Content marketing is crucial for business growth, but consistently coming up with fresh, engaging topics can be tough. That’s where Google Trends comes in: It can help you spot trending topics, so you’re always in tune with what people are talking about. 🗣️
Google Trends is a free, easy-to-use tool that can work wonders for your SEO and content strategy.
The tool helps you understand what your audience is interested in by tracking the popularity of search terms over time. This allows you to create content that resonates with your audience, increasing your chances of connecting with potential customers.
We’ll explain how to use Google Trends, leverage it for content strategy, keyword research, and content planning, and much more.
Let’s roll up our sleeves and dive in! 👇
What Is Google Trends?
Google Trends is a free tool from Google that shows you the popularity of search terms over time. It tracks what people are searching for and highlights trends in different regions.
You can check what’s trending now or explore past search interest in global events and public figures. In 2024, hot topics included AI tools like ChatGPT, climate change, and big events like the Oscars and Taylor Swift’s tour.
Google Trends shows search frequency, regional interest, and related topics, and lets you compare multiple trends.
Google Trends doesn’t show the actual number of searches. Instead, it normalizes the data, comparing the term’s search interest to its own highest point in the selected timeframe.
The tool assigns a score from 0 to 100 to represent the relative popularity of a search term over time. But what does that actually mean? Here’s how it works:
- 100 = Peak popularity. This is the highest search interest for that term during the selected period.
- 50 = Half as popular as the peak. The search volume is lower but still significant.
- 0 = Very little to no search interest at that time.
For example, if “electric cars” scores 100 in January and 50 in March, that doesn’t mean searches were cut in half; it just means March had half the interest compared to January’s peak.
How to Use Google Trends
Here’s how to use Google Trends in just a few simple steps:
- Head over to Google Trends
- Type in a topic or keyword you want to explore and hit Explore.
- You can tweak the location, time range, category, and even the type of search (like Google News, YouTube, or Google Shopping) to get more tailored results.
- Scroll down to check interest by region and discover related topics and queries.
- Want to compare two topics? Just click the Compare button at the top to add another keyword.
That’s the gist of using Google Trends! Next, I’ll show you how you can use it to boost your website, SEO, traffic, and rankings. Stay tuned!
8 Smart Ways to Use Google Trends in Your Content SEO Strategy
Whether you’re looking to create timely content or improve your site’s SEO, this tool helps you understand what people are searching for.
Up next, we’ll walk through 8 smart ways to use Google Trends for SEO and business growth!
1. Create Content Around Trending Topics to Drive Traffic
Writing about emerging topics can drive more traffic to your site, especially if you also share your content on social media.
First, find general trending keywords and searches. Start by checking the Trending Now tab to see what’s currently making waves across Google. Next, discover trends in your niche:
- Open the Explore tab and type in a broad topic related to your industry.
- If you see multiple options in the dropdown, choose the one labeled Topic.
- Adjust the location if you want region-specific insights.
Third, scroll down to find Related Topics and Related Queries; this is where the gold is! 💰
These lists show rising and top-performing searches. Click on any topic to see its popularity trend over time.
Another resource that will help to see if a trend is going up or down is a keyword research tool. They provide data on search volume, difficulty, traffic potential, and related terms to guide your content strategy.
Historical Search Volume shows how interest in a keyword changes over time. For example, “best gaming chair 2025” may be rising as new models launch.
On the other hand, “iPhone 15 review” might be fading as newer versions take over.
Tracking these trends helps you focus on emerging topics and avoid outdated ones, keeping your content fresh and relevant.
2. Update or Repurpose Existing Content Around More Popular Keywords
Google Trends can help you keep your content fresh and relevant, which is key for maintaining rankings and traffic. Blog posts naturally become outdated over time, and sometimes, a simple keyword adjustment or content update can give them new life.
Here’s how: Enter a topic related to your article. This could even be your current focus keyword.
For example, if you have a comprehensive guide to SEO, it needs regular updates to reflect the latest trends. By checking the Related Queries section in Google Trends, you might discover that AI-driven content optimization or Google’s latest algorithm update is trending.
You can also use OTTO, the first AI SEO agent in the market. It automatically searches for optimizations in your content and deploys the changes, implementing relevant missing keywords.
OTTO analyzes the top pages in the SERPs for a topic or keywords, identifies the top relevant terms, and implements them into your current content, boosting your rankings for trending searches.
3. Plan Your Content Calendar With Seasonal Content
Some trends show up like clockwork every year, and planning your content around them can give you a big advantage. By timing your posts just right, you can ride the wave of seasonal interest and maximize traffic.
For example, if you’re in SEO, you might plan content around:
- Annual industry conferences
- Black Friday SEO strategies
- Holiday-related traffic dips and recoveries
To spot these patterns, search for a topic in Google Trends and adjust the time frame to 5 years.
Let’s say you’re writing about Amazon’s Prime Day marketing. A quick search shows that Prime Day in the summer consistently outperforms their later event.
4. Create Region-Specific Content and Marketing Campaigns
Google Trends can help you create region-specific content that attracts the right audience and grows your reach.
Start by checking where your traffic comes from. If your website gets visitors from different locations, you might notice certain regions show higher interest in your topic.
For example, imagine you run a coffee subscription service across the U.S. A quick Google Trends search shows Oregon and Washington have the highest interest in specialty coffee. That’s valuable insight!
Instead of a generic blog post, you could create content like “The Best Specialty Coffee Beans for Rainy Mornings in Oregon” or “Where to Find the Best Locally Roasted Coffee in Washington.”
Want to go even deeper? Click on a specific state to see trending local searches, helping you fine-tune your content even more.
If you’re running a local business, a local SEO tool can help you monitor performance, optimize your presence, and make data-driven decisions to improve visibility in search results.
Here are some powerful tools to boost your local SEO strategy:
- Local Heatmap Tracker: Visualize rankings across different areas with interactive heatmaps.
- Local Citation Builder: Get listed on major directories (Foursquare, Data Axle, YP) for 12 months.
- GBP Automations: AI-powered posts, Q&As, review responses, and optimizations.
- Location Spoofing: Simulate searches from different regions to test visibility.
- GBP Reporting: Generate in-depth reports to track and improve performance.
5. Fine-Tune Your Keyword Research
Google Trends is a great tool for keyword research, helping you spot rising trends and discover related keywords.
Planning content on home fitness? If “at-home workouts” has a high search volume, check Google Trends. If interest is rising, go for it. If it’s declining, pivot to a growing trend like “smart home gym equipment.”
While Google Trends is useful for spotting trends, it doesn’t replace dedicated keyword research tools. It won’t show search volume, keyword difficulty, or competition levels.
Instead, think of it as a way to validate which keywords are gaining momentum so you can make smarter content decisions.
6. Promote the Right Thing at the Right Time
If you run an e-commerce store—or even paid ads for your business—Google Trends can help you boost sales by highlighting trending products. Start by searching for products or categories that are gaining attention. Once you spot a trending product, it’s a great opportunity to promote it to your audience.
For example, if electric bikes are trending in Utah, you can tailor your ads to target customers in that area.
You can also use Google Trends to decide which products to stock. If you see a product that was popular a few months ago but is now declining, it might be better to skip that one.
In this case, use shopífy SEO apps to boost your strategy, increasing rankings and sales.
7. Get Insights About Your Competitors
You can even use Google Trends to check out your competitors!
For example, if I run an SEO blog and want to see how I stack up against Moz, I can search for Moz in Google Trends. This shows me the popular topics and queries associated with them, giving me insights into what’s driving traffic to their site.
While it’s a great way to gather ideas and see what’s trending in your industry, remember that Google Trends is just one piece of the puzzle. It won’t replace more in-depth competitor research tools, but it can help guide your strategy and inspire content ideas.
Some competitor research tools that can be useful for you include:
- Site Explorer: Get insights into your competitors’ backlinks, keywords, and overall performance to refine your SEO strategy and boost your rankings.
- Keyword Gap Analysis: Compare your site’s keywords with competitors to find untapped opportunities and target higher-ranking keywords.
- Link Gap Analysis: Analyze competitor backlinks to uncover opportunities for acquiring high-quality links and boosting your domain authority.
8. Improve Your YouTube Channel’s Performance
If you’re running a YouTube channel, you know how tricky it can be to stay on top of trending topics and video trends. Google Trends can make it easier!
Simply search within your niche, but this time select “YouTube Search” to focus on video trends. 📹
By scrolling down, you’ll see trending topics and searches specifically from YouTube. Creating videos based on these trends can help you attract more viewers and boost watch time.
And if you’re looking for more in-depth help, check out our guide on How to Master Keyword Research for YouTube. It’s packed with tips to help you optimize your content and grow your channel!
From Google Trends to Action: Optimizing, Ranking, and Scaling with Ease
Google Trends is a powerful tool for identifying trending topics and keywords, giving you valuable insights into what’s currently gaining traction.
However, implementing these trends effectively on your website isn’t always simple. You need to use SEO content tools to create high-quality content, enhance user experience, build backlinks, and address technical SEO issues to see real results.
That’s where Search Atlas comes in. It’s not just about keyword research: It provides a comprehensive suite of tools for link building, automated content creation and optimization, on-page SEO, technical fixes, and more.
Plus, with OTTO, the first AI SEO agent, you can automate all these tasks to save time and improve your rankings.
Why continue doing manual work? Start ranking for trending searches today! Try our free trial now and see the difference. No commitment, cancel anytime!
