Knowing the Search Volume

Meet search volume, one of the most misunderstood components of SEO is so important to law firms that their clients are unaware of it.

Search volume is only one tool in your SEO toolbox. It’s also a complicated tool, with incorrect data and intricate peculiarities that can confuse unskilled marketers. Did you realize that low-volume keywords can still be worth optimizing for in some cases?

Here’s a quick overview of search volume and SEO for lawyers, covering low-volume vs. high-volume terms, how to find search volume, and how to use search volume data to inform an SEO strategy.

What is Keyword Search Volume?

In keyword research, search volume refers to the projected number of times a certain keyword is searched each month.

Search volume may tell you how many people are looking for specific keywords, as well as how competitive they are.

This indicator can help you determine which keywords you want to focus your overall SEO strategy on (and which you don’t).

Keywords with low volume indicate that fewer people are searching for them.

Keywords with a high volume indicate that more people are searching for such words.

It must be noted that high-volume keywords are not necessarily the most significant for business growth. 

Keyword Volume and SEO for Lawyers

Search volume may not always correlate with visitor generation, conversion potential, or competition from other companies.

High Search Volume ≠ High Traffic to your Site

Assume you rank eighth on the SERP, or you get the coveted Featured Snippet for a high-traffic phrase like “best custody lawyer in Miami.” Because higher-ranking sites draw more attention, you may receive no traffic in the eighth position. A Featured Snippet, on the other hand, may result in zero clicks (i.e. no traffic). It’s crucial to note that zero-click searches aren’t always a bad thing; while they don’t drive traffic to your website, they do raise brand recognition. 

High Search Volume ≠ High Conversion Potential

The searcher’s purpose is the most essential factor here. Many long-tail, low-volume keywords have very specialized and high search intent. If you can attract these searchers and answer their questions, you have a great chance of converting. The total number of people may be minimal, but 10 out of 10 conversions from a low-volume term is preferable to 1 out of 1,000 from a large-volume keyword.

High Search Volume ≠ High Competition

A high-volume keyword may have a low difficulty or competition. Indeed, the volume data in SEO tools is far from perfect, so it’s very feasible that a high-volume keyword has yet to be detected by Semrush and the like, and hasn’t yet been served up as a lucrative phrase to other attorneys. This is why it’s always more vital to write for individuals rather than search volume. 

Search volume is an important metric but it’s only one imperfect aspect to consider when performing keyword research and developing an SEO strategy.

Example 1: 

When to optimize for low-volume search phrases. Here are three situations in which a legal company should consider optimizing for low-volume words:

• If there is strong conversion potential.
• If you’re going for a zero-click search or a featured snippet.
• If they are relevant to a high-volume keyword

When someone searches for a more popular keyword, a relevant low-volume word may display in a People Also Ask answer. You might try adding a page on your site dedicated to similar low-volume keywords to help Google and your website visitors better comprehend your issue.

Example 2: 

When to optimize for high-volume search phrases. Here are three situations in which it makes sense to optimize for high-volume words:

• If you wish to increase widespread awareness of your company through PPC
• If you’re targeting local searches with the Local Pack
• If you’re committed to the long game of SEO (While it may take some time to see results for high-volume words, by being deliberate with the supporting material you generate over time, you can effectively target long-tail searches as well and start gaining traffic sooner.)

For the majority of businesses, ranking in location-based searches is the most worthwhile goal to pursue using high-volume search terms on your website and Google Business Profile.

How to find the search volume for a particular keyword

Google Keyword Planner: This is a popular keyword research tool, although it is not without limits.

This tool is intended for use with Google Ads (thus not all terms are reported), and you must have a Google Ads account to use it. Here’s an extended guide, but the basic steps are as follows:

• Log in to your Google Ads account
• Tools > Planning > Keyword Planner
• If you already have keywords in mind, select “Get Search Volume”
• Choose “Discover New Keywords” to start from scratch
• Enter a keyword
• Find the search volume column (also known as monthly searches)
• Find the competition column

Be aware of a few things here.

Search Volume Statistics are Rarely Accurate

• These are average search volume estimates over the past 12 months. Search volume might vary greatly depending on the season and over time. For example, searches for “car injury lawyer Chicago” may increase throughout the summer and fall, which is when the majority of incidents occur. This estimate may just represent the annual average.

• These stats combine mobile and desktop searches. This means that you cannot meaningfully distinguish between device-based search behaviors.

• The Keyword Planner has a timing lag. You won’t discover any new, trendy keywords here. Google Trends is not a search traffic analysis tool, but it can help you grasp current trends and popular topics.

• Similar phrases, such as “SEO” and “Search Engine Optimisation,” may result in the same search volume. In actuality, the search volumes for these two phrases may vary greatly due to their differing formats—not to mention voice searches.

You can also use other keyword research tools like Semrush or Ahrefs, or pay an agency to conduct keyword research for you as part of an overall SEO strategy.

Source- jdsupra