates

AI won’t have direct access to real-time search data unless it’s connected to a specialized SEO tool, but you can still request approximate difficulty levels or ask which keywords are “likely” less competitive. For example:

“Based on typical SEO keyword difficulty measures, which of these keywords might have lower competition? Explain why.”

The AI can provide a qualitative assessment. You might get insights like “Longer phrases with specific location-based terms often face less competition.”

Pro Tip: For more accurate data on volume or competition, you can still supplement AI’s suggestions with free or budget-friendly tools like Google Keyword Planner or Ubersuggest. But if you’re aiming to keep everything AI-centric, at least try to cross-reference with common sense and your own local knowledge.

Step 5: Understanding Search Intent and How to Use It

Search intent is the “why” behind a keyword. Even with AI’s help, you want to ensure the content you create matches what people are actually looking for. Generally, search intent falls into four categories:

1. Informational: “How to do a quick muffler fix at home”
2. Navigational: “Brantford muffler shop website”
3. Commercial Investigation: “Best roofers in Hamilton with financing options”
4. Transactional: “Book an RMT appointment online in Kitchener”

When you feed keywords to AI to generate outlines or content, specify the intent. For instance:

“Create an FAQ page targeting informational and transactional keywords for an RMT clinic in Kitchener.”

AI can then generate content tailored to the user’s needs, increasing your chances of satisfying both the search engines and potential customers.

Step 6: Analyze the SERPs (Manual Approach)

AI is powerful, but some tasks still benefit from a hands-on approach—especially checking where you actually rank for specific keywords.

1. Manual Google Searches

   • Type your target keywords into Google. See which page ranks. Take notes on your position.

2. Use a Budget-Friendly Rank-Tracking Tool

   • A simple option is SERPRobot (around $5/month). It automates rank checks, letting you track multiple keywords without doing it all by hand.

3. Record Your Findings

   • Keep a spreadsheet with columns for Keyword, Current Rank, Date Checked, and Notes.
   • Over time, you’ll see which pages climb the SERPs, which get stuck, and where you might need new or improved content.

Why This Matters

Seeing your real-world ranking progress ensures that the keywords you chose—“muffler shop Brantford” or “roof repair Hamilton”—are actually delivering results. If you’re not moving up in Google, you can refine your content, adjust your strategy, or try different long-tail variations.

How to Implement Keywords on Your Pages

Finding easy-to-rank keywords is only half the battle. To truly see results, you need to place those keywords (and related terms) strategically throughout your website or articles. Here are nine practical ways to do it:

1. Page Title (Title Tag)
   Include your main keyword in the title tag to let search engines and users know what the page is about.

2. Meta Description
   While it doesn’t directly affect ranking, using your focus keyword in the meta description can improve click-through rates by reinforcing relevancy.

3. H1 Heading
   Feature your primary keyword or a close variation in the H1 tag so readers immediately confirm they’re in the right place.

4. Introduction Paragraph
   Naturally include the keyword within the first 100–150 words. This helps both readers and search engines identify the topic upfront.

5. Subheadings (H2, H3, etc.)
   Use secondary or related keywords in subheadings to structure your content and signal important sections.

6. Body Text
   Sprinkle your main and related keywords throughout the content. Maintain a natural feel—avoid overloading each paragraph with repeated terms.

7. Image File Names & Alt Text
   Rename your image files (e.g., “roof-repair-hamilton.jpg”) and provide alt text that includes a relevant keyword. This helps with both accessibility and SEO signals.

8. URL Slug
   Include your focus keyword in the page’s URL slug (e.g., yourdomain.com/roof-repair-hamilton). Short, descriptive URLs tend to rank and index better.

9. Internal Links
   Link to the page from elsewhere on your site using anchor text related to your target keyword (e.g., “Check our emergency roof repair in Kitchener services”).

Monitoring and Adjusting Your Strategy Over Time

Whether you’re a local muffler shop or an RMT, SEO isn’t a one-and-done deal. Tracking how your keywords perform is crucial. If a promising phrase (“emergency roof repair in Hamilton”) isn’t generating clicks or leads, investigate:

• Are you targeting the right search intent?
• Is the page optimized with clear calls to action?
• Could you add more in-depth content or supporting visuals?

As you refine your keyword selection and content, you’ll gradually see your local visibility improve—especially if you keep an eye on new competitor strategies and evolving market demands. AI can help speed up brainstorming and content creation, but human oversight will always be the linchpin that ensures everything aligns with your local audience and business goals.