Search volume refers to the volume or number of searches for a particular keyword in a specific amount of time. Keyword search volume is usually set over a specific time frame to provide information about this keyword’s competitiveness or overall volume. This is used to show marketers and others who use SEO how specific keywords drive traffic over time.

Search volume is important because search engines are a major way that websites attract new visitors and traffic. It is very important to target keywords that are relevant to your content and have real search volume. If the key words on a site have low search volume then it will be unlikely that people are able to find this site. However on the reverse side, if the site only has high search volume keywords, it will be difficult to compete with bigger sites and get the content to rank.

Search volume is also important in your PPC budget because keywords with higher search volume are usually more expensive and more competitive. Keyword search volume should be one of the most important metrics one looks at when setting up SEO for a website. However, keyword search volume is often overlooked in favor of other metrics like click through rate.

When picking which keywords to use and target it is important to balance volume and competition of the keyword.  High volume keywords mean more potential for exposure, however they will be more competitive as well. High volume keywords will most likely be dominated by well established sites and are also more expensive if you are using these in PPC campaigns. Prioritizing and balancing your keywords is a fundamental aspect to be successful in SEO.

Having both high search volume key words and some on the lower side will be beneficial to your SEO strategy. If your websites content is an exact match to the keywords with high search volume then you may get lucky with the proper conditions to rank well in the high competitiveness of the high search volume keywords. Having lower search volume keywords can also be beneficial because this may help bring visitors and traffic to your website as well. Overall using keywords that are relevant to the content on your site is the most important.