The 3-source volume reconciliation, step by step

The 3-source volume reconciliation, step by step
Single-tool volume lies. Across 2,400 queries we cross-checked, one tool's number was off by more than 40% from the median on 31% of terms. Run this before you trust any figure.

— Step 1: pull volume from 3 sources (planner, third-party A, third-party B)
— Step 2: drop the high and low, keep the middle ▇▇▇▇ median wins
— Step 3: flag spread >50% for manual SERP check (28% of our set)
— Step 4: divide by 12 only if Ads planner gives a 12-month sum, not monthly
— Step 5: discount branded-leak terms by ~20%

The so what: the median of three beats the max of one. Picking the highest number inflates your forecast by a median of 34%.

Benchmark of the week: median cross-source disagreement on mid-tail terms sits near 22%.