Unbelievable but true: zero search volume keywords can bring visitors!
With regard to keywords with zero search volume, there is always a widespread error of rationale."Now my new website is finally finished. Well done, I think. It contains some text and really great pictures. Now I just select the keywords and then Google page 1 is most likely secured. Of course, I am aware that I need to optimize those keywords that are most wanted (this is where the mistake of reasoning is). Finally, I get more visitors. The more visitors I have, the more I sell. I only optimize keywords that bring me at least 1,000 visitors per month. I'm not an idiot who invests money, time and effort in keywords that have little to zero search volume. I suppose I would not register any buyers on my site." (genau hier liegt der Denkfehler). Finally, I get more visitors. The more visitors I have, the more I sell. I only optimize keywords that bring me at least 1,000 visitors per month. I'm not an idiot who invests money, time and effort in keywords that have little to zero search volume. I suppose I would not register any buyers on my site."
Ostensibly, these trains of thought may seem all too logical. High search volume - many interested parties! No? Why this strategy is flawed and others finish the race, we will tell you.
Now find out why this strategy is wrong
1) Achieve far-reaching goals with little effort?
From a technical point of view, it is impossible to reach Google's first page in one go with just a few posts containing search terms with a high search volume. Why this is so, this Articles auf.
Es braucht Sachverstand, Kompetenz und Vertrauenswürdigkeit, um langfristig Erfolg zu haben. Google stellt hier ein clear set of rules (Google E-A-T).
2) Search volume zero does not mean that there will be no visitors / interested parties.
The search volumes shown by different Google Tools are based on statistical values, of course. A term has e.g. monthly search volume 1,000. This does not mean that an optimized page for this search term will have exactly 1,000 visitors per month. Nor does search volume zero mean that there will be none.
3) The Google suggestion lists suggest a contradiction!
The fact that numerous Google suggestions (Suggests) are based on zero search volumes according to such tools is easy to determine. The Google suggestion lists are based on frequently entered search terms.
But if the most important question arises: How often does one have to search for a term to regard it as a suggestion? A hundred times, a thousand times, ten thousand times? Nobody knows the answer. Nevertheless, Google remains contradictory on this point.
On the one hand, Google uses its suggestion lists to claim that such keywords are frequent enough to be considered as suggestions.
On the other hand, why is the search volume here equal to zero? Google itself writes on the topic as follows:
«Schneller Suchergebnisse abrufen:
When you type search terms on Google, you can quickly find what you're looking for with the help of completions. The completions are displayed to you as possible search terms that are related to the searched content and have been used by other users."
Logical conclusion to this section: There is a certain minimum number of searches for each Google Suggest.
Example:
At the latest here, it is clear that Google suggestions with zero search volume are important and certainly not useless. They should therefore by no means be ignored. Visitors are to be expected!
4) A fictitious example as a scout:
The XXLSleep Bag Company offers mainly Sleeping bags, which are sold in the company's own online shop. As a product example there is an "extra wide down sleeping bag" available. Important: The search term "extra wide down sleeping bag" has search volume 10, "sleeping bag" has search volume 100 monthly.
Case A: The term "sleeping bag" is too generic (too general) and can lead in many different directions, as the following list proves:
sleeping bag baby
sleeping bag stroller
sleeping bag aldi switzerland
sleeping bag storage
sleeping bag army
sleeping bag camping
sleeping bag for newborns
sleeping bag for dogs
sleeping bag baby
sleeping bag stroller
sleeping bag aldi switzerland
sleeping bag storage
sleeping bag army
sleeping bag camping
sleeping bag for newborns
sleeping bag for dogs
used sleeping bag
sleeping bag size 80
buy sleeping bag tips
store sleeping bag properly
sleeping bag ultralight
roll up the sleeping bag
...
Google is unable to understand the underlying search intent. The search engine simply can not know which type of sleeping bag is being searched for. The interested customer will therefore immediately be presented with the entire sleeping bag list. Google needs urgently detailed information for further research.
Conclusion: Such generic keywords rarely lead to purchase!
Although the XXLSleep Bag Companywebsite is found, it only offers extra-wide down sleeping bags. The interested customer was actually looking for a sleeping bag for newborns. Number of interested parties (empirical): 2% * 100 = 2 monthly.
Case B: The XXLSleep Bag Company optimizes the search term "extra wide down sleeping bag".
The extra-wide down sleeping bag as a product of the XXLSleep Bag Company is actually only searched about 10 times. The market for this is comparatively small. BUT: Those who typed this tripartite search term as a potential buyer, already signals a clear purchase intent. So, it's very likely that, for example, 7 of those 10 searchers will buy there because they are offered exactly what they want.
The cost of search engine optimization
- The costs for optimizing the search term from our case A are much higher than the costs for case B.
- Despite increased costs in case A, the sales success would most likely be low.
The formula is quite simple and should be at the heart of sales of every website operator:
A -> high search volume = high costs = high optimization effort for low success
B -> zero or little search volume = lower costs = less optimization effort for expected greater success
Automatic ahead with search terms with high search volume: free
To return to the search term with a high search volume from case A: The search with zero search volume keywords automatically causes the XXLSleep Bag Company to advance even for terms with a high search volume.
Optimizing zero search volume terms is much easier, faster, cheaper. Consequently, further keywords of this kind can be optimized. The likelihood of reaching 100 monthly visitors with little effort and reduced costs through seemingly weak keywords is high.
And: The visitors of a website would be so-called "qualified leads", i.e. possible buyers.
The optimization of several zero search volume keywords still has another positive effect: On the Google results list you sometimes appear automatically with synonyms, which are nothing more than other keywords - for free, of course!
5) Term really not searched for?
Often seemingly unseen keywords still appear under the heading "Users also ask ..." or "Related searches to ..."
6) The gut feeling is not always right!
Despite a "safe gut feeling" supposedly strong keywords according to Google keywords tools have only a search volume of 0, 10 or 20.
Example:
7) Google AdWords
Google AdWords ads are not to be underestimated in their importance. Often they appear in the search for supposedly weak keywords. These purchased ads would not appear if the search term was not relevant. Thus, they are another indication of the importance of zero search volume keywords. Google AdWords ads for such keywords can be quite expensive.
Example:
8) Not alone in the vast Google world
When searching for seemingly weak keywords, amazingly many competitors also appear on Google's 1st page. It means, you are not fighting on your own.
