How KWS Trends Calculates Search Data
Each report combines two kinds of data: keyword metrics from a third-party keyword database, and Google search interest. The figures are estimates, not counts from Google.
Average monthly searches
The average comes from a third-party keyword database and is a rolling 12-month average for the selected country. The database does not report exactly which 12 months the average covers.
Monthly search estimates
The 12 monthly figures split the yearly total (12 times the average) across the last 12 complete months in proportion to Google search interest in each month. A month with twice the interest gets twice the searches. If Google search interest is missing or zero for any of those months, the report shows no monthly estimates.
Search interest
Search interest is Google web search interest for the keyword in the selected country, on a 0–100 scale where 100 is the highest point in the chosen time range. It shows change over time, not a number of searches. Interest by region, top searches and rising searches also come from Google search interest.
On the trend chart, estimated searches convert each point with the monthly estimate for the month it falls in, so the line can be read against both axes. For US reports, estimated searches by state split the total for the time range by each state's interest score weighted by its population.
SEO difficulty, CPC and search intent
SEO difficulty (0–100), cost per click in US dollars and search intent labels come from the third-party keyword database. A higher difficulty means the pages in the top 10 results are harder to compete with. A keyword can carry more than one intent label.
Related keywords and search results
Related keywords and the top 10 organic search results come from the third-party keyword database. Word-order variants are merged, and entries that name a website or end mid-phrase are left out. The score next to each result is the database's 0–100 domain authority score.
Google Ads data
The Google Ads data block shows monthly searches, the top-of-page bid range in US dollars and advertising competition from Google Ads Keyword Planner, with search counts for each of the last 12 months. Keyword Planner rounds volumes into ranges, so these figures are not used in the estimates above.
Updates
A report is collected the first time someone searches for the keyword. After that, search interest can be refreshed once every 24 hours per keyword with the Refresh or Follow button. The Updated date on each report shows when its keyword metrics were collected.
Known limits
The two sources may count different spellings or meanings of the same keyword, so the average and the interest line can disagree. Keywords with little search activity often have no monthly estimates or regional data.