Why Keyword Volume isn't #1 Priority

When you're choosing the keyword, you're going to optimize a website page, or blog post for the one with the highest search volume probably seems like the best one. However, that's not always the case. Sometimes, the best keyword is one that has a lower search volume. So, why isn't keyword search volume #1 when it comes to choosing your SEO keywords? 

How do you choose the right keyword if you're choosing the one with the highest search volume? 

You want to choose the keyword you can rank for with the biggest search volume. Sometimes, the keyword you can rank for isn't the one with the biggest search volume. And, you know what, that's OK because the search volume isn't the most important part. The most important factor is your website's ability to rank for the keyword you choose. 

Why does your ranking ability matter more than the search volume? 

Because when we optimize for a keyword, the goal is to rank high on page 1 of Google and the only way we can achieve that goal is by choosing keywords that we can rank for. 

How do we determine if we can rank for a keyword? 

The best thing you can do is go to Google, type in the keyword you're considering using, and see who shows up on Page 1. Next, you'll want to look at the results and see if they're similar to you or not. If they're your competitors or brands you know, then you're probably on the right track, but if they're big national brands, you need to look for a different keyword because you're not likely to rank for this one. 

Want me to walk you through this? Take my FREE SEO training class now and I'll show you what to do to determine if you can rank for a keyword. Click the link to register now. 

Why is it OK if the keyword we choose has less search volume? 

Sometimes we end up optimizing for a keyword with less search volume but is used by a customer who's more likely to convert, and we end up making more money. Think about it, if you rank #1 for a keyword people use when they buy your product, you're going to get, on average, 34-37% of the search traffic. If that keyword has 100 searches a month, you'll get 34-37 visits from people who want to buy your products. Would you make more money if you had another 34-37 people visiting your website looking to buy your products every month? What if we multiplied that by ten keywords ranked in position #1 because that's the goal – we don't want one keyword ranking #1; we want lots of keywords ranking #1. Now you have 340-370 visitors every month looking for what you sell, which impacts your bottom line. 

Sometimes the keywords with less search volume make us more money 

When someone is searching a long-tail keyword, one with multiple words, they often know EXACTLY what they're looking for, and if your website ranks high and you have that product or service, you have a better chance of making the sale. 

When you're choosing SEO keywords, choose the best of the options that you can rank for. Don't get fixated on the search volume. Look for the best opportunity for your website. 

Want to learn EXACTLY how to do this? Check out my SimpleSEO class, where I teach you my fail-safe SEO keyword research process so you can determine if you can rank for a keyword before you even start optimizing anything.