The strength of Google Trends comes when you move from the domain of conceptual thinking to testing actual words that people search for. Rather than wondering whether a subject such as “AI” or “fitness” is something you should be spending time on, Google Trends allows you to take these concepts apart into actual words that people can search for and see which ones are trending. For example, when you search for “AI tools”, the graph may appear robust but flat. When you compare it with “AI tools for marketing”, “AI writing tools”, and “AI video tools”, you will find that one specific niche is trending faster than the others.
When organising your keywords, it is always important to consider layers:
Broad term: AI tools
Mid-level term: AI tools for business
Specific term: AI tools for social media marketing
Google Trends will assist you in determining which layer is worth focusing on at the current time.
Filters become even more important when working with real keywords. For example, the keyword “online course” may appear to be too crowded worldwide, but when you filter it down to a specific country and compare it to “online course platform” or “create online course”, you can see that there is definite movement upwards. This indicates that people are not just window shopping. They are planning to make a purchase.
Comparisons are where the keyword strategy gets refined. For instance:
“Dropshipping” vs “Print on demand”
“Home workout” vs “Pilates at home”
“Digital marketing” vs “Performance marketing”
“Resume builder” vs “AI resume builder”
Here, the more refined or newer keyword might have more potential, even if the broader one appears more popular at first glance.
- Trend quality is as important as trend direction. For example, if you look at the trend for the keyword “NFT”, you’ll see that there’s a huge spike followed by a sharp fall. This is the trend that occurs when there’s hype around something. On the other hand, something like “password manager” or “AI customer support” indicates sustained demand. These are the types of keywords that blogs, products, or services are built around.
- Related Queries is where the actual keyword opportunities are. For example, if you look up the keyword “weight loss”, you might find that there are some rising queries such as:
- Weight loss for women over 40
- Weight loss without gym
- Weight loss meal plan
These are not random, but rather how actual people hone in on their message. Rising searches can become highly successful content topics even before SEO software is aware of it.
Seasonal keywords are another place where Google Trends excels. Searches such as “Black Friday deals”, “tax filing software”, “Valentine’s Day gifts”, and “summer body workout” have very predictable patterns throughout the year. To determine when interest starts to build, you can look at five-year trends.
Clever timing would look like this:
- “Tax software” – content begins in January and peaks in March-April
- “Back to school supplies” – content begins in June, peaks in August
- “Christmas gift ideas” – content begins in October and peaks in December
Location-based keyword insights take it one step further. A search for “real estate investing” might reveal higher interest in Texas or Florida, while “rent control laws” might be trending in California or New York. This information is incredibly valuable for:
- Local SEO blogs
- Geo-targeted ads
- Region-based promotions
Before you start writing any content, it is recommended to perform a final check on your main keyword by using Google Trends. It is recommended to compare it with 2-3 variations, related terms, and long-term trends. For example, before you start writing about “side hustle ideas”, you should compare it with “online side hustle”, “AI side hustle”, and “passive income ideas”. It is likely that you will get information about the direction in which users are moving.
Google Trends becomes even more powerful when used together with other tools. It is recommended to look at trends, while other tools, such as Google autocomplete, YouTube, or a keyword planner, will help you look deeper.
For example, if “AI note-taking app” is trending upward, it is likely that you have found a good opportunity, as users are interested in it according to autocomplete.
