How are we supposed to trust search volume?

Picture this scenario: Your marketing agency proudly shows you a keyword with 10,000 monthly searches. You invest heavily in content, optimization, and paid ads. Six months later, your actual traffic is a fraction of what was promised. Sound familiar? You’re not alone. Research comparing Google Keyword Planner data with actual Search Console impressions found that 91% of the time, search volumes were overestimations. For law firms investing thousands in SEO and PPC campaigns, this discrepancy isn’t just frustrating—it’s financially devastating. The legal industry spends more on digital marketing per client acquisition than almost any other sector. Criminal Law often commands higher PPC bids, with some search terms reaching approximately $100 per click. When you’re paying premium prices based on inflated search volume data, every miscalculation compounds into lost revenue and missed opportunities. The Uncomfortable Truth About Search Volume Data Let’s address the elephant in the courtroom: the search volume numbers you’ve been trusting are fundamentally flawed. Since 2016, Google has been grouping keyword variants together, combining search volumes for similar terms … Learn More