Back in late September last year, I invested in a domain name. By mid-October, the site was already climbing up to Google's first page. Now, our core keywords are consistently in the top 4, and over 1,000 additional keywords are popping up like weeds. Traffic keeps rising, with new visitors every day.
You’re probably wondering how we achieved this. Honestly, we didn’t resort to any black hat SEO tactics or spend a fortune on backlinks. We simply found a niche and seized the opportunity.
First Step: We specifically targeted “underappreciated” keywords.
While everyone fights for keywords like “best AI tools,” where competition is fierce and backlinks are hard to come by, we took a different approach. We focused on the “middle ground”—keywords with decent search volumes but weak competition.
Think of it this way: the top rankers feast, and the top 5 get a bite, but we’re there scooping up the leftovers. For instance, we discovered a long-tail keyword related to a tool that has over 3,000 monthly searches but the average number of backlinks for the sites on the first page is fewer than 10. That’s a goldmine! Weak competition and low barriers to entry, yet with high potential traffic ceilings. You just need to be slightly better than the rest to break in.
Second Step: Use AI for deep processing, not just surface-level copying.
These days, who doesn’t use ChatGPT to write articles? But most people just have it generate something that "looks" like an article. We took a different route. We utilized AI to do three things:
- Analyze the strengths and weaknesses of the top 10 competitors
- Generate comparison tables and specific data
- Create a structured “ranking” style content
The result? When users find us, they don’t see a generic article; they discover a complete solution. There’s comparison, data, and rankings. That’s the key to differentiation. You don’t need to be perfect; just be a little better than your competitors.
Third Step: Treat backlink building like sharing with friends, not a chore.
Many people treat backlinks as a KPI, aiming to hit a certain number each month. That’s not us. We see it as spreading the word. When we come across a relevant forum, we post. If we find a related blog, we leave a comment. We share experiences in niche communities.
We share consistently but without pressure. The key is to target high-authority sites in your niche instead of blindly chasing quantity. One quality backlink can be worth more than 100 low-quality ones.
*But here’s a pitfall I must mention: *
We almost stumbled over a technical detail. Incorrectly set canonical tags led to diluted page authority, and suddenly our Vercel bill shot up by hundreds because we hadn’t set up Cloudflare. Seriously, make sure to set up Cloudflare on day one—it’s a hard-learned lesson. If you don’t resolve technical issues, even perfect SEO efforts can go to waste.
Looking back, the success of this project wasn’t due to some advanced theory. It boils down to three words: find the gap. Seek the blue ocean in a red sea, the openings amidst competition, and simplicity in complexity.
The core formula for a tool site is refreshingly straightforward:
- Identify low-competition, high-demand keywords
- Quickly build a usable MVP
- Ensure your tech doesn’t falter
- Create differentiated content
- Continuously share backlinks without feeling burdened
The best SEO strategies often don’t even look like SEO strategies at all.
Redirect the resources saved from competition back into genuinely valuable content creation.
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