SEO Pros Are Using Reddit and YouTube to Rank—Here’s How You Can Do It Too

You don’t need expensive SEO tools to find high-ranking keywords.

Most paid tools? They give everyone the same data.

If a keyword shows up as “low competition” in Ahrefs or SEMrush, guess what → You’re already late to the party.

I’ve ranked dozens of affiliate site with nothing but free tools, intuition, and manual digging.

No backlinks. Just strategic targeting.

Here’s the playbook.

• Amazon Knows What People Actually Want
• Dig Up Buried Keywords From Affiliate Graveyards
• Reddit and YouTube Comments = Untapped Keyword Gold
• he 1-Page Rule (How to Know It’s Worth Targeting)

1. Amazon Knows What People Actually Want

Forget keyword difficulty scores. Amazon autocomplete is a direct window into purchase intent.

Here’s what to do:

• Start typing a product: “noise-canceling headphones”
• Let Amazon suggest variations
• Add intent modifiers:

  • “noise-canceling headphones for studying”

  • “noise-canceling headphones with long battery life”

  • “best noise-canceling headphones under $100”

Now, cross-check Google. If the top results are weak (forums, low-quality blogs, outdated posts), you’ve found a low-competition goldmine.

2. Dig Up Buried Keywords From Affiliate Graveyards

Want to find keywords that should’ve ranked but didn’t?

1. Find a niche affiliate site.

2. Check their sitemap.

3. Skip the high-traffic pages—scroll straight to the ones getting 0-10 visits/month.

These are pages someone wanted to rank for, but either abandoned or failed.

Your job? Do it better.

• Sharper headline

• Clearer intent

• Better formatting

• More visuals

• Stronger skimmability

I’ve taken “dead” keywords and ranked them in a week just by making them easier to consume.

Forget keyword planners. Real people ask real questions on Reddit and YouTube.

Here’s how to mine them:

• Search Reddit: site:reddit.com “best [product] for”
• Sort by recent. Look for posts where people say: “I’m looking for X but I need it to do Y”:

Now, check Google.

• If no blog has covered that exact phrase? Jackpot.

Same thing with YouTube:

• Find a popular product review
• Sort comments by Newest or Top
• Look for buyer concerns:

  • “Will this work for people with arthritis?”

  • “Does this fit a MacBook Pro?”

  • “Looking for a wireless version with the same features”

Each one? A rankable, buyer-intent keyword no one’s touching.

4. The 1-Page Rule (How to Know It’s Worth Targeting)

Before writing, I ask: Can I rank with just one solid page?

• Top 10 results are weak (forums, low-DR sites, outdated blogs)
• No one is targeting the exact phrase in the title
• Clear buyer/problem-solving intent
• I can answer every sub-question in one article

If it passes? I go all in.

• No link-building.
• No topical clusters.
• No authority needed.

Just sniper content on zero-competition, high-intent keywords.

Final Thoughts

Paid tools have their place.

But if you’re starting out or tired of chasing the same keywords as everyone else: this approach is faster, easier, and brutally effective. It still works today.