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What is Keyword Volume?
Keyword tools and SEO software like Ahrefs, SEMrush, Moz and Google Keyword Planner have a metric called “Keyword Volume”.
Keyword volume is the volume (or number) of searches for a particular keyword in a given timeframe, for a given location. Usually this is measured by month (aka monthly search volume (MSV)).
For example, the keyword volume for this keyword “what is keyword volume” is 50. That means that about 50 people per month across the United States search for that keyword (according to SEMrush).
Most keyword tools measure keyword volume on a national level (United States, Canada, Mexico, etc.). Getting keyword volume on a local level (Tampa, San Francisco, etc.) is possible but most tools don’t offer it.
What Are Low-Volume Keywords?
Low-volume keywords are keywords that don’t have a high volume (according to SEO tools). High-volume is subjective.
For example, Nike would consider a keyword volume of 1,000 or less low-volume. While a chiropractor in a small city would consider that large.
I’d say anything under 1,000 is low-volume. But you can choose your own threshold depending on your industry.
What Are Zero-Volume Keywords?
Yep, you guessed it! Zero-volume keywords are keywords that have zero search volume (according to SEO tools).
Why Keyword Volume Can Be Unreliable
Not to discredit keyword tools and SEO software (because I love them ♥️ ), but their keyword volume measurements are based on their own methods and are estimates.
Here’s a wonderful study from Dan Leibson of Local SEO Guide. I highly recommend you read it. It demonstrates how inaccurate keyword volume can be.
To summarize the study in one sentence:
“Up to 50% of potentially converting keywords show no volume in 3rd party tools.”
From Ahrefs:
“We process large amounts of clickstream data to maintain the world’s largest third-party database of search queries, with estimated monthly search volume and advanced keyword research metrics.”
You have to remember, as amazing as these tools are, they are not super duper accurate. Keyword volume is just an estimate and should be taken with a grain of salt.
Targeting Zero to Low-Volume Keywords With Local Content
Not that we’ve establish that we can’t really trust keyword volume, let’s address the fact that search volume is always much lower in a geographic area vs a national level.
For example, the keyword “accident attorney” has a much higher keyword volume because it does not specify a location. It’s a national term.
And the keyword “accident attorney tampa” specifies a city so the keyword volume should be lower than then national term.
Benefits of Zero to Low-Volume Keywords for Local SEO
There are several reasons why targeting zero or low-volume keywords on sites targeting a local area makes sense.
For local SEO clients, they simply don’t have any choice but to target lower volume keywords since location-based keywords almost always have lower volume than national keywords.
Long-Tail Keywords Convert Better
When it comes to keywords there are two kinds; 1) head terms and 2) long-tail.
What’s the difference? Head terms are keywords which are broad in nature and they are usually about one to three words long.
A long-tail keyword is usually longer and is more specific than a head term. Long-tail keywords generally have lower search volume than head terms.
| Head Term | Vol | Long-Tail | Vol |
| accident attorney | 27.1k | when to get an attorney for a car accident | 480 |
| chiropractor near me | 550k | how much does a chiropractor cost | 5,400 |
The reason I’m explaining this to you is because I want to make the point that generally speaking, long-tail keywords actually convert better than head terms.
Head terms can be too vague and users usually have to refine their search to find what they are looking for.
For example, if you want to find a “tall black bedroom dresser” you would not search for “bedroom dressers”. Well you could, but you’d see results for all colors and shapes of dressers. Then you’d be forced to search for a “tall black bedroom dresser” anyway.
Because of this, long-tail keywords can lead to higher conversion rates. Users are looking for something very, very specific which suggests they may be primed and ready to buy.
Less Keyword Competition
If you are targeting a local area (via local SEO content), by nature you automatically have less competition compared to the national level. That’s because there are literally less businesses to compete with, less website results on search engines, and lower keyword difficulty.
Local SEO Content Experts
In conclusion, if you are targeting a local area, then zero and low-volume keywords are your friends!
At CONTENTAMIGO our focus is creating stellar local SEO content. If you need assistance finding the right keywords to target on a local level or need content created, we’d love to help!