Monthly Search Volume (MSV) in SiteCurve provides an estimate of how many searches occur for a given keyword each month on Google. This metric is location-specific, reflecting search behavior within the geographic region defined when the keyword was added to the landscape.
MSV figures in SiteCurve are displayed across all modules—SiteCurves, Category Curves, Location Curves, and Index Curves—and are tied directly to keywords.
How MSV Works in SiteCurve
National-Level Keywords
For keywords at a national or country level (e.g., United States, Canada, UK):SiteCurve uses a normalized Google Keyword Planner MSV.
This normalization process aims to provide a more realistic estimate, as Google Keyword Planner often overestimates keyword search volume.
This process involves starting with Google Keyword Planner value and adjusting the MSV based on Bing and Clickstream data to derive a more accurate MSV for national keywords search volume
We make this adjustment because Google Keyword Planner has a tendency to over estimate search traffic and group similar keywords even though the actual search traffic for a keyword is different
Location-Specific Keywords
For keywords with a location-specific focus (e.g., “best pizza places in New York”):SiteCurve uses the direct MSV estimate from Google Keyword Planner without normalization.
While not perfect, Google Keyword Planner provide a good ballpark estimate of location specific monthly search volume
For example: Keyword: "how to bake cookies"
MSV in Austin, Texas: 30
MSV in Los Angeles, California: 90
This ensures that MSV data reflects the search volume for the keyword within the selected geographic region.
Google Search Engine Data Only
MSV figures in SiteCurve are derived exclusively to estimate Google search traffic and do aim to estimate traffic from other search engines like Bing or Yahoo.
MSV Floor of 10
For keywords where MSV is 0, SiteCurve assigns a floor of 10 monthly search volume. SiteCurve does this because Share of Voice (SoV) % relies on a distribution model that calculates visibility based on traffic potential for each keyword. If a keyword has an MSV of 0, the entire calculation breaks down because:The CTR curve (Click-Through Rate) multiplies by MSV to estimate traffic contributions.
Multiplying by 0 results in 0 traffic for that keyword, making it impossible to accurately assign visibility percentages for domains ranking on it.
In turn, this could skew the SoV % across the landscape, potentially underreporting or over-reporting the visibility of other domains.
By setting a minimum MSV floor (e.g., 10), SiteCurve ensures that every keyword contributes to the SoV calculation in a meaningful way, even if the keyword's actual search volume is very low.
Important Notes About MSV in SiteCurve
Directional Estimates Only
MSV figures in SiteCurve are directional and not an exact representation of actual search behavior or traffic.The figures provide a rough guide to keyword popularity and help you understand which websites have the most visibility in the organic search results.
Actual traffic numbers may vary significantly from MSV estimates.
Consistent Across Modules
Since MSV is tied to keywords, the value remains consistent across SiteCurve and filters wherever the same keyword is used.
Implications of Location-Specific MSV
Each keyword is assigned a location during landscape creation.
Changing the location or using the same keyword in a different location will yield a different MSV.
FAQs About MSV
How accurate is MSV in SiteCurve?
MSV figures are directional and derived from the Google Keyword Planner API. While they provide a good estimate, actual search behavior or traffic may differ. That said, all SEO tools are inaccurate when it comes to estimated MSV.
Does MSV account for all search engines?
No, MSV in SiteCurve is based on an estimate of search traffic via the Google search engine.
Why is the MSV different for the same keyword in different locations?
No, SiteCurve will pull location specific MSV via Google Keyword Planner API during landscape creation.
Can I change the location associated with a keyword?
Once a keyword is added to a landscape, its location cannot be changed. You would need to delete the original keyword and add the new keyword again with a different location. Though we do not recommend adding and removing keywords often in SiteCurve as it will make the data less comparable.