Longtail Keywords Search Volume: What to Expect

One of the biggest misconceptions about longtail keywords is that "low search volume = not worth it." Let's bust that myth and set realistic expectations for what search volumes actually mean.

Typical Search Volume Ranges

Here's what you can expect for different keyword types:

The "Low Volume" Trap

Many beginners see 50 searches/month and think it's not worth targeting.

Here's why that's wrong:

1. Volume is Often Underreported

Keyword tools like Google Keyword Planner, Ahrefs, and SEMrush:

• Show rounded averages (often to nearest 10)
• May show "0-10" for keywords that get 30-40 searches
• Don't account for seasonal variations
• Miss related search variations

Reality: A keyword showing "50 searches" might actually get 100-200 when you count all the variations.

2. One Article Ranks for Many Keywords

When you optimize for one longtail keyword, you often rank for 20-50 related variations.

Example:

You target: "best espresso machine under 200 dollars" (40 searches/month)

You also rank for:

• "espresso machine under 200" (30 searches)
• "cheap espresso machine under $200" (20 searches)
• "affordable espresso machine for home" (60 searches)
• "espresso maker under 200 dollars" (25 searches)
• "best home espresso machine budget" (35 searches)

Total traffic: 210 searches/month from ONE article!

3. Conversion Rate Matters More

Would you rather have:

Option A:

• 10,000 visitors from "coffee"
• 0.5% conversion rate
• = 50 sales

Option B:

• 500 visitors from longtail keywords
• 5% conversion rate
• = 25 sales from HALF the traffic

More traffic ≠ more value. Targeted traffic converts.

What's Considered "Good" Volume?

It depends on your situation:

For New Websites (0-6 months old)

Target keywords with:

• 10-100 searches/month
• Low competition (Ahrefs KD < 20)
• Clear commercial or informational intent

Why? You can actually rank for these quickly and start getting traffic in weeks, not months.

For Established Sites (1-3 years old)

Target keywords with:

• 100-1,000 searches/month
• Medium competition (Ahrefs KD 20-40)
• Mix of informational and commercial intent

For Authority Sites (3+ years)

Target keywords with:

• 500-5,000+ searches/month
• Higher competition (Ahrefs KD 40-60)
• Focus on commercial intent

Search Volume by Industry

Expected longtail volumes vary dramatically by niche:

The Aggregation Strategy

Instead of chasing one keyword with 10,000 searches, aggregate many small ones:

Traditional approach (fails):

• Target: "productivity tips" (12,000 searches)
• Reality: Can't rank (too competitive)
• Traffic: 0

Aggregation approach (wins):

Target 50 longtail keywords averaging 100 searches each:

• "productivity tips for ADHD adults" (90)
• "morning productivity routine for entrepreneurs" (120)
• "productivity apps for remote workers" (150)
• ... (47 more)

Total: 5,000 searches/month across 50 articles, and you can actually rank for these!

Don't Ignore Zero-Volume Keywords

Some of the best keywords show "0" searches in tools but are goldmines:

Why Zero-Volume Keywords Get Traffic

1. Tool limitations - Keyword tools don't track everything
2. New trends - Emerging searches haven't been indexed yet
3. Natural language - "How do I fix a squeaky bike chain" vs "fix squeaky bike chain"
4. Voice search - Conversational queries are underreported

When Zero-Volume is Actually Good

Target zero-volume keywords when:

• ✅ It's a natural question people would ask
• ✅ It matches your product/service exactly
• ✅ The parent topic has decent volume
• ✅ It's voice-search friendly

Example:

"How to remove red wine stain from white carpet" shows 0 volume.

But "remove wine stain from carpet" shows 1,200.

Your zero-volume article will rank for both!

How to Calculate Real Potential

Here's a simple formula to estimate actual traffic from a longtail keyword:

Real Traffic = (Reported Volume × 2-3) × Click-Through Rate × Related Keywords

Example:
Keyword shows: 50 searches/month
Real volume: 50 × 2.5 = 125
CTR (position 3): 10%
Related keywords: 5 variations

Actual traffic: 125 × 0.10 × 5 = 62.5 visitors/month

Now multiply that by 50-100 articles, and you've got serious traffic.

Red Flags to Avoid

Not all low-volume keywords are worth targeting:

❌ Too Specific (Dead End)

"Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 39 women's size 8.5 black Friday sale 2023"

→ Too specific, outdated, no traffic potential

❌ No Commercial Intent

"what color is the sky"

→ Gets searches but zero conversion potential (unless you sell sky-themed products!)

❌ Cannibalization Risk

If you already rank well for "best coffee makers," don't create 10 separate articles for:

• "best coffee makers 2025"
• "top coffee makers"
• "coffee makers reviews"

→ These should be ONE article

The Sweet Spot

For most businesses, the ideal longtail keyword has:

✅ 50-500 searches/month (verified in multiple tools) ✅ Low competition (you can realistically rank) ✅ Clear intent (you know what the searcher wants) ✅ Commercial value (can lead to conversions) ✅ Related keywords (ranks for multiple variations)

Bottom Line

Don't dismiss low search volume. Remember:

• 📊 Volume is underreported - Real traffic is often 2-3x what tools show
• 🎯 One article = many keywords - Rank for 20-50 variations
• 💰 Conversion > Volume - 100 qualified visitors > 10,000 random ones
• 📈 Aggregation wins - 100 small keywords > 1 impossible keyword

The websites getting millions of visitors? They didn't start by ranking for head terms.

They started by dominating hundreds of longtail keywords.