Choosing the right keywords is an important step in search engine optimization (SEO). To optimize your website for first-page search engine rankings, you must decide which keywords to target. Search volume, however, can vary between keywords. Some keywords generate a larger volume of monthly searches than others. While high-volume keywords may lead to more traffic, targeting low-volume keywords offers several SEO benefits.
1) Increased Relevancy
Low-volume keywords are typically more relevant than their high-volume counterparts. In other words, they offer a closer match to the pages that rank for them. Users who search for a low-volume keyword may discover one of your website’s pages listed in the search results. Assuming you optimize the page to rank for that keyword, it should be very relevant.
Most low-volume keywords are long tail. They don’t contain a single word. Rather, low-volume keywords usually contain three or more words. As a result, targeting them allows you to create pages of highly specific and detailed content that’s relevant to visitors’ search queries. If you target high-volume keywords, you’ll be forced to create more generalized content.
2) Less Competition
You’ll encounter less competition when targeting low-volume keywords. Nearly all keywords have competition. Competition refers to how many websites are trying to rank for a keyword. Some keywords have millions of websites trying to rank for them, whereas others have just hundreds or dozens of websites trying to rank for them.
Low-volume keywords almost always have less competition than high-volume keywords. Webmasters acknowledge the fact that high-volume keywords bring more traffic, so they prioritize them in their SEO strategies. Less competition, though, means low-volume search keywords are easier to rank for.
3) Larger Growth Potential
Just because a keyword generates minimal search volume now, it may not stay that way forever. Low-volume keywords have the potential to grow. A low-volume keyword may gain recognition after being covered in the news, a popular blog or on social media. With this newfound recognition comes a higher volume of searches for it.
High-volume keywords can also grow, but when compared to low-volume keywords, they generally grow more slowly if at all. Targeting low-volume keywords allows you to capitalize on their massive growth potential. Some of them may even grow to the point where they are considered high-volume keywords.
4) Higher Search Engine CTRs
You may experience higher search engine click-through rates (CTRs) for your website when targeting low-volume keywords. Also known as organic CTR, search engine CTR is a metric for how many users click your website in the search results. You can calculate it by dividing the number of clicks a keyword generated during a period of time by the number of impressions it generated.
Search engine CTRs can vary. According to a survey conducted by Databox, it falls between 3 percent and 5 percent for most websites. If a keyword generates 100 impressions, for instance, it may attract just three to five clicks from users. Fortunately, targeting low-volume keywords can lead to higher search engine CTRs.
Low-volume keywords tend to have higher search engine CTRs because of their relevancy. You can create highly relevant meta titles and meta descriptions that match the low-volume keywords. Search engine users will notice these meta tags in your website’s listings, and since they match their queries, they may click your site. With high-volume keywords, on the other hand, your website’s meta titles and meta descriptions will be more generalized and less relevant. Therefore, fewer users will click your website in the search results.
5) Reaches More Voice Assistant Users
Targeting low-volume keywords will allow you to reach more voice assistant users. Voice assistant users can perform online searches just like desktop and laptop users. Rather than typing their queries as text, however, they must speak it. The user’s voice assistant will respond by relaying content from one of the top-ranked websites for that query.
Voice assistants may respond with your website, regardless of which keywords you target. Nonetheless, targeting low-volume keywords will increase your chances of reaching voice assistant users. A study conducted by Alphametic found that most voice searches are nearly 30 words long, meaning they are low-volume keywords. Shorter queries generate more search volume, but most voice assistant users prefer longer queries consisting of low-volume keywords.
6) Supports Commercial Intent
Low-volume keywords support commercial intent. Whether your website sells physical products, digital products or a combination thereof, you may want to target keywords with commercial intent. Commercial intent involves the use of one or more modifiers that conveys the desire to make a purchase, such as “purchase,” “buy,” “shop,” “order” and “
High-volume keywords, conversely, may or may not support commercial intent. Adding commercial intent modifiers to a keyword will significantly reduce the number of searches it generates. A high-volume keyword, for example, may become a low-volume keyword if you add a modifier to it. All low-volume keywords support commercial intent, making them ideal for e-commerce websites.
7) Use With Other Keywords
You can target low-volume keywords alongside other keywords. Most websites that target low-volume search keywords, in fact, target high-volume keywords as well. You don’t have to target a single keyword per page; you can target multiple keywords per page.
For a comprehensive SEO strategy, consider targeting one high-volume keyword and three to five low-volume keywords per page. High-volume keywords can be your primary keywords, whereas low-volume keywords can be your secondary keywords. Regardless, you can target them both. Targeting both high-volume and low-volume keywords will maximize your website’s search engine performance. Your website may rank lower for high-volume keywords, but the sheer number of monthly searches they generate will offset this downside.
Don’t ignore the SEO value of low-volume keywords. They may not generate as many monthly searches as other and more common keywords, but they can still drive greater search ranking success for your website. Some of the SEO benefits of targeting low-volume keywords include increased relevancy, less competition, larger growth potential, higher search engine CTRs, reach more voice assistant users, supports commercial intent and can be used with other keywords.