According to Google Trends, “Pokémon Go,” “iPhone 7,” and “Donald Trump” were the world’s most-searched terms in 2016. Even more, Google Trends shows related popular search terms, such as “cupping michael phelps” — referring to the therapeutic practice of placing special cups on a patient’s skin — and “olympic medal count.” You can also compare the popularity of “Michael Phelps” as a search term to other search terms. Use Google Trends in These Ways Scrolling through Google Trends will likely spark some ideas on how your brand can use it for content marketing. Browse through the trends related to your industry, whether that’s business, tech, or health, to find keywords. If you spend even half an hour going through Google Trends looking for content ideas for your brand, we know you’ll find some. Google Trends data over five years shows that interest in fitness apps spikes in early January, so that’s the time to schedule that post in your content calendar. It’s not enough to know people are searching for the term “Budweiser”—if the reason people are searching for that term isn’t flattering, your brand probably doesn’t want to be associated with it. It’s also important to keep in mind that search terms may not wholly reflect what information people are looking for. A blog post describing that the internet is used to check email and search for information may not be of interest to those people in Belfast. It’s important to make sure you understand the missing context when using Trends for your content marketing.
According to Google Trends, “Pokémon Go,” “iPhone 7,” and “Donald Trump” were the world’s most-searched terms in 2016. In the United States, “Powerball,” “Prince,” and “Hurricane Matthew” were the three terms most often typed into the Google search bar.
This year marks the 10-year anniversary of Google Trends, which provides up-to-the-minute data on popular search terms. Given the trillions of searches performed through Google every year, Google Trends provides unique insight into what is on people’s minds. No wonder many brands have started using it for their content marketing.
Used correctly, Google Trends can help you generate content ideas, strengthen your keyword research, and much more. However, it is important to note the tool has its limitations. Here’s everything you need to know about Google Trends, as well as the dos and don’ts of using it in your content marketing.
Understanding Google Trends
Google Trends provides tons of data in the clean, straightforward style characteristic of Google. Plus, it’s fun. It’s fun to scroll through the homepage and see which people, movies, memes people are searching for.
Wondering what beer Americans most searched for in 2016? Budweiser America. Athlete? Michael Phelps. GIF? Puppy Monkey Baby.
But Google Trends is much more than a mere curiosity. It lets you dig down to see trends by time, geographical area, and category.
Take the example of Michael Phelps. As a search term, Phelps’ popularity peaked the week of August 7, when his races at the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro were scheduled. Google Trends also shows which states and cities were most interested in Phelps (Maryland, Massachusetts, and Delaware; Boston, Orlando, and Dallas).
Even more, Google Trends shows related popular search terms, such as “cupping michael phelps” — referring to the therapeutic practice of placing special cups on a patient’s skin — and “olympic medal count.” You can also compare the popularity of “Michael Phelps” as a search term to other search terms.
Beyond specific search terms, Google Trends also lets you explore broader topics, whether that’s winter holidays or categories like arts and entertainment, or hobbies and leisure. No matter your industry, Google Trends can provide valuable insight for your brand. That’s what makes it such a powerful tool for content marketing.
Use Google Trends in These Ways
Scrolling through Google Trends will likely spark some ideas on how your brand can use it for content marketing. Here are some of our favorite applications.
Keyword Research
As we’ve said before, keyword research is a process you don’t want to skip. Google Trends can augment the keyword research you conduct in Google AdWords and Google Analytics. It can confirm whether your keyword choices are good ones and identify new…
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