How to use Google Trends for Market Research (2023)

How to use Google Trends for Market Research (2023)

Google Trends is an incredibly favoured website that analyses the popularity of top search queries on Google.

Google Trends shows relative search volume, trends, and popularity of a search phrase compared to other terms.

Other tools, such as Semrush and MOZ, will only show you information for the most popular search phrases.

Let's now look at the basics of Google Trends.

Google Trends Review: Do nothing

As weird as it sounds, this is one of the best ways to start using Google Trends.

First of all, head to the tool and take a look at the homepage. The trending topics in the U.S. – and around the globe – will be displayed.

Check if you use any of these keywords in your market research. 

Is there anyone else who is using the same keywords?

Click on any of the following topics to see great ideas for your company.

The page that displays will show you details for the search term. The top of the page will show you a line graph showing the relative popularity of the keyword over a specified period (defaulted at 7 days).

Scroll down to see related queries. Perhaps one of these queries could be suitable for your website's content.

Google Trends also displays the most popular search terms. A map will display the most popular states for the search term if you are in the United States.

The tool doesn't end there. You can also view a map to gauge interest in subregions.

This is a great place to explain search interests as Google Trends define them. It is between 0 and 100, with 100 representing the highest interest. You can think of it as relative popularity.

You can filter your keyword analysis results by using dropdowns at the top of the page. These are the criteria that you can choose:

• Country: If you are interested in measuring search interest in another area, simply navigate to the top right-hand corner of the page, and select your country from the dropdown list. Then, the results from your selected country will be displayed.
• Timeframe: Google Trends defaults to data from the past seven days. Google Trends also allows you to enter a custom date range.
• Categories: Perhaps you want to know how popular a particular search term is in a certain category, such as Autos & Vehicles, or Books & Literature. You can select any option from the drop-down menu.

Google Trends allows you to compare keywords.

Let's say you want to compare the popularity of searches targeting Taylor Swift with Judi Dench. To do so, click the "+ Add Comparison" button. Enter the new term.

The results page will be identical to the one you saw when you only examined one keyword. However, on this page, you will be able to see two coloured lines. These lines will show how popular the search terms have become over time.

Next, we will discuss ways to use Google Trends for brand promotion.

Identify seasonal trends before the season begins

Google Trends is a great way to find seasonal trends before they start.

It is important to know the trends at the start of a season. This allows you to plan your marketing and create relevant content for that season.

How can you spot trends before they occur? This is where the ‘seasonal’ part comes into play. Seasonal trends are more likely to repeat themselves.

Google Trends Review: See the result of your favourite keywords research tool

You might find some keywords getting thousands of searches each month if you use popular keyword research tools like MOZ or Semrush.

These tools often calculate averages for monthly search volume. The monthly average reported for a keyword could be higher than the actual monthly average if it experienced a large spike in volume.

It would be best if you asked yourself:

Is this keyword popular? Are related searches more or less popular?

You might find that the related keyword is even more popular than your original keyword.

If this is the case, create content around that particular keyword to get the best results.

Use similar queries as seed keywords

Google Trends will allow you to search for seed keywords that you can use to generate new ideas.

Seed keywords are something you have probably already heard of. You enter these words and phrases into a research tool to find related keywords you can use in your content.

There are many ways to platforms available to help you find seed keywords, including MOZ, Semrush, and of course, Google Trends.

Search for keywords related to the phrase you are searching for. Next, enter these keywords into your keyword research software. From there, you will get a report that includes monthly search volumes and difficulty rankings.

Where is your target market located

Google Trends shows you what people are looking for, including their locations.

If your business has a diverse customer base, you can use this information to pinpoint the best keyword opportunities. Next, target those people.

Google Ads makes it possible to target users based on keywords and location. Combine that with the information that Google Trends provides, and you'll be able to create laser-focused targeting that will give you a positive return on investment.

The location data can be used for more than just ad targeting. It can also be used to create organic content.

Find what people are searching for on YouTube

Google isn't the only search engine around. YouTube is also emerging as popular search engines.

Two things can be done with the information you receive from YouTube searches:

• You may have missed the keyword in the Google web search
• Find a keyword that you can use for your video content

Final Thoughts

To identify the current search term, your keyword research tool should not be the only tool you use. 

Google Trends is a superb tool that provides in-depth market research that you won't get anywhere else. This is a simple-to-use tool that will make a great addition to your business.

Need help achieving your digital marketing business goals? Contact EWM today.