There is speculation that Google is experimenting with a new way to represent search volume in the Google Keyword Planner. They appear to be lumping together the search volumes of close variant keywords, like [SEO] and .

For an in-depth break down of this issue and its effects, please refer to our post on the blog where we share more examples and anomalies.

What does this mean for STAT clients?

Since STAT pulls search volume from the Keyword Planner — the primary source of Google search volume data for our industry — you may notice an inflation in search volume for some of your keywords.

You may see this reflected in graphs, reporting, optional APIs, and — possibly most notable — in the competitive landscape.

STAT’S next steps

After working on the problem yesterday, we have a solution in mind that will allow us to identify the close variant keywords that have been grouped together, and we’re figuring out a way to be able to triangulate their original search volume.

For now, we plan to hold off until we get confirmation that this is not a bug or a test. If it’s determined to be a permanent change, we’ll begin implementing our solution.

We’re watching this closely and as things evolve, we will continue to provide updates. In the meantime, if you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to us at support@getSTAT.com