The inaccuracy and flaws of search volume
Search volume is a double-edged sword. On one side, it guides our strategy. On the other side, it's so fundamentally flawed that we should handle it with extreme care. In this article, I explain why and how.
Search volume is a double-edged sword. On one side, it guides our strategy. On the other side, it's so fundamentally flawed that we should handle it with extreme care.
The keyword research process is broken
Ahrefs shows a search volume of 150, SEMrush of 140.
Mobile vs. Desktop
When comparing GSC metrics by device, we see that clicks and impressions on Desktop are about 10% of mobile. In other words: people search for "stripping sheets" predominantly on smartphones.
not indicating whether search volume is increase or decreasing over time
The last point is specifically important and under-discussed in SEO: what keywords gain or lose demand over time? Finding keywords that are growing in search volume means you can start ranking for them when they're less competitive and "grow with the market".
The solution?
What can we do? I don't have the perfect answer, but I have options.
We can ignore search volume and just create content based on expertise, market research, and product development. However, that comes with organizational challenges because, without an idea of how much traffic we get in return for creating content, we're on thin ice.
Alternatively, we can create content, see what it ranks for, and then optimize it. You would monitor the queries that the content gains traction for, and then adjust the content accordingly. That's an approach I personally like very much, but you also need to consider organizational challenges here. You basically need a blank cheque, and that's hard to come by.
We can also use several tools in combination that indicate search demand and take platforms outside of Google Search into account (I created a list). The challenge here is to scale keyword research for large sets across several tools, but it's not impossible.
I also suggest creating a database of keywords you ranked #1 on for a month. This allows you to compare clicks and impressions with keyword volume from rank trackers and apply the difference to other keywords you don't rank #1 for yet. That works best when you compare with keywords with the same syntax, e.g. "best {product}" or "cheap {product} for men".
Ahrefs' idea of page traffic as a metric is a good start, but we need to evolve further and beyond simple search volume.