What is Search Volume?
Search volume represents the average number of times a specific keyword is searched by users within a defined period.
This number can fluctuate depending on the keyword type and current trends, influenced by factors such as locality, seasonality, and trending topics.
Let’s break these down further:
Local Keywords: These keywords relate to a specific geographic area or neighborhood, tied closely to the location of a business. For example, phrases like “eye clinic near me” or “best pepperoni pizza in Karachi” are local keywords. The search volume for these keywords varies based on the region.
Seasonal Keywords: These keywords gain popularity during particular times of the year or events, such as “Christmas gifts” or “Sapporo Snow Festival.” Search volume for seasonal keywords spikes during their relevant periods.
Trending Keywords: These are keywords that emerge suddenly, often linked to current news or viral events, like “earthquake in Turkey” or “spike in petrol prices.” Their search volume surges only while the event remains in the public eye.
Why Does Search Volume Matter?
Understanding search volume is crucial because it reveals how popular and relevant certain keywords are to users.
By identifying frequently searched keywords, you can tailor your content to better address your target audience’s needs, which can enhance your search engine rankings.
Additionally, examining keywords with low search volume can uncover niche opportunities or long-tail keywords that face less competition but may attract highly targeted traffic.
Prioritizing your SEO efforts based on search volume helps you allocate resources wisely and boosts the effectiveness of your marketing strategy.
Important Facts About Search Volume
Annual Reports Don’t Reflect Monthly Averages:
Since search volume fluctuates with trends and seasons, annual data can’t accurately show monthly averages. For example, “Christmas gift ideas” may have 16,000 searches annually, but most occur in December, making the monthly average misleading if evenly distributed.
Searches Don’t Always Lead to Clicks:
A study by Rand Fishkin in 2020 found that about two-thirds of Google searches don’t result in users clicking on any results. This happens because users often find answers directly in featured snippets or knowledge panels on the search results page.
Search Volume Doesn’t Equal Website Visits:
Search volume estimates how many times a keyword is searched, but it doesn’t measure how many unique users visit your site. For example, a keyword searched 10 times doesn’t necessarily mean 10 visitors — it could be fewer users searching multiple times.
Low Search Volume Can Still Be Valuable:
Keywords with low search volume aren’t worthless. They can attract highly relevant traffic, especially if they indicate buyer intent or are niche-specific.
Benefits of Low Search Volume Keywords
Topic clustering
Low-volume keywords can inspire subtopics that support a main topic page. When combined, these pages can drive significant traffic and help establish authority in a subject area.
Niche industries
In less competitive niches, low-volume long-tail keywords can attract targeted visitors and position your site as a leader, improving rankings and conversions.
They are estimations and are still useful
While search volume numbers are only estimates and not exact counts, they allow you to compare keyword popularity consistently—especially if sourced from the same tool.
This comparative insight helps you make smarter SEO and content decisions.
How to Use Search Volume Effectively?
Analyze Competitors
Check which keywords your competitors target, both high and low volume, to understand user intent and identify gaps where you can provide better answers.
You can check the competitor’s search volume for finding the keywords that are searched the most.
Follow Trends and Seasons
Create content relevant to current seasons or trending topics.
For instance, winter-related content in cold months tends to perform better than irrelevant topics like summer fashion in winter.
Prioritize Niche Keywords
Don’t overlook keywords that define your brand, even if their search volume is low—they often bring high-value traffic and conversions.
Focus on Local Searches
If your business serves a local market, prioritize local keywords. These often have higher search volume within the locality and attract more relevant visitors.
Tools to Check Search Volume
You can use any of the following tools to check the search volume.
Google Keyword Planner
A free tool (with a Google Ads account) that provides monthly search volume and forecasts. Navigate via “Tools” > “Keyword Planner” > “Search volume and forecasts.”
SEMrush Keyword Overview
Offers monthly global and regional search volume data, helping you find keywords for your campaigns.
SEMrush’s Keyword Magic Tool
Provides individual keyword volume and trend data, similar to Keyword Overview.
KWFinder
Allows checking search volume and trends by keyword or domain, ideal for detailed keyword research.
Takeaway
Search volume indicates how often a keyword is searched within a given timeframe, influenced by keyword type and trends.
While it is only an estimate and doesn’t directly reflect site visits, search volume remains a vital metric to guide your SEO strategy.
By understanding and leveraging search volume data, businesses can better optimize content, target relevant audiences, and improve their search rankings effectively.