TL;DR: Understanding Keyword Search Volume for SEO
Keyword Search Volume Matters – It shows how often a keyword is searched and helps gauge demand, but seasonality and user intent also play key roles.
Balance Keyword Types – Use a mix of high, medium, and long-tail (low-volume) keywords to capture traffic across the funnel—from broad searches to purchase-ready users.
High Volume = High Competition – These keywords can drive massive traffic but may have low conversion rates if not aligned with user intent.
Long-Tail Keywords Convert Better – Though low in traffic, they attract highly targeted visitors ready to take action (e.g., buy or sign up).
Keyword Difficulty Counts – Ranking depends on content quality, user intent alignment, backlinks, and domain authority, not just keyword usage
Did you know that search volume is arguably one of the most important and frequently used metrics in SEO?
With the ability to help marketers see how specific keywords drive traffic over time, keyword search volume is crucial if you want to ensure your chosen keywords are actually being searched for by enough users.
Within this guide, we will look at the value of different search volume keywords, including high traffic keywords and low search volume keywords, and how you can balance keyword search volume and competition.
What is keyword search volume?
As the name suggests, keyword search volume refers to the number (or volume) of searches for a particular keyword in a specific timeframe.
Keyword search volume is averaged over a set period of time, usually how many searches per month for keyword, to provide marketers with an idea of the competitiveness and overall volume of a particular search.
When looking at what are people searching for, it is important to take seasonality into account. For example, certain searches have a higher search volume at particular times of the year, such as Christmas or before the summer holidays.
Other keyword search terms are “evergreen,” meaning that they stay steady all year round.
It is important to recognise that it is not always the high traffic keywords that provide the best results. A successful SEO campaign will include a combination of:
- High search volume keywords
- Medium volume keywords
- Long-tail keywords or keywords with a low search volume
Now, let’s take a closer look at each of the above and identify how you can utilise them in your SEO strategy.
Why use high search volume keywords?
High search volume keywords have the ability to drive a lot of traffic to your website. However, this type of volume keyword is highly competitive and broadly targeted.
The main advantages of high volume keywords are:
- More people will see your advert
- More people will click on your advert
- More people may buy your product or service
That being said, although your ranking will probably shoot up in the short term, you may not see an increase in conversions, as visitors may have been looking for something that your page does not offer.
Choosing a keyword volume that is high can be worthwhile if you have the budget to outperform your competitors.
Why use medium volume keywords?
Medium volume keywords, or medium-tail keywords, are often overlooked but can be highly effective as part of your overall content marketing strategy.
Medium-tail keywords are moderately competitive and usually contain two or three words.
The main advantages of medium volume keywords are:
- They are more specific than high volume words, so they are less competitive
- They have more SEO volume than long-tail keywords
Why use long-tail keywords?
If you are unsure about what to do with low search volume keywords or long-tail keywords, then we can help you.
Long-tail keywords are longer and more specific keyword phrases that are designed for users who are close to making a purchasing decision or when they are using a voice search.
Often people do not know how to use long-tail keywords effectively but if you persevere, they can be incredibly useful.
Long-tail keywords, or keywords with low search volume, usually contain three or more words, and although they can be lower in volume than the other two types of keywords, they are highly targeted, reaching users that actively want to buy something that you sell.
Think about how you search for a product you intend to buy.
Would you search “mobile phone” or would you search “iPhone 11 pro max”?
Long-tail keywords will draw less traffic, that is undeniable, but the traffic that they do attract will be highly focused and more committed to making a purchase from you.
No search volume keywords
You may have noticed no search volume keywords when you are using Google Keyword Planner. These keywords can be useful and can have a long-tail effect if used correctly.
No search volume keywords sometimes occur if they are a seasonal keyword and the time frame is not correct or if the keyword is question is date-specific, for example, “SEO tips 2015.”
Next time you see a no search volume keyword when you are making a list of possible keywords to use, make sure you take the time to properly evaluate the keyword and find out if it may have future use for you and your business.
What is keyword difficulty?
If you have heard the term keyword difficulty, you may be aware that it is something to do with the ranking of a keyword, and you are right.
SEO keyword difficulty is the metric used to determine how difficult it is to rank for a particular keyword and it can be useful when you are trying to establish how to pick keywords.
Unfortunately, only Google knows its exact formula for ranking web pages, and even if you were privy to this knowledge, it still wouldn’t change the fact that some keywords are simply more difficult to rank for than others.
Currently, thousands of SEO experts rely on ahrefs keyword difficulty when performing keyword research, but this should not be the only tool you use if you want to build a successful SEO strategy.
When ranking the difficulty of a keyword, you need to analyse the pages that already rank on Google for known elements that directly correlate with rankings.
These include:
- The content of the page
Focus on providing content that is high quality and offers value to its readers. This will arguably give you more of a competitive edge than just using strategically placed keywords.
- The users’ search intent
Make sure your users are happy when they search and find your page, whether you achieve this by providing added value such as guest blogging or a free online tool.
- Links from other websites
Take steps to build a solid link building campaign if you want to consistently rank high on Google and increase the visibility of your site.
- Website authority
Although this element is a controversial one, many believe that Google gives preference to pages that they determine to be “strong websites.” However, even if you are not one of these websites with high authority, you can still benefit from them via internal links.
Would you like more information on keyword volume and how it can improve your SEO strategy? We can help you.
Additional Related Articles
- https://www.clickintelligence.co.uk/could-the-increase-in-voice-search-affect-keyword-strategies/
- https://www.clickintelligence.co.uk/keyword-selection-strategy-2017/
- https://www.clickintelligence.co.uk/keywords-ranking-on-google/
- https://www.clickintelligence.co.uk/what-are-long-tail-keywords/
- https://www.clickintelligence.co.uk/do-organic-keyword-rankings-still-matter/
