Why it’s absolutely worth using no to low volume keywords
Are low volume keywords a waste of time? Here’s why you might be missing out on traffic & higher conversions.
Low volume keywords are often overlooked in favour of higher search volumes, but here’s why you shouldn’t dismiss them as part of your SEO strategy or keyword research.
What are keywords?
Keywords are the mortar to your website structure bricks. Without keywords, or indeed, actually using words on your website, then search engines can’t match you to users’ search queries. Punch in what you want to a search engine, and get a list of websites back. Easy peasy, right? If it was, I’d be out of a job. The key is in words - keywords! Keywords are the phrases and sentences that make up search queries, and they come in all shapes and sizes. They are used in website content, videos, images, page titles and meta descriptions - and don’t forget your URLs. We also have different types of keywords with the intention behind them bringing back different results.
What are low-volume keywords?
Low volume keywords are exactly what they say on the tin, they can bring back anything from no searches to 250 searches per month across a year. They are usually long-tailed keywords and are ideal for really niching down into user intent. High intent = higher conversion rate, after all, what’s the point in traffic if they don’t convert? When it comes to optimising your website for content, you want to be talking directly to your audience, and long-tailed keywords are the road that can lead you there.
How low volume keywords can help your business.
For example, if I was searching for a photographer who specialised in branding photos I could use ‘brand photographer’ to find someone, but that’s bringing back 100-1k searches a month, and not all the results are going to be for what I want. If you are a business trying to use this keyword to rank, you don’t have hope in hell (sorry), unless you are one of the big boy websites. The higher the competition on keywords, the harder it is to rank for them and especially on page one of SERPs.
So, how do we niche down and talk to our audience? My problem is, I don’t want to travel across the UK for photos, I want someone local, so I’ll look for ‘Devon brand photographer’ instead. Suddenly, I’ve gone from a high search volume to 10-100 searches per month, which is much better for me, and much better for you trying to rank your web page.
Second problem: Devon is pretty big, and I still don’t have time to travel so how about my local town? Amazing, 0-10 searches per month. Now, you may dismiss this as not being worth it, but for a small business or an individual, this could actually be a very lucrative search.
First: the user intent is high. This means the searcher (me) knows what they want and where, and conversion is likely to be high, because I really, really want to find someone in my town. If you are a photographer in Totnes, and capitalising on a potential 10 searches a month just for brand photography alone, then that’s your business absolutely flying, and I’m one happy new customer.
Top five tips for targeting low volume keywords
Identify low hanging fruit
Much like I talked about in the section above, take into account the keyword searches your customers are going to be using and what’s going to be useful for them. Don’t get caught up in the vanity metrics of high keyword searches if they don’t match your ideal user, and don’t match what you do. High traffic is pointless if no one is converting.
Use buying keywords, aka transactional
These are the searches users make when they are ready to purchase, for example, Devon brand photographer day prices, or Devon brand photographer packages - use the searches that users are making to hire someone just like you, right now. These are the searches that will bring in a higher conversion rate, as opposed to those who are just seeking out information.
Target similar low volume keywords in a cluster
It is absolutely possible to lead multiple streams of traffic to your website page, or blog post, using a variety of closely related keywords for a single subject, that all return 10 searches per month, which when added up, can amount to 100’s of searches per month. So don’t be afraid to cluster similar keyword searches together on a content piece.
Create your own low-level keyword searches.
Just because a keyword search isn’t appearing in results right now, that doesn’t mean it won’t in the future. By creating unique content that puts you in the best possible place for any future searches. User intent and queries change all the time, so don’t be afraid to lay foundation blocks now to capture any future keyword searches.
Search volumes are a guide.
This often shocks people, but search volumes aren’t the most accurate of metrics. Each keyword tool you use will return a different volume, with a different competition level. For example, Google Keyword Planner rounds everything down to the nearest 10/50/100 etc, so that can be pretty misleading in itself. It also doesn’t take into account seasonal searches. Searches for Christmas products are going to be sky-high in the winter, and at the lowest in the summer, but the average search volume is worked out over 12 months. Search volumes also don’t take into account location, so again, this leads us back to the examples I used above about niching down.
Don’t skip the low searches.
Low volume keywords have the potential to bring in higher levels of traffic that also convert, so don’t skip over these in favour of vanity numbers. Do consider your ideal client and do use the keyword searches that speak directly to them. Make sure you answer their queries and show them how you can help.
Need help with keyword research? I’m more than happy to chat with you about how I can help.
