Knowing what’s going on in people’s minds is a desire many people have – even more so when running a small business, where knowing the customer well is one of the company’s main pillars.
Mind reading isn’t yet entirely possible, but technology can help—at least by understanding what people are searching for on Google . This type of content is displayed on Google Trends , the search giant’s website that shows exactly what people are searching for online, taking into account their location and their main interests over time.
It’s a very useful tool to help you in various areas of your business, from purchasing to marketing. In this article, we’ll explain in more detail what Google Trends is, how it works, and how it can help your e-commerce or physical store. Let’s dive in!
What is Google Trends?
One Google tool that shows the primary search trends within the search engine itself is called Google Trends.
Additionally, Google Trends also provides demographic information and other searches related to the keyword. If you search for “logistics,” for example, you’ll find additional terms like “e-commerce logistics” or “logistics inventory.”
More than just a curiosity, understanding related searches is a good way to understand how a trend is growing, especially when we’re talking about very broad topics. It’s also interesting to be able to filter searches by segment, country, city, and year (Google Trends has data going back to 2004!).
How does Google Trends work?
Google Trends works in a very simple way: the site basically compiles all the searches made within Google by people around the world and summarizes them in terms of keyword trends.
Thus, the tool is an indicator of terms that are being searched for a lot around the world – and considering that practically everyone uses Google, it’s a very relevant approximation of what’s on people’s minds, considering real metrics.
Does Google Trends have real-time data?
No. Google Trends information is updated regularly, but it typically provides data a few hours or a few days late, depending on the popularity of the search term.
The idea of the site is to present a broad overview of changes in interest over time, analyzing trends and patterns at different scales.
What can I use Google Trends for?
Now that you understand the basics of Google Trends, we can move on to show you what you can use the tool for.
Before you begin, it’s important to know that every search you perform may contain filters, including:
- research location;
- research deadline;
- research category;
- type of research.
Another important feature you can use in Google Trends is comparison, seeking to understand not only whether a term was searched, but also how it performs in comparison to other terms – something very useful when you need to prioritize an item in a promotion or highlight an area of your website.
Google Trends is also a great tool for digital marketing tactics. We can list the following among them:
- SEO and content marketing: You can not only use Google Trends to understand what your target audience is searching for, but also generate content for your website and social media. Furthermore, knowing what terms people use to refer to a product (such as “blouse” or “jacket”) can help you name items in your e-commerce store, making them more search-friendly.
- Paid media : With Google Trends, you can also create paid media campaigns with the most relevant keywords within your niche market (but be careful not to use highly searched terms, as it can be expensive to pay for exposure on them!);
How to use Google Trends?
There are several ways to use Google Trends—and each can help you understand market trends in a specific way. Below, we’ll discuss some of the ways you can use this useful tool.
Identify the latest trends
As the name suggests, Google Trends brings together a range of data and trends from different locations around the world. This information is useful because you can use it to create content and even define business strategies.
A particularly interesting page is the “top searches” page, which lists the most searched terms recently – a great compass for creating content and social media posts!
On this page, you can see the most searched terms in the last 24 hours, a thermometer of the latest news and developments – and some even use this tool to try to predict, for example, election results.
Find relevant categories
Another very useful tool is understanding relevant categories and searches to define your next business steps. Consider, for example, that you own a sneaker store. Sales may be going well, but you realize you need to expand your business to reach the revenue level you desire.
So, you’re unsure whether to start your expansion with flip-flops or socks, two products closely related to sneakers. By searching Trends, focusing on your city or region, you can see which item is most searched for by people in that area, using the “shoes and accessories” filter.
With Google’s help, you can find your next business move – or perhaps you’ll discover that neither term is searched for very often and you’d rather invest in sneakers.
To perform keyword research
Another useful tool is keyword research to strengthen your SEO strategy. Let’s say you’re writing a blog post for your e-commerce business, for example, and you’re unsure which keyword to highlight in the title.
Therefore, the comparison feature is very useful, considering the terms that were most searched for around a given topic; in addition, however, think about what type of audience you want to reach (and whether it’s worth competing for space in the search for highly sought-after terms).
Prepare your business
Another useful way to use Google Trends is for those who have a seasonal business (and need to be careful not to lose revenue or face other problems). If you sell ice cream in the summer, it might be a good idea to research what people are looking for in the winter months and develop new strategies.
Discover regions with high sales potential
One of the beauties of the internet is that you don’t just have to sell in your city or neighborhood, but throughout the country. So, if you manufacture a niche product, you can use Google Trends to find out where people are searching most for that product or service.
Conduct competitor research
Another way to understand your business’s position is to compare it to your competitors. You can use Google Trends to understand how people are searching for your brand and the brands of your competitors over time or in a given location.
This will allow you to create strategies to reverse the situation or even expand your advantage in strategic regions for your business.