What is keyword search volume, and why should you check it?

Keyword search volume is an estimate of how many times a term is searched for on a search engine, often expressed as a monthly average. It is not the number of unique people who search for that term. Checking search volume can help you gauge search demand, compare wording, and prioritize SEO content and advertising. However, it does not tell you how much traffic your website will receive, and it cannot determine on its own whether a keyword is worth targeting.

How can a new website check search volume? First, decide what to compare

For a newly built store locator website, for example, you can start by listing the search terms you want to evaluate, then use keyword research tools to check their estimated volumes. A 2023 article by yesharris lists Google Keyword Planner, Ahrefs, and Ubersuggest as options. These are examples from that article; their current interfaces and requirements for use have not been verified.

• Check the region: Global search volume differs from search volume in a particular country. Do not treat the global total as demand in the market you serve.
• Check the platform: The same term may have very different search volumes on Google and YouTube. Use YouTube-specific data when planning video content.
• Check the time period: When looking at a monthly average, also check the period it covers and the month-by-month trends.

Why check it? To compare demand and prioritize your efforts

Search volume helps you compare demand for different keywords. For example, yesharris uses “洗髮精” and “洗髮乳,” two Chinese terms for shampoo, to illustrate how terms with similar meanings can have different search volumes. These differences can guide your content and advertising priorities, so you do not have to choose keywords solely based on your brand’s usual wording.

However, higher search volume does not necessarily make a keyword a better fit for your website. You also need to consider ranking difficulty and search intent—why users are searching. For a store locator website, first ask whether the information it provides meets the needs of people searching for that term. Demand varies across industries, and there is no universal minimum search volume that makes a keyword worth targeting. At Procrustes, our content services turn the questions our clients genuinely care about into articles, with ongoing content planning, writing, and updates.

When interpreting the data, do not mistake averages for precise forecasts

Search volume is an estimate, and different tools may give different answers. In awoo’s 2023 comparison, its own tool estimated the average monthly search volume for “搬家公司” (“moving company”) at 40,500, while Ahrefs estimated 25,000. This is a historical comparison, not a measure of current search volume, and it does not establish that either tool is necessarily correct.

Averages can also hide seasonal fluctuations. Using “游泳” (“swimming”) as an example, yesharris notes that searches are more frequent in summer and less frequent in winter. A monthly average calculated from a full year of data therefore does not mean demand is the same every month. If searches are trending sharply downward, you should reassess the keyword even if its average remains high. However, seasonal or holiday-related terms relevant to your business need not be excluded simply because demand is uneven.