14 New Ways to Find E-Commerce Keywords (with Examples)

If your store isn’t ranking for the right keywords, you’re missing out on thousands of potential customers actively searching for your products.

Most e-commerce brands think keyword research is just about finding popular search terms—but the key is choosing keywords that bring in buyers.

I recently helped a client generate $82,488.49 in revenue from organic search just 9 months.

We got these results by targeting keywords that attracted ready-to-buy customers while guiding undecided shoppers toward making a purchase.

How I Find High-Value Keywords

I’m going to show you I found these keywords. But many of these strategies I use may be different from what you’ve seen.

That’s because real SEO today means understanding not just what people are searching, but why—and even what they’ll search for next.

To gain a competitive edge, you have to look beyond Google.

You need to know what your potential customers are asking on other platforms—Reddit, TikTok, YouTube, forums—and use that insight to shape your content strategy.

Let me show you what I mean.

How to Find Keywords in 2025

Search engines like Google are evolving. They’re shifting away from simple keyword matching and prioritizing something deeper: relevancy.

Google wants to see that your content answers real questions, supports related topics, and fits naturally into a broader customer journey.

At the same time, searchers are getting more advanced and personalized with how they search—using longer, more specific queries and expecting results that speak directly to their intent, situation, or pain point.

So if your content isn’t anticipating those needs—or if your site only scratches the surface—you’re leaving visibility, traffic, and revenue on the table.

That’s why I take a different approach to keyword research and content strategy.

Here are 14 ways to find hidden keywords that can grow your revenue.

How to Find Keywords for Your Product and Category Pages

The best way to start is by finding high-intent search phrases that match your:

• Category pages (“Luxury watches for men”, “Watches for men on sale”, Where can i buy blue light blocking glasses)
• Product pages (“Orange blues light blocking glasses”, “Long battery life electric toothbrush”)

Here’s how I find the best search phrases for these pages:

1. Use AI-Image Recognition to Find Product-Specific Keywords

How It Works

Take a photo or screenshot of a product using Google Lens. The AI scans the image and pulls up similar listings across various platforms (Amazon, eBay, Etsy, etc.).

By analyzing these results, you can uncover alternate product names or overlooked long-tail keywords that aren’t saturated in your current niche—making it easier to rank quickly with less competition.

What to look for

Unique descriptions, features, and alternate product names being used in different marketplaces.

Example

A “Scandinavian ceramic vase” on Amazon is called a “hallow/modern ceramic vase” on Walmart, and a “ceramic boho vase” on Etsy. 

Targeting the less competitive variation can attract ready-to-buy customers faster.

2. Using Product Customization to Find Easy SEO Wins

How it works

Many high-converting buyers use product customizers (like “pit sectional sofa” or “pet friendly sectional sofa”).

These inputs and dropdown options have valuable search phrases that aren’t widely targeted.

What to look for

The exact words customers use when searching for products.

Example

Instead of just “sectional sofa”, add different letters before and after the keyword to find find searches like “pet friendly sectional sofa”—a more specific, lower-competition keyword.

3. Use the Image Search Feature on TikTok Shop to Find Popular Low Competition Searches

How it works

Go to the image search feature on TikTok shop. Take a picture of your product and see what comes up.

I took a photo of my sectional sofa and got a bunch of related searches.

What to look for

Sort these results by “Bestsellers”. Look at the names for these best-selling products.

Find product variations with less competition that you can use for your product and category pages.

Example

Taking a picture of a sectional sofa (insert your product), brought up lower-competition variations like “high leg sofa” and “u-shaped sectional sofa”.

The Best Way to Find Keywords for Product and Category Pages

The best way to find keyword is by using the keyword gap tool in Semrush or Ahrefs.

If you have the advanced version, you can insert their product and category pages and it will tell you which keywords they’re ranking for that you aren’t.

Consideration Stage & Commercial Keywords: Guiding Buyers Towards the Sale

At the consideration stage, shoppers are still comparing options. They’re researching brands, reading reviews, and weighing the best choice.

Targeting commercial-focused keywords capture this high-intent traffic by putting your brand in front of potential buyers before they commit—giving you the chance to guide their decision.

How to Find Commercial Keywords for Your Store

Commercial keywords often include phrases like:

• Best [Product] for [Specific Need] → “Best running shoes for flat feet”
• [Product A] vs. [Product B] → “MacBook vs. Surface Laptop for students”
• Reviews & Comparisons → “Is the MacBook M3 worth it?”
• Alternatives & Top Lists → “Top 5 electric toothbrushes under $100”
• Where to Buy → “Where to buy noise-canceling headphones”

Here’s how to find the best commercial keywords:

1. Leverage Google Shopping Data for Hidden Commercial Queries

How it works

Search for your product type in Google Shopping and look at the auto-suggested filters and product tags.

What to look for

Specific filters like “Best for…”, “Under $X”, and “Most Popular” often reveal real user searches that aren’t obvious in traditional keyword tools.

Example

Searching for “gaming laptops” in Google Shopping might reveal filter options like “Best for Students”, “Most Lightweight”, or “Best Under $800”. These are real buyer queries that Google has data on—but most SEOs ignore.

2. Use Google Image Search to Uncover “Unlabeled” Buyer Keywords

How it works

Google often ranks different types of keywords in image search vs. regular search—sometimes revealing untapped purchase-related phrases.

What to look for

• Search for product-related terms and click “Images” instead of “All.”
• Look at the text suggestions above the image results—these often hint at variations that you can rank for.

Example

Searching “modern standing desk” in image search might reveal keywords that are easier to rank for like “executive standing desk”.

3. Use YouTube Search & Video Comments for Untapped Keywords 

How it works

Search for product review videos in your niche and analyze the top comments and auto-suggested searches.

What to look for

People often ask follow-up questions in comments that are high-intent but not well covered in search results.

Example

A video titled “Best noise-canceling headphones 2024” might have comment questions like:

• “What are the best noise cancelling headphones for dust and sweat?”
• “What are the best noise cancelling headphones while working construction?”

Each of these can give you ideas for a new low-competition commercial keyword to target.

4. Steal Traffic from “Dead” Product Pages on Competitor Sites

How it works

Find discontinued or outdated product pages that still get traffic but no longer have an active product listing.

What to look for

Products that were once popular but are no longer sold, leaving a content gap that you can fill with alternatives and comparisons.

Example

If a popular fitness tracker was discontinued, a comparison article on “Best Alternatives to [Discontinued Product]” could rank easily with low competition.

5. Find Localized Commercial Terms That Big Brands Ignore

How it works

Big brands optimize globally, but localized buying terms often have way less competition and are easy wins.

What to look for

Look at location-based auto-suggestions (e.g., “vintage watches boston”).

Example

Instead of “vintage watches”, a localized variation like “vintage watches boston” is easier to rank for.

6. Find High-Intent “Add-On” Products in Frequently Bought Together Sections

How it works

Look at Amazon’s “Frequently Bought Together” & “Customers Also Bought” to find items people buy alongside major purchases.

What to look for

If people often buy an accessory or add-on alongside a big-ticket product, that accessory is a hidden transactional or commercial keyword.

Example

A store selling DSLR cameras can create content ranking the best travel tripods for DSLR cameras.

It could target this lower competition keyword, while guiding potential buyers toward their products.

How I Find Search Phrases That Drive Traffic & Sales

SEO tools give you data, but they don’t tell you the full story.

That’s why I study Google’s search results (SERPs) to uncover what people are really looking for.

Step 1: Think Like Your Customer

Instead of asking, “What keywords should I target?” ask:

• What problems does my product solve?
• What questions do customers ask before buying?
• What comparisons do they make before choosing a product?

For example, if you sell high-end skincare, your customers aren’t just searching for “luxury moisturizer.”

They’re also looking for:

• “Best anti-aging ingredients for dry skin”
• “Luxury vs. drugstore moisturizers—are they worth it?”
• “How to layer skincare for best results?”

Each of these searches is a chance to rank, attract the right audience, and introduce your product as the best solution.

Step 2: Check What’s Already Ranking on Google

Once I have a list of ideas, I Google them to see what pages already rank:

• Are they product pages (buyer intent)?
• Are they blog posts or guides (informational intent)?
• Is Google ranking comparison articles, listicles, or videos?

If the top results are all blogs, that tells me Google sees this as an informational topic—meaning a well-written, optimized blog can rank and drive tons of organic traffic.

Step 3: Use SEO Tools for Data, But Don’t Rely on Them Blindly

I cross-check ideas using:

• Google’s “People Also Ask” & Related Searches → To find related questions people ask.
• Ahrefs/SEMRush → To check search volume and keyword difficulty.
• Competitor Content Analysis → To see what’s working and where I can do better.

The goal is ranking for the right searches that bring in people who actually want what you sell.

What This Means for Your E-commerce Brand

• If you only focus on selling, you’ll miss out on a massive audience that’s still in the research phase.
• If you create valuable content that answers their questions, you build trust early and become the brand they buy from later.
• If you study search intent instead of blindly following SEO tools, you can find untapped opportunities your competitors are missing.

This strategy is how I help eCommerce brands dominate search results—and if you’re ready to apply it to your store, now is the time to start.

Innovative Ways to Find High-Traffic Informational Keywords

Most eCommerce businesses focus on obvious, high-competition keywords, but the real gold is in underutilized search phrases—topics that have demand but aren’t fully covered in depth.

Instead of going after the same topics as everyone else, I use these strategies to uncover hidden opportunities and drive high-quality traffic fast.

Here’s how you can do the same.

1. Steal Traffic from Competitors with Thin Content

One of the fastest ways to capture existing demand is by looking at competitor keywords where they have weak or limited content but still rank high.

How to Find These Keywords:

• Use SEMRush or Ahrefs to check what keywords multiple competitors rank for using the Keyword Gap tool.
• Look for topics where they only have one or two articles but are still ranking high.
• Analyze the search results—if shallow or outdated content is ranking, that’s a prime opportunity.
• Create a much deeper, more valuable version of that content with better research, visuals, and expert insights.

Example

This article that got 143K+ impressions in five months, tackled a highly searched topic that had weak, surface-level content ranking on Google.

By spotting this gap, we created a deep, authoritative piece that ranks in the top 3 for five high-traffic keywords and outranks major authority sites like Life360.com.

2. Tap into User-Generated Content (Forums, Reddit, Quora, YouTube Comments)

People go to forums and discussion sites when they can’t find the answers they need on Google. That’s your sign to step in and provide it.

Where to Look

Reddit

Search for your niche + “Reddit” on Google (e.g., “best productivity hacks Reddit”). Look for common questions that aren’t fully answered in search results.

Quora

See what high-upvoted questions exist in your space—many have no dedicated articles answering them.

YouTube Comments

Look at the most-viewed videos in your niche. What are people asking about in the comments? This is real-time user demand.

3. Use “People Also Ask” & SERP Suggestions

Google literally tells you what people are searching for—you just have to pay attention.

How to Use This

1. Google your topic and check the “People Also Ask” section. Expand a few questions—it will keep generating new ones based on real user searches.
2. Look at the bottom of Google search results for “Related Searches.” These are closely connected queries that users often look for next.
3. Use the Google Search Bar Autocomplete to find long-tail, high-intent keywords.

Example

Searching “best fitness watch” brings up People Also Ask results like:

• “Are fitness watches worth it?”
• “What’s better, Garmin or Fitbit?”
• “Can I use a fitness watch without a phone?”

Each of these can become its own detailed blog post targeting specific search intent beyond just “best fitness watch.”

4. Find “Low Search Volume” Keywords That Are Actually High-Traffic Gold

SEO tools undervalue a lot of keywords—especially long-tail ones.

SEMRush or Ahrefs might show only 10-20 monthly searches, but in reality, these keywords can drive hundreds or even thousands of visits per month.

How to Find These

1. Take a low-volume keyword from SEMRush (e.g., “best sleep tracker for deep sleep” showing 20 searches).
2. Run it through Google Keyword Planner—if it shows a range like 100-1,000 searches, you’ve found an underestimated keyword.
3. Verify interest with Google Trends to see if search volume is growing.

Example

I found a “low-volume” keyword related to digital wellness that SEMRush said had 20 searches/month.

After running it through Keyword Planner, it turned out to have 1,000+ searches monthly—and almost no competition.

A well-optimized blog post ranked fast and pulled in 900+ of visitors within 3 months.

5. Monitor Trends for Emerging Search Traffic

If you can catch a trend early, you can dominate rankings before competitors even realize the demand exists.

Where to Spot Trends:

• Google Trends – Look for rising searches in your niche.
• YouTube trending topics – If a new product category or issue is getting a lot of views, people will soon be Googling it.
• Twitter & TikTok viral trends – Viral discussions often translate into search demand within weeks.

Example

When “blue light blocking glasses” started trending, only a few articles existed.

Brands that quickly created in-depth guides ranking for terms like “Do blue light glasses really work?” gained thousands of organic visits and later converted them into sales when the market exploded.

Final Thoughts: How to Rank Faster & Drive Thousands of Visitors

• Use SEO tools, but don’t rely on them blindly—low-volume keywords often have way more search traffic than they seem.
• Find thin content in your niche and outdo it with deeper, more valuable articles.
• Look at real conversations happening online (Reddit, Quora, forums, YouTube) to find questions people need answers to.
• Pay attention to Google’s own suggestions (People Also Ask, Autocomplete, Related Searches).
• Monitor rising trends early to dominate before competitors catch on.Most brands are playing catch-up, but if you use these strategies, you can spot demand before it peaks and be the first to rank.

If you want to see a real-world example of how these keyword strategies can grow revenue, check out my recent case study for an example of how these keyword research strategies helped this brand grow revenue by 97% in 6 months.