Google Trends is a valuable tool for SEO professionals, providing insights into the popularity of search terms over time and across regions. This free tool from Google can significantly enhance your keyword research by helping you understand trends and seasonality, compare keyword performance, and discover related queries. Here’s how to use Google Trends for keyword research:
1. Access Google Trends
To get started, visit the Google Trends website (https://trends.google.com/trends/). Once you’re on the page, type the keyword or phrase you’re interested in analyzing into the “Explore” search box.
2. Examine Keyword Popularity Over Time
When you input a keyword or phrase into Google Trends, it will show you a graph detailing its popularity over time. This allows you to see if the term’s popularity is increasing, decreasing, or remaining stable. It also shows you when there are spikes in interest, which could indicate seasonality.
3. Compare Multiple Keywords
Google Trends allows you to compare up to five keywords or phrases at a time. This feature is very useful when deciding between several keyword options. The tool will display the relative popularity of each term over time, helping you determine which keywords have the highest potential.
4. Analyze Geographical Interest
Another powerful feature of Google Trends is the ability to see interest by region. This is especially useful if your business operates in multiple locations or if you’re targeting a specific geographical area. By analyzing geographical interest, you can tailor your keyword strategy to different locations.
5. Discover Related Queries
At the bottom of the Google Trends page, you’ll find the ‘Related Queries’ section. This shows you what other queries people are searching for in relation to your keyword. These related queries can be a great source of long-tail keywords and can help you understand what else your audience is interested in.
6. Review Rising Queries
Also within the ‘Related Queries’ section, you’ll see a tab for ‘Top’ and ‘Rising’ queries. ‘Top’ shows the most popular search queries related to your keyword, while ‘Rising’ shows queries that have grown significantly in popularity recently. The ‘Rising’ queries can be a gold mine for identifying trending topics and keywords.
7. Use Google Trends for Seasonal Keywords
If your business has seasonal aspects, Google Trends can help identify the best times to optimize for certain keywords. For instance, if you sell Halloween costumes, you can see when searches for ‘Halloween costumes’ start to spike and plan your content and SEO efforts accordingly.
Remember, while Google Trends provides valuable insights into keyword popularity and trends, it shouldn’t be the only tool you use for keyword research. Pair Google Trends data with other keyword research tools like Google Keyword Planner, SEMRush, or Ahrefs to ensure a comprehensive and effective keyword strategy.