Keyword Search Volume: What It Is & How to Find It

What Is Keyword Search Volume?

Keyword hunt measurement is nan mean number of monthly searches for a peculiar hunt word successful a peculiar location. And typically refers to searches successful Google.

For example, Semrush’s Keyword Overview instrumentality shows that “dog food” has a Google hunt measurement of 135K successful nan U.S.:

This intends location are an estimated 135,000 Google searches for “dog food” successful nan U.S. successful a emblematic month.

Why Are Search Volumes Important?

Search volumes bespeak nan level of liking successful a keyword. And really overmuch postulation your hunt results could generate.

That intends they tin thief you take nan champion keywords for:

• Search motor optimization (SEO): Efforts to rank successful integrated (unpaid) hunt results
• Pay-per-click (PPC) marketing: Efforts to rank successful sponsored (paid) hunt results

That said, high-volume keywords aren’t ever applicable to your business. And they thin to pull beardown title from different websites.

So, it’s important to see hunt volumes alongside different keyword metrics. (More connected this later.)

How to Find Keyword Search Volumes

One of nan champion ways to find Google hunt volumes is pinch Semrush’s Keyword Magic Tool.

Enter a word to guidelines your hunt around, take your target country, and click “Search.”

The instrumentality will coming a database of “Broad Match” keywords that incorporate your starting keyword aliases a adjacent variation.

And show their monthly hunt volumes successful nan “Volume” column.

To cheque if a keyword is relevant, click nan icon successful nan “SF” column. 

This lets you look astatine nan Google results page successful your chosen location (as of nan day shown successful nan file to nan right). So you tin spot what kinds of results execute well.

Take a look astatine nan different metrics provided successful Keyword Magic Tool, too.

If you’re doing keyword investigation for SEO, participate your domain into nan purple box. Then, look astatine nan Personal Keyword Difficulty (PKD %) column.

This tells you really difficult it’ll beryllium for your circumstantial domain to rank successful Google’s apical 10 integrated results. 

And you whitethorn want to comparison it to nan wide keyword difficulty (KD %) metric. Because erstwhile your Personal Keyword Difficulty people is nan little of nan 2 numbers, it indicates nan word is particularly applicable to your website.

If you’re doing keyword investigation for PPC, salary attraction to nan “CPC (USD)” column. Which shows nan mean costs per click advertisers salary for each keyword.

And nan Competitive Density (Com.) column, which lets you cognize nan level of title betwixt advertisers. On a standard from 0.00 (least competitive) to 1.00 (most competitive).

How to Find Local Keyword Search Volumes

With nan Keyword Overview tool, you tin find section hunt volumes—i.e., hunt volumes successful peculiar regions aliases cities. 

This helps you understand your imaginable scope successful target areas. And amended understand your localized audiences.

To get started, participate a keyword into nan hunt bar.

Then, take your target state and sub-location. And click “Search.”

The instrumentality will show nan section and nationalist hunt volumes:

You tin besides get different useful metrics for local keyword research.

And analyse nan results page for your chosen hunt location.

What Is a Good Search Volume for a Keyword?

What makes a bully hunt measurement depends connected nan keyword’s competitiveness, cost, and imaginable business value. 

For example, 100 monthly searches mightiness beryllium bully for a low-competition, low-cost, and high-value keyword. Because nan measurement is apt to construe into worthwhile postulation and conversions.

But 100 monthly searches astir apt isn’t bully for a high-competition, high-cost, and low-value keyword. Because nan measurement is improbable to construe into worthwhile postulation and conversions.

You tin measure these factors together successful nan Keyword Magic Tool.

If you’re researching keywords for SEO:

• Look astatine nan hunt measurement successful nan “Volume” column
• Evaluate title levels pinch nan Personal Keyword Difficulty score 
• Analyze nan results page to find nan imaginable costs of creating top-ranking content
• Analyze hunt intent (what nan searcher wants to achieve) by looking astatine nan “Intent” file and reviewing nan hunt results page. To understand nan keyword’s imaginable business worth (i.e., really apt it is to thrust conversions and really valuable these conversions could be).

If you’re researching keywords for PPC:

• Look astatine nan hunt measurement successful nan “Volume” column
• Measure title pinch nan Competitive Density metric
• Evaluate imaginable costs pinch nan mean CPC metric
• Analyze hunt intent (what nan searcher wants to achieve) by looking astatine nan “Intent” file and reviewing nan hunt results page. To understand nan keyword’s imaginable business worth (i.e., really apt it is to thrust conversions and really valuable these conversions could be).

Understanding Search Volume Trends

Many factors power existent monthly hunt volumes, including:

• Seasonality: Some searches are tied to seasonal events (e.g., Christmas)
• Trends: Current events and trending topics tin origin spikes successful searches
• Marketing campaigns: Effective trading tin thrust much online searches
• User behavior: Shifts successful personification habits (e.g., nan emergence of mobile search)
• Market factors: Competitor activities, economical indicators, etc.

In Semrush, nan “Trend” chart shows really existent hunt volumes person fluctuated complete nan past 12 months. 

If you request much context, hunt your keyword successful Google Trends. 

You tin spot really hunt liking has changed since 2004.

Look retired for nan pursuing kinds of keywords:

• Evergreen keywords: Terms that get accordant liking crossed nan year. These thin to beryllium bully candidates for SEO and semipermanent advertisement campaigns.
• Seasonal keywords: Terms that get much liking astatine circumstantial times of year. For nan champion results, you must scheme your SEO and PPC efforts accordingly.
• Fad keywords: Terms that acquisition a abrupt and short-term spike successful interest. These whitethorn beryllium due for advertizing but aren’t bully for SEO.
• Declining keywords: Terms that are getting gradually little popular. These whitethorn beryllium little beneficial for your business than existent hunt volumes suggest.
• Rising keywords: Terms that are getting gradually much popular. These whitethorn beryllium much valuable for your business than existent hunt volumes suggest. 

Monitor Your Keyword Rankings

Whatever keywords you determine to target, way your rankings. To show your performance.

Semrush's Position Tracking instrumentality lets you show your integrated and paid rankings for target keywords successful target location(s). 

So you tin spot what's moving and what isn't. And enactment accordingly.