To effectively use Google Trends for SEO, start by entering relevant keywords into the search bar to analyse their popularity over time and across different regions. Utilise the comparative analysis feature to identify rising trends and seasonality, adjusting your content strategy accordingly. Monitor real-time keyword spikes to capitalise on emerging topics, while also focusing on localised insights to tailor your marketing efforts. This thorough approach helps optimise content for both immediate relevance and sustained traffic growth. By understanding these dynamics, you can uncover new opportunities and refine your strategy to better engage your audience.
Key Takeaways
- Enter Keyword: Input relevant topics in the search bar for analysis to understand their popularity and trends.
- Visualise Data: Use the “Explore” feature to view the Interest over Time graph, which displays popularity on a scale of 0 to 100, helping identify seasonality and spikes.
- Filter Data: Apply filters for country, time range, and category to get specific data and insights, such as regional trends and time-sensitive keywords.
- Compare Keywords: Utilise the “+ Compare” feature to analyse and compare multiple keywords simultaneously, providing deeper insights into their relative popularity.
- Optimise Content: Leverage real-time data to identify rapidly spiking keywords and optimise content for immediate relevance and high search volume, combining time-sensitive and evergreen content for sustained traffic.
Analyse Search Volume Trends
To analyse search volume trends using Google Trends, start by entering a keyword into the search bar. For example, if you want to analyse the popularity of the term “ps5,” go to the Google Trends website and enter “ps5” into the search bar. Click on the “Explore” button to bring up a wealth of information on the screen.
First, you’ll see the overview graph showing the keyword’s popularity over time. This graph uses a scale of 0 to 100 to indicate search interest, where 100 represents the highest level of popularity and 0 represents the least interest. Look at the peaks and valleys in the graph to identify seasonality patterns in search volume. For instance, interest in “ps5” spiked during the holiday season when people are more likely to purchase gifts.
By analysing these trends, you can understand consumer behaviour and adjust your marketing strategies accordingly. Apply filters for country, time range, category, etc., at the top to get more specific data. Scroll down to see additional useful data, such as interest by subregion, which helps identify which states, cities, provinces, or other geographic groupings show the most interest in your keyword. The “Related topics” and “Related queries” sections provide insights into broader or niche topics and specific phrases people are typing into Google.
Find Related Topics
When you enter a keyword into Google Trends, the “Related topics” section provides a wealth of information that can help you identify broader or niche topics that users who entered your keyword also searched for. This feature is particularly useful for generating keyword suggestions and organising your site content around main themes with related subtopics branching off each central pillar. By analysing the list of related topics, you can uncover broader or niche topics that are closely tied to your target keyword, offering a more extensive understanding of what interests your audience.
To use the “Related topics” section effectively, start by entering your keyword into Google Trends and scrolling down to the “Related topics” section. Review the list of related topics to identify broader or niche topics that users who entered your keyword also searched for. These topics can serve as keyword ideas for your content strategy, helping you create targeted and engaging content that resonates with your audience.
Additionally, you can use the “Related queries” section to identify specific phrases or questions people are typing into Google, which can further streamline your keyword categorisation and navigation. By combining insights from both sections, you can build a robust content strategy that leverages trending topics and related queries to drive more traffic to your site and enhance your SEO efforts.
Spot Time-Sensitive Keywords
Identify rapidly spiking keywords by leveraging Google Trends’ real-time data, which can help you catch time-sensitive keywords that others might miss. Unlike traditional keyword research tools, Google Trends provides immediate insights into keywords whose search volume spikes and then rapidly goes back to zero in under a week. For instance, names of new fragrances presented by fashion houses are excellent examples of time-sensitive keywords that can be quickly identified using Google Trends.
To spot these rapidly spiking keywords, analyse seasonal fluctuations by changing the default time span to 5 years. This helps you identify if a keyword’s popularity surges every year at a particular time. For example, Halloween outfits start gaining interest in early October, and summer shoes see a surge in late spring. Google Trends provides precise data on when people start looking for specific items, allowing you to anticipate and prepare for upcoming events.
Use this time-sensitive data to optimise your content for immediate relevance and high search volume. Create content that is relevant to current events or trends to attract immediate clicks and traffic. Combine time-sensitive content with evergreen content to maintain a solid and relevant website that attracts both immediate and long-term traffic.
By using leveraging Google Trends for keyword forecasting, you can develop effective time-sensitive strategies that capitalise on trending topics before they peak. This approach guarantees you’re not missing out on opportunities and helps you stay ahead in the competitive SEO landscape.
Use Breakout Keywords
Breakout keywords are terms that have experienced a significant increase in search volume, often marked by Google as “Breakout” when the growth percentage is over 5000%. These keywords are not yet competitive and offer an opportunity to establish a strong SEO position before they become mainstream. By targeting breakout keywords, you can gain a first-mover advantage and potentially rank higher on Google’s Page One results.
To analyse breakout keyword potential, look at the Related Queries card in Google Trends to identify related search terms that are rising or top. This helps you build a thorough keyword strategy. Additionally, tools like Keyword Everywhere can layer keyword data over Google Trends, providing additional metrics like search volume, cost per click, and competition level.
Breakout keywords can be short-lived, lasting anywhere from a few hours to months, so it’s important to act quickly. Analyse past search trends to identify patterns in consumer behavior. If a keyword related to your business shows consistent growth over time, target it for future SEO efforts. Use historical data to speculate on future trends and adjust your SEO strategy accordingly, ensuring you stay ahead of the competition. By leveraging search volume insights and breakout keyword strategies, you can optimise your content for timely and relevant searches, driving more traffic to your site.
Conduct Comprehensive Keyword Research
To conduct thorough keyword research using Google Trends, start by typing a keyword into the search box to see its trend over the last year. This feature helps you identify keyword popularity by analysing the trend data. For instance, if you type in “solar eclipse,” you’ll see a significant increase in search volume, indicating it’s a popular and trending keyword. Google Trends provides real-time data on search volume, helping you gauge the demand for a keyword. Knowing the trend of a keyword helps you create content around topics that are gaining popularity.
Google Trends allows you to see how search volume varies by location, which is useful for businesses targeting specific geographic regions. By understanding local search trends, you can tailor your content to resonate with local audiences. Finally, Google Trends helps you discover completely new keyword ideas by showing real-time data for searches that have spiked over the last 24 hours. Breakout keywords, marked by a significant increase in search volume, offer a competitive advantage as they haven’t yet become competitive.
By leveraging these insights, you can create content that addresses user intent effectively and avoid keyword competition by targeting emerging trends. For example, if you notice a sudden spike in searches for a specific term, it could be an opportunity to create timely and relevant content that captures the current interest.
Identify Trending Topics
To identify trending topics using Google Trends, start by steering to the Google Trends website and selecting a location to tailor the results to your target audience. Once you’re on the site, explore the homepage, which features clustered topics that Google detects are related and trending together on Google Search, Google News, and YouTube. These trending stories are collected based on Google’s Knowledge Graph technology, which gathers search information from these platforms to detect when stories are trending based on relative and absolute spikes in search volume.
Use the search bar to enter your topic of interest. For example, if you’re doing a story on the U.S. presidential election, enter “U.S. presidential election” and press Return to see your results. Your results page will feature data visualisations for Interest over time and Interest by subregion, as well as lists of Related topics and Related queries. You can add topics for simultaneous comparison by clicking + Compare and typing in your search terms. This allows for comparative analysis of different topics, helping you identify real-time keyword spikes and trending stories.
Enhance Local SEO Efforts
Once you’ve identified trending topics using Google Trends, you can enhance your local SEO efforts by tailoring your strategies to specific regions. To start, use the “Interest by Region/City” map to pinpoint areas where your keyword is most popular. Analyse regional trends by plugging in your keyword to see which regions, cities, or states are currently showing high interest. Tailor your marketing campaigns and promotions to target these regions, guaranteeing that your content addresses the specific needs and preferences of each area.
Develop regionally optimised content that includes location-specific keywords and phrases. This will help Google understand that your business is relevant to local searches. Continuously monitor local search trends to adjust your strategy as needed. Use Google Trends to uncover local search trends and compare them to global trends. Identify keywords that are trending locally versus globally, and focus on those that are most popular in your target regions.
Create targeted content that addresses the specific needs and preferences of your local audience. Assure your website is optimised for local SEO by including location-specific keywords and phrases. This will improve your website’s relevance and authority, enhancing your chances of ranking higher in local searches. By leveraging these insights, you can optimise your content and marketing efforts for the regions showing the highest interest, thereby enhancing your local SEO efforts.
