Algorithm, Search & Distribution
Search volume
Also called: search demand, monthly searches
Search volume is how often people type a given phrase into search over a set period, usually a rolling 30 days. YouTube publishes no volume figures, so anything a keyword tool shows you is that tool's estimate, and two tools will happily disagree about the same phrase. Google Trends set to YouTube search is the closest thing to a first-party read, and it reports relative interest over time rather than a count. Treat volume as evidence that demand exists. It tells you nothing about whether your title and thumbnail will win the click once the results load.