Search volume

Where do the numbers come from?

Google’s Keyword Planner reports average monthly searches for a keyword over a selected period and location. By default it averages twelve months. Google states that web traffic is influenced by seasonality, current events and other factors, so the figure changes constantly.

Third-party tools publish their own values from their own data. SE Ranking, for example, states that it shows exact numbers where the Keyword Planner shows ranges such as 100–1K. According to reports, each provider builds its figures differently, so the same keyword can show different volumes in different tools. Some providers also use clickstream data from user panels. DataForSEO, for example, combines it with Keyword Planner data (see clickstream data).

How should you read it?

A volume is a size estimate, not a forecast of visitors. A page that ranks first does not receive all searches. Other points:

• A twelve-month average hides seasonal peaks. A keyword with 1,000 searches per month can have most of them in two months.
• Volume says nothing about intent. Pair it with search intent and keyword difficulty.
• Your own Search Console data shows impressions for queries your site actually appeared for, which is a different measure from market-wide volume.

Example

A tool reports 880 searches per month for a keyword. Google Trends shows whether those searches are stable across the year or concentrated in a few months.

FAQ

Is search volume the same as traffic? No. Traffic depends on rank, click-through rate and SERP features, so a page usually receives a fraction of the volume.

Why do two tools show different search volumes? Each provider uses its own data and methods.

Last updated: October 7, 2026