Thank you so much for taking the time to write this! You're right on both limitations. On French (and non-English in general), the underlying search-volume data we use has stronger coverage for English-language keywords than for French. The metrics you see in English-language maps are noticeably more reliable than what you get in French, especially for lower-volume terms. We're looking at ways to improve this, but I won't pretend it's solved for the time being, English-language niches will give you the strongest results. On non-commercial topics, it's the same root cause. Search-volume data is weighted toward commercial intent, so niches like literature, philosophy, or other editorial topics return thinner metrics than e-commerce or service-business niches. The topical structure and clusters are still useful for content planning, but the volume/difficulty numbers will be less actionable than in commercial verticals. The instinct you described doing some preliminary research to optimize the input before running a map is exactly the right workflow for both of these cases. You're using the tool the way it works best. Really appreciate you sticking with it through the learning curve. If you ever hit a specific French or non-commercial niche where you'd like a second pair of eyes on the results, just email me directly at [email protected].

Best,
Megan