How to choose niche keywords: start with audience needs, then assess search volume and competition

When choosing niche keywords, first confirm that they address your target audience’s specific needs, then assess search intent, demand, competition, and commercial value together. More obscure is not necessarily better, and high search volume alone should not determine priority. Low-volume keywords closely related to your product may still bring valuable traffic. If a term is so narrow that almost no one searches for it, explore broader, related terms. The goal is to find keywords your audience searches for, your content can address, and you have a realistic chance of ranking for.

First, establish who is searching and why

Semrush’s guide to niche keywords recommends defining your audience first, then researching their interests and the questions they ask before buying. When evaluating keywords, check each of the following:

• Does this keyword address a specific problem your product or service can solve?
• Is the searcher looking for information, comparing options, or preparing to take action?
• Will your planned content match that search intent?

Specific questions that repeatedly appear in online communities can be a starting point for keyword ideas. But discussion only shows that a topic is worth researching; you still need to investigate search demand and competition rather than assume there is sufficient search volume.

At Procrustes, our content service turns the questions clients genuinely care about into articles, with ongoing content planning, writing, and updates.

Consider search volume, but do not automatically discard low-volume terms

Neil Patel’s article on niche markets cautions that overly specific terms may have close to zero searches, so relevance and popularity both matter. If search demand for the original term is too low, keep the core need while relaxing some constraints. The article uses “watercolor dog painting artist” as an example and suggests exploring broader related terms such as “pet portraits,” while reassessing search intent and ranking difficulty.

Still, low volume does not mean low value. If searchers are already interested in a particular product or service, that traffic may have conversion potential. So broadening your keywords is about expanding your options, not sacrificing relevance for traffic.

Assess competition against the right peers

Niche keywords are generally more specific and less competitive, but a “long-tail” keyword is not necessarily easy to rank for. Semrush recommends analyzing direct competitors of a similar size, with similar products and audiences, to identify gaps in their content strategies. Companies in the same industry that serve different customer segments may be less useful points of comparison.

For e-commerce filter pages, Semrush also recommends prioritizing an assessment of whether reaching the first page of search results is realistic. Consider search demand for each filter combination, along with page engagement and conversion performance, rather than simply how obscure a keyword is.

Interpret commercial value in context

If your goal is to generate leads, keep keywords that address specific needs and may prompt action. Neil Patel’s B2B article notes that when niche keywords have low monthly search volume, volume alone may not be a reliable enough indicator. If you are also considering paid advertising, cost per click (CPC) can be a useful reference. Even with low search volume, a high CPC may indicate commercial value, but it does not guarantee conversions.

When building your initial list, record each keyword’s search demand, search intent, and level of competition rather than sorting by a single metric.