What is Search Volume?
Search Volume is the estimated number of times a keyword is searched per month on Google. It comes from the Keywords Everywhere API, which sources its data from Google Keyword Planner. Higher volume means more people are searching for that term, which means more potential traffic if you rank well.
Where does the data come from?
We fetch volume data from the Keywords Everywhere API, which pulls from Google Keyword Planner (the same source Google Ads advertisers use). The number represents a monthly average, typically smoothed over the last 12 months.
How often is it refreshed?
Volume data is refreshed every 30 days. Search volumes don't change dramatically day-to-day, so monthly refreshes strike a good balance between keeping data current and conserving your KE credits. A full refresh of all tracked keywords runs on the 1st of each month.
How to use search volume
| Volume Range | What it means | Strategy |
|---|---|---|
| 10,000+ | High volume, competitive | Worth fighting for if you can rank in the top 10. Even position 8-10 can drive meaningful traffic |
| 1,000-10,000 | Moderate volume, often the sweet spot | Good balance of traffic potential and achievable rankings. Focus your content efforts here |
| 100-1,000 | Lower volume, often less competitive | Easier to rank for. Stack up many of these for solid long-tail traffic |
| Under 100 | Niche or long-tail | Can still be valuable if CPC is high (buyer intent keywords). Don't dismiss them |
Volume isn't everything
A keyword with 50,000 monthly searches sounds great, but if you're at position 45, you're getting almost zero traffic from it. Meanwhile, a keyword with 500 searches where you rank at position 2 could be driving 75+ clicks per month. Pair volume with your actual position and the CPC to understand real opportunity.