Find low-competition long-tail keywords by starting with the searches you already get, adding real phrasing from Google, then reading the results page before you write. Search Console shows queries you already appear for, Autocomplete shows real searches, and keyword tools estimate demand. A keyword is low competition only if its page-one results are weak.
Ahrefs defines long-tail keywords as "search queries that get a small number of searches per month." Length is not the test: "it is not the length of a keyword that makes it a long-tail. It's the search volume of that keyword." Ahrefs also reports that "Keywords with fewer than 10 searches per month account for almost 93% of our U.S. keyword database," so most of the keyword universe sits in the tail.
Semrush describes them as "highly precise search engine queries people use when they're searching for something specific." That is why they are a common starting point for a small site: each one has little demand, but the searcher knows what they want.
"Long-tail" and "low competition" are two separate questions. Long-tail is about demand. Low competition is about how hard the top of the results is to beat. You need both answers before you write.
For a broader workflow and a scoring sheet, read our guide to profitable keywords with low competition. This post is the long-tail version in six steps.
Open the Performance report in Search Console. Google's help page says it shows clicks, impressions, CTR and average position, and that you can group the table by queries. By default it shows the past three months, and you can change the date range. Sort by impressions and look for specific, longer queries where your pages appear but sit outside the top results. Ahrefs lists "Use Google Search Console for longer query data" as one of its methods.
Google Keyword Planner lets you "View estimates on the number of searches a keyword gets each month." Its help page also says "Keywords with very low search volumes, or keywords that are considered sensitive aren't discoverable or forecastable," and says "You must complete your account setup by entering your billing information" before you can use basic features such as getting ideas for new keywords.
Zero in a tool does not mean zero searches. Ahrefs cites Seer Interactive for the finding that "over 95% of conversational long-tail keywords have no measurable search volume." Treat volume as a rough guide for the tail, and confirm real demand later with Search Console impressions.
Semrush defines keyword difficulty as: "Measures how hard it is to rank in Google's top 10 results." Its personal version covers how hard ranking will be "for your website specifically." Tools calculate these differently, so use them to sort a long list, not to make the final call. Semrush gives the reason: "The lower the quality of the top websites and webpages, the easier it should be for you to earn a high ranking." That is a judgment you make by reading the results.
Search each shortlisted keyword in Google and read the first page. These are rules of thumb, not measurements.
Here is an example from the day we wrote this. We searched Google US for "how to find low competition long tail keywords" on 10 October 2026. Four of the top five results were forum or Q&A threads: two on Reddit and two on Quora. A results page like that leaves room for a focused guide with steps and sources. Results change with location and over time, so run the search yourself.
Google's guidance on helpful content gives you the question to ask of each top result: "Does the content provide substantial value when compared to other pages in search results?"
Group the keywords that share one intent and write one page for each intent. Two pages for the same question compete with each other. Link each page to your main guide on the topic, and link back from the guide.
After you publish, watch the page's impressions and positions in Search Console. Google's SEO starter guide says "Some changes might take effect in a few hours, others could take several months," and that there is "no guarantee that any particular site will be added to Google's index." Treat the first weeks as measurement, not a verdict.
Mergeflo covers the research and drafting steps around this workflow. It finds search gaps and buyer questions, runs keyword research and SERP pulls, builds topic clusters, and writes briefs and draft articles in your brand voice. Every brief and draft is editable. You choose the topics and approve each article, and Mergeflo publishes to Webflow when you press Publish. It tracks your Google clicks and positions so you can see which pages are gaining impressions.
The top of the results is weak for the page you can write: loose intent matches, forum or Q&A threads, thin or old pages. Difficulty scores estimate this, but Semrush notes that the lower the quality of the top pages, the easier a high ranking should be, so read the results page itself.
Not always. Ahrefs cites Seer Interactive for the finding that over 95% of conversational long-tail keywords have no measurable search volume. A zero in a tool means the tool has no data. Judge such terms by buyer fit and the live results, then check Search Console impressions after you publish.
There is no fixed length. Ahrefs says it is the search volume that makes a keyword long-tail, not its length in words.
We found no sourced threshold. Tools calculate difficulty differently, and Semrush offers a personal difficulty score that estimates how hard it will be for your own site. Use difficulty to shortlist, then decide from the live results.
There is no fixed timeline. Google's SEO starter guide says some changes might take effect in a few hours and others could take several months, and that there is no guarantee any particular site will be added to Google's index.
Start with the Performance report in Search Console, Google Autocomplete and People Also Ask. Add the exact words your buyers use in sales and support conversations.
