Boost your Sales for Free: Decode What Customers Want with Google Trends

Are you still wasting your time and money on paid digital marketing resources that don’t give any ROI? Or are you jumping from one SEO tool to another, picking random popular keywords that make your content viral?

In an ever-competitive market, churning out content is not enough. You need data-driven insights to create content that matters to your audience and drives engagement. Google Trends helps you with that.

With Google Trends, you can leverage real-time data to identify the hottest keywords, pinpoint the hype, and capitalize on the latest trends that matter to your audience. What’s best? It’s free.

In this blog, we’ll explore how to use Google trends to compare keywords, identify breakout trends, pre-plan social media campaigns, and optimize your content so that it resonates with your target audience and sets you apart from the competition.

11 Powerful Ways to Use Google Trends for SEO

1. Find Current Trends

Tapping into the latest trends improves your website’s visibility and drives targeted traffic. Google Trends provides real-time data on trending searches worldwide, making it an invaluable tool for social media pages, bloggers, and businesses that need to create content regularly.

Here are some examples of how you can leverage current trends using Google Trends:

• Comparing Two Similar Words for Different Countries: If you have a global website, use Google Trends to compare the popularity of a particular topic or keyword in different countries.

Example: Let’s say you run an online store selling soccer equipment, and you want to target the keyword “soccer balls.” Using Google Trends, you can compare the search volume for “soccer balls” in the United States and the United Kingdom. You notice that the term is more popular in the United States, so you decide to create content and optimize your website for “soccer balls” with a focus on the U.S. market. This approach helps you target the right audience and potentially drive more sales from that region.

• Comparing Words With Equal Volume: Google Trends helps you compare the popularity of multiple terms that may be popular at the same time. This can be useful when you’re trying to choose the most relevant keyword or topic to target in your content or SEO strategy.

Example: Let’s say you’re a food blogger, and you’re deciding between two topics: “avocado toast” and “smoothie bowls.” Using Google Trends, you can compare the search volume for these two terms and see which one is currently more popular. Based on the data, you can prioritize creating content around the topic that has a higher search volume, ensuring that you’re targeting the most relevant and popular topic in your niche.

• Seeing What’s Trending Near You: Google Trends allows you to filter trends by location, enabling you to see what’s popular in your city or region. This can be helpful for local businesses or content creators who want to create region-specific content or target a particular audience.

Example: Suppose you have a restaurant in New York City, and you want to create content about popular food trends in the area. Using Google Trends, you can filter trends by location and see what food-related topics are currently trending in New York City. This information can help you create relevant and timely content that resonates with your local audience and potentially attracts more traffic to your website or restaurant.

2. Capitalize On Seasonal Trends

Google Trends has tremendous benefits when it comes to picking seasonal trends. Suppose your business sells sports equipment. So, you begin by analyzing data about sports goods.

This result is for the term ‘football’ in 2021. See that the interest pick-ups during September — courtesy of the NFL fever. If each time you know when a keyword gains popularity, you can plan ahead and create a strategy to capitalize on those keywords.

Here’s how you can put this data to work:

• Start Content Creation Before the Peak Time: By analyzing the data from Google Trends, you can identify when the search volume for a particular sports-related term, such as “football,” typically peaks.

For example, start creating content related to football in July or earlier so that you have it ready to publish before the peak time hits. This way, you can take advantage of the increased interest and traffic during the peak season and potentially attract more visitors to your website.

• Build the Hype: Once you have identified the upcoming peak season for a particular sports-related term, you can start building the hype around it by publishing related content in advance. This can include creating blog posts, videos, social media posts, and other forms of content that are relevant to the trending topic.

For example, if you know that the search volume for “football” is expected to increase in September, you can start publishing content related to football in August to build anticipation and generate interest among your audience.

• Optimize Your Ads and Pages: As the search volume for a particular sports-related term increases, it’s essential to optimize your ads and website pages to capitalize on the trend. You can target keywords that are relevant to the trending topic in your ads, such as “football jersey” or “football gear,” to attract users who are actively searching for related products.

Additionally, you can optimize your website pages by incorporating relevant keywords, creating landing pages, and adding calls-to-action that align with the trending topic.

For example, if you know that there is increased interest in football jerseys due to a particular player’s popularity, such as Ronaldo with his millions of followers, you can create landing pages or ads that highlight football jerseys with the player’s number or name to attract potential customers.

3. Avoid Falling for The Hype

Ever heard about unicorn keywords?

These are high-search volume keywords that seem promising for driving traffic and sales. However, the search volume alone doesn’t always indicate the true potential of a keyword.

Let’s take the example of the term ‘fidget spinner’ to illustrate this point. It has a search volume of 135,000.

If you sell fidget spinners, you may think this keyword is your goldmine. Right?

Wrong.

Search for this term on Google Trends, and you’ll see that the craze for fidget spinners has declined to oblivion over the past 5 years. This emphasizes the importance of not relying solely on search volume when evaluating the potential of a keyword.

Here’s what you can do to avoid falling for the hype of unicorn keywords:

• Take Search Volume With a Grain of Salt: Check the popularity of a unicorn keyword on Google Trends to confirm if it’s still relevant. Trends can reveal the search volume pattern over time and help you determine if the keyword is still worth targeting. If the trend is declining or has diminished, it may not be the goldmine you initially thought it was.
• Go for Related Keywords: If a unicorn keyword is losing popularity, it’s important to adapt and pivot. Look for related keywords or alternative variations that have similar search intent but are still relevant and popular among users.

For example, if ‘fidget spinner’ is no longer as popular, you can explore related keywords like ‘stress-relief toys’ or ‘fidget toys for anxiety’ to target a similar audience.

• Use Long-Tail Keywords: If your favorite keywords have declining search volume, try long-tail keywords. These are more specific search queries. Users often use long-tail keywords when they are looking for specific information or solutions. F

For example, instead of targeting ‘fidget spinner,’ you could focus on long-tail keywords like ‘how to use fidget spinner’ or ‘best fidget spinner for kids,’ which may have lower search volume but can still drive relevant traffic to your website.

Note: While unicorn keywords with high search volume seem enticing, you should evaluate their true potential using tools like Google Trends. Consider related keywords or long-tail keywords to adapt to changing search trends and maintain a successful SEO strategy.

4. Tap Into a Trending Opportunity

Who doesn’t like viral action?

Keeping a pulse on the latest trends and planning ahead can greatly increase your chances of creating viral content that resonates with your target audience. However, it’s important to be mindful of the timing and relevance of the trends to ensure maximum effectiveness.

• Filter Your Time Range: Start using tools like Google Trends to filter your time range to “last five years” or a relevant period and analyze the trends for a keyword. This will help you identify patterns and trends in search volume over time.
• Identify Peak Months: Pay close attention to the months when the keyword experiences a surge in search volume. This will give you insights into when the trend is most likely to gain traction and become popular among users.

For example, if you notice a trend peaking in January, it’s a good idea to focus on creating content ahead of time to be ready for the anticipated surge in interest.

• Batch Create Content Ahead of Time: Once you have identified the peak months, start creating content in advance. This can include blog posts, social media posts, videos, infographics, or any other type of content that is relevant to the keyword and the trend. By batching content creation ahead of time, you can ensure that you are prepared to capitalize on the trend when it gains momentum.
• Set a Range of Months to Publish: After creating the content, set a range of months to publish it strategically. For example, if the trend is expected to peak at the end of January, you can schedule your content to be published from mid-January to early February to ensure maximum visibility and engagement.

Note: Trends can be fickle and may fade quickly, so timing is crucial. If you miss the bandwagon or the trend loses momentum, it’s better to pivot and focus on other opportunities rather than trying to force outdated content to go viral.

5. Find Related Keywords

People don’t always search for one term. There are several versions of each search query. “Related queries” in Google Trends help you identify those versions.

Related queries are long-tail keywords, related to your main keyword. For example, I searched ‘blockchain’ in Google Trends, and these were the related queries:

As you can see, these keywords are related to blockchain. This means that users who are searching for blockchain are interested in these keywords as well.

With “related queries,” you understand the user intent, identify rising and top queries, and create comparison posts. You can use these as ‘secondary keywords’ in your blogs or write separate content for these to get maximum visitors to your website.

Here are some ways to effectively use related keywords from Google Trends:

• Target User Intent: By analyzing related queries, you gain a deeper understanding of the user’s search intent. This helps you create more targeted content that directly addresses the questions or concerns of your audience.

For example, if you are a fitness website and you notice that “best workout routines for beginners” is a related query for your target keyword, “fitness tips,” you can create content specifically tailored to beginner workout routines.

• Identify Rising and Top Queries: Google Trends provides insights into rising and top queries, which can help you identify upcoming trends and popular search terms.

By filtering related queries for “Rising” and “Top,” you can discover new keywords to target and create content around. This can give you a competitive advantage by staying ahead of the curve and creating content that resonates with the latest search trends.

• Create Comparison Posts: Related queries can also reveal search terms that include your competitors’ names. This presents an opportunity to create comparison posts that highlight the differences or similarities between your offerings and your competitors.

For example, if you run a website about the keto diet and you notice that “Tom Hardy’s diet” is a related query for “Keto-diet,” you can create a blog post titled “Tom Hardy vs. Keto Diet” to compare the effectiveness or benefits of the keto diet compared to Tom Hardy’s diet. This can help you attract traffic from users who are specifically searching for information about your competitors.

6. Localize Your Campaign

Google Trends lets you filter your searches based on location. Leverage location-based data to optimize your marketing efforts. This helps you increase your visibility, engagement, and conversions in specific geographic areas and better serve the interests of your local customers.

Here are some ways to leverage location-based data from Google Trends:

• PPC Campaigns: If you notice that there is a higher search volume for your target keyword in a specific state or region, you can consider running pay-per-click (PPC) campaigns targeting that location. This can help you capitalize on the higher search volume and reach potential customers who are actively searching for your product or service in that area.

For example, consider this trend result for “football equipment” in the United States.

As you can see, more people are searching for “football equipment” in Alabama and Hawaii than in Iowa and Washington. You can use this data to laser-focus your efforts in the states with higher search volume. It helps you target the local audience by creating content catered to their needs.

Allocate more budget to your PPC campaigns in Alabama to increase your visibility and chances of converting those searches into sales.

• Specified Content: You can create content that is tailored to the needs of the local audience in specific states or regions. By curating relatable blog topics or articles that mention the location in the title or content, you can increase clickability and engagement.

For example, if you notice that “football equipment” has a higher search volume in Hawaii, you can create a blog post titled “Best Football Shoes for Hawaii Football Fields” to specifically target the local audience and provide relevant information about football equipment that is suitable for the unique conditions of Hawaii football fields.

7. Find Keywords for Your Next YouTube Video

Do you know that YouTube is the second most popular search engine? Google Trends lets you see what people are searching for on YouTube.

Do this to make viral YouTube videos for a keyword:

• Find a Keyword: Start by searching for a keyword related to your video topic on Google Trends. Once you have the search results, click on the “web search” button and change it to “YouTube search” to see the search trends specifically for YouTube. This will give you insights into the popularity and seasonality of the keyword on YouTube.
• Analyze Trends: Filter the time range to the last five years to identify any seasonal trends or patterns in search volume. This can help you determine the best time to publish your video for maximum visibility and engagement.

For example, if you’re creating a video about “holiday gift ideas,” you may notice that search volume for this keyword peaks during the holiday season in November and December.

Based on this trend, you can prepare your content beforehand and schedule your video to be published during peak time to get maximum results.

• Engagement: Once your video is published, it’s important to drive engagement to increase its visibility and likelihood of going viral. Push your video on notification with tools like Subscribers and e-mails with tools like Convertkit and encourage them to watch and engage with your video.

Share the tape in your social groups and relevant communities and encourage viewers to leave comments, likes, and shares. Engaging comments and interactions on your video can boost its visibility and reach on YouTube, potentially leading to higher rankings and more views.

8. Predict Keyword Volume Trends

Search terms show substantial spikes during specific times in a year. Trends that rise and fall with festivals are easy to detect, but others are more difficult to track. Google Trends lets you see trend reports for keywords in all niches.

Yes, tracking search term trends and preparing a calendar based on Google Trends data can be a powerful strategy to optimize your content creation and publishing schedule. Here are the steps to create a calendar with Google Trends:

• Pin-Point The Hype: Start by comparing 3–4 elements of your website or niche using Google Trends. You can input multiple keywords, topics, or search terms related to your website or niche and compare their search trends over time. Look for patterns or trends that show substantial spikes during specific times of the year.

For example, if you have a website related to gardening, you may notice that the search volume for “spring gardening tips” peaks in March and April, while “fall gardening ideas” peaks in September and October. Based on these trends, you can identify the months when certain keywords or topics are most popular and schedule content creation accordingly.

• Schedule Content: Once you have identified the months when certain keywords or topics are most popular, you can create a content calendar to schedule your content creation and publishing accordingly. Plan ahead and schedule content creation for each month based on the trends you have identified.

This can help you align your content with the peak search interest and increase the chances of your content gaining traction and going viral.

• Tweak Older Posts: In addition to creating new content, you can also leverage Google Trends data to optimize your older posts. If you notice that a keyword or topic has become popular again based on recent trends, you can update and tweak your older posts to make them relevant to the present.

For example, if you have a blog post about “summer skincare tips” and notice that search volume for this keyword is peaking again in June, you can update the post with fresh content and insights to make it relevant to the current year.

9. Get Ideas for Blog Posts and Social Media Campaigns

Everybody goes through a dry spell once in a while. Marketers need to churn up ideas for every campaign, which can get hard. With Google Trends, you can find topics your target audience is searching for.

• Long-Tail Keywords: Long-tail keywords are more specific and detailed versions of your main keyword, and they often reflect the specific queries that users are searching for. You can find long-tail keywords in the “related queries” section of Google Trends, which provides insights into the queries that are commonly associated with your main keyword.

These long-tail keywords can serve as inspiration for your blog posts or other content pieces. By creating content that addresses these specific queries, you can provide valuable and relevant information to your target audience and potentially rank higher in search results for these long-tail keywords.

• Events and Festivals: Google Trends also provides insights into upcoming events or festivals that are taking place across the globe. By monitoring the “related queries” section, you can identify events or festivals that are relevant to your niche or target audience. This information can help you pre-plan social media campaigns or other content initiatives that are tied to these events or festivals.

For example, if you have a travel website, and you notice that there is a spike in searches for “Oktoberfest travel tips” in September, you can create content related to this topic and promote it on your social media channels to capitalize on the increased search interest during that time.

10. Look for “Breakout” Keywords

Google Trends sometimes replace the percentage growth with “breakout” for some related queries. Google shows this word when it doesn’t have enough data to perform a ‘before and after’ comparison. These keywords have a percentage growth of more than 5000%.

Yes, breakout keywords in Google Trends can provide valuable opportunities for content creators and website owners to rank on the first page of search results. Here’s how you can leverage breakout keywords for SEO:

• More Popularity, Less Difficulty: Breakout keywords are those that have seen a sudden spike in search interest with a growth percentage of more than 5000%. Since these keywords are not widely known or targeted by competitors yet, they may have lower keyword difficulty, which means it could be relatively easier to rank for them compared to more competitive keywords.

By identifying breakout keywords in Google Trends, you can focus on creating content around these keywords and potentially rank higher in search results, as there may be less competition for these keywords.

• First Come, First Serve: As breakout keywords are newly emerging and gaining popularity, being one of the first to create content around them can give you an advantage.

By creating high-quality, relevant content around breakout keywords and publishing it early, you can establish yourself as a thought leader or an authority on that topic. This can help you attract more traffic, engagement, and backlinks, which can further boost your chances of ranking higher in search results for these keywords.

• Rank Without Backlinks: Since breakout keywords are still gaining popularity and may have lower competition, you may not necessarily need a lot of backlinks to rank for them. This can be an advantage, especially if you are a new website or don’t have an extensive backlink profile.

By creating valuable, well-optimized content around breakout keywords and promoting it through various channels, such as social media, email marketing, or influencer outreach, you may be able to rank on the first page of search results without relying heavily on backlinks.

Note: Breakout keywords may also have less search volume or may not sustain their high growth rate in the long term. Therefore, it’s essential to thoroughly research and analyze the potential of breakout keywords before investing significant resources in creating content around them.

Additionally, it’s important to focus on creating high-quality, relevant, and valuable content that resonates with your target audience and provides a positive user experience, as this will ultimately help in improving your rankings and drive organic traffic to your website.

11. Compare Keywords to Find the Best Topic

Suppose you’re a crypto writer who wants to craft an educational blog. What will you write about — Ethereum or Bitcoin? You should use Google Trends to compare the two keywords and see exactly which one is more popular.

This is the comparison result between ‘Bitcoin’ and ‘Ethereum.’ Here, it’s clear that ‘bitcoin’ takes the cake.

Things to keep in mind while comparing keywords on Google Trends:

• Avoid Temporarily Popular Keywords: Google Trends allows you to compare the popularity of keywords over time, helping you identify whether a keyword is temporarily popular or has sustained interest.

By comparing ‘Bitcoin’ and ‘Ethereum’ in Google Trends, you can get insights into their search popularity over time and determine which keyword has consistent or higher search interest. This can help you avoid focusing solely on keywords that may be temporarily popular but not necessarily relevant for the long term.

• Compare Two Regions: Google Trends also allows you to compare the popularity of keywords in different regions, such as cities or countries. This can be helpful if you want to understand the regional interest in ‘Bitcoin’ and ‘Ethereum’ and tailor your content accordingly.

For example, if you are targeting a specific region or market, you can use Google Trends to compare the search interest of ‘Bitcoin’ and ‘Ethereum’ in that region and identify which keyword is more popular among your target audience.

• Go Beyond the Search Volume: While search volume is an important metric, it may not always indicate the relevancy or interest of a keyword. Google Trends provides additional insights beyond search volume, such as related queries, related topics, and related queries by subregion, which can help you understand the broader context and relevance of a keyword.

By using Google Trends, you can look beyond search volume and gain a deeper understanding of the popularity and interest of ‘Bitcoin’ and ‘Ethereum’ among your target audience.

Key Takeaways

1. Keep an eye on what’s trending across the globe.
2. Predict seasonal trends even before they happen by observing seasonal hikes over the last five years.
3. Hunt high-volume keywords to create viral content by preparing before peak time.
4. Target sub-regions with location filters to create a laser-focused marketing strategy that converts.
5. Use popular breakout keywords to rank on the first page without tons of backlinks.
6. Curate relatable blog topics and social media campaigns to build an emotional connection.
7. Skip keyword unicorns and focus only on what’s relevant.