Google Trends: What is it and how to use it?

by Moises Hamui April 29, 2024

Google is the most used search engine in the world, which is why it is very important to know what people are searching for on it.

Would you like to know what the most popular topics on the Internet are, how search trends change over time, and how you can use this information to improve your online marketing strategy ?

So, you need to know about Google Trends, a free and very powerful tool that Google offers you to analyze user behavior on the search engine.

Google Trends: What is it and what is it for?

Google Trends is a tool that allows you to explore and analyze search patterns for one or more keywords that interest you. Through graphs, you can find out what is popular in certain periods, specific geographic locations, topics and queries related to the keyword you are researching.

Google Trends measures the relative popularity of a search, that is, the search volume for a single query divided by the volumes of all possible queries, on a scale of zero to 100.

This way, you can tell if a keyword is on the rise or decline, and how it compares to other similar keywords or keywords in the same category.

Google Trends is useful for several things, but above all for doing SEO and defining an effective content strategy. With this tool, you can:

Identify current and future search trends and create relevant, timely content that engages your audience.
Analyze the searches your target audience makes and, based on this, create content that is useful to them and that Google shows to them.
Discover new market niches, business opportunities and long-tail keywords that have less competition and more conversion possibilities.
Compare the performance of different keywords, regions, categories, or time periods, and optimize your content based on the results.
Monitor the reputation of your brand , your products or your competitors, and know what users think about them.

Google Trends: How does it work and how to use it?

Google Trends is a fairly simple tool, but the truth is that most people don't take full advantage of it. To use it correctly, you should follow these steps:

Go to the Google Trends website and type the keyword you want to analyze into the search box . You can type one or more keywords separated by commas, or choose one of the suggestions offered by the tool.
Adjust the filters to suit your preferences . You can filter by country, time period, category and search type (web, images, news, shopping or YouTube ).
Take a look at the results that the tool shows you . You will see a graph showing the evolution of the keyword's popularity over time, a map showing the geographic distribution of the search, and a list of topics and queries related to the keyword. You can click on each of these elements to obtain more information and details.
Interpret the data provided by the tool . Don’t just look at the numbers, but also at the context and meaning of trends. Think about what factors can influence user behavior, such as seasonality, events, news, competition , etc.
Apply the knowledge you’ve gained to improve your online marketing strategy. Use Google Trends to find content ideas, keywords, headlines, calls to action, and more. Create content that responds to your target audience ’s search intentions and adapts to current and future trends.

Google Trends: What are its advantages and limitations?

Google Trends is a very useful and advantageous tool for anyone who wants to do online marketing, but it also has some limitations that you should keep in mind.

Below we summarize the pros and cons of Google Trends:

Advantages of Google Trends

It's free and easy to use.
It offers you updated and real-time information on search trends on Google.
It allows you to compare different keywords, regions, categories or time periods, and see how user preferences change.
It helps you find new business opportunities, niche markets and long-tail keywords that have less competition and more chances of conversion.
It allows you to create relevant, timely, and quality content that attracts your audience and ranks better on Google.
It allows you to monitor the reputation of your brand, your products or your competitors, and know what users think about them.

Limitations of Google Trends

It doesn't show you the absolute search volume for a keyword, but rather the relative popularity. This means you can't tell how many times a keyword has been searched exactly, but rather how it compares to other keywords or total searches on Google.
It doesn't show you data for very specific or infrequent searches. If a keyword has a very low search volume, Google Trends will either not show you any information about it, or it will show you a value of zero.
It doesn't show you historical data for more than five years. If you want to analyze search trends over a longer period, you'll need to use other tools or data sources.
It doesn't show you data from search engines other than Google. If you want to know how users behave on other search engines, such as Bing, Yahoo or DuckDuckGo, you'll have to use other tools or sources of information.

Google Trends: How to use it to generate quality content?

Now that you know what Google Trends is, what it is used for, how it works, and what advantages and limitations it has, you may be wondering how you can use it to generate quality content for your business.

Here are some tips and examples to help you get the most out of it:

Use Google Trends to identify current and future search trends and create relevant, timely content that engages your audience. For example, if you run a fashion blog, you can use Google Trends to find out which clothing items, colors, or styles are most searched for each season and create content around them.
Use Google Trends to analyze the searches your target audience makes, and then create content that is useful to them and that Google shows them. For example, if you have an online store selling organic products, you can use Google Trends to find out what types of products, benefits, or problems your target audience is most searching for, and create content that responds to their needs and interests.
Use Google Trends to discover new niche markets, business opportunities, and long-tail keywords that have less competition and more conversion potential. For example, if you own a travel agency, you can use Google Trends to find out which destinations, activities, or experiences are most sought after by travelers, and create content that offers them attractive and differentiated solutions.
Use Google Trends to compare the performance of different keywords, regions, categories, or time periods, and optimize your content based on the results. For example, if you own a restaurant, you can use Google Trends to find out what types of food, ingredients, or recipes are most searched for in your area, and tailor your menu and content to your customers’ preferences.
Use Google Trends to monitor the reputation of your brand, products, or competitors, and find out what users think about them. For example, if you own a software company, you can use Google Trends to find out which features, benefits, or drawbacks are most sought after about your product or your competitors' products, and create content that highlights your strengths and addresses your weaknesses.

Written by Moises Hamui Abadi : I am an entrepreneur, founding partner of Viceversa and SoyMacho. After leading several digital businesses and advising several other businesses, I decided to form MHA Consulting, a digital marketing consultancy dedicated to growing and empowering digital businesses in more than 7 countries and generating more than 1,500 million pesos.