How to Use Google Trends to Grow Your Organic Traffic (With 7 Utilities for SEO)

Marketers and SEO personnel are typically aware of Google’s no-cost tool to monitor search trends across the web. However, what is often not utilized is the process of studying this data and using it to develop marketing strategies effectively.

Google Trends scans the web and presents real-time data as simple charts to recognize trends in search marketing. We can assess multiple parameters, such as spikes and dips in search trends, revealing several pathways to more significant organic traffic.

Given the tool’s features that let users tweak their search style, SEOs have hands-on access to trending search behavior. You can sub-categorize your inputs by requesting data on trends related to search volume index and location-specific data.

If you’re wondering how to use Google Trends, here’s a complete guide on seven ways to leverage this tool for boosting your organic traffic results and its solid benefits for digital marketing projects.

What is Google Trends?

Google Trends is a free online tool trained to assemble large volumes of search data and offer AI-driven insights on internet trends. You can identify the popularity of search queries and even short-tail and long-tail search terms.

Since its superiority lies in real-time data representation, the tool offers granular search trend metrics depending on time, season, and location.

Irrespective of your industry, Google Trends equips marketers with an easy-to-navigate tool to identify trending topics.

Remember, since digital marketing is a ballgame of grabbing audience attention and keeping them in interaction mode, publishing trending content ensures you get special attention.

Even better, Google Trends shows charts denoting audience interest over time.

For example, while March 2021 would show fewer search queries for raincoats in Mumbai, August showed numerous content opportunities as the search intent for this term broadened in the rainy season.

What Are Google Trends Spikes?

Google Trends spikes demonstrate peaking durations for high search volumes of specific keywords. Many keywords inherently show large spikes at particular times of the year. Whereas some keywords only trend based on event triggers.

For example, a term like t-shirts may trend throughout the year, but something like Christmas gifts only trends towards the final few months of Christmas.

Identifying these spikes is your green signal for developing and publishing relevant topics to stay up-to-date with the trend. Such time-sensitive spikes are newer, more modern means of pocketing extra organic traffic.

Consider creating blog posts, articles, and multiple pieces for content publishing using several formats. Some formats include how-to guides, listicles, comparisons, frequently asked questions, and roundups.

What’s best, SEOs can capitalize on trending terms regardless of their niche.

Successfully crafting a creative angle and tying the search term to your industry ensures you get a slice of the enormous search volume pie.

Did You Know: Though not accounted for by Google, LSI keywords can boost your content’s relevance for search engines.

Why Use Google Trends For Marketing?

While evergreen content brings some assurance to drive consistent traffic, many tend to ignore the power of accurate time and placement in matters of content publishing. Simply put, publish specific content at the right time and in relevant formats to increase your authoritativeness in the eyes of search engines.

Here are a few reasons why using Google Trends can amplify your marketing results:

1. Identify Seasonal Trends

Niches like e-commerce, tourism, and outdoor gear offer great seasonal ranking opportunities.

If you own an e-commerce platform, Google Trends allow business owners to make calculated decisions on stocking strategies.

For example, suppose trending data indicates a rise in searches for trekking boots in the summer. In that case, you can plan in advance and stock your inventory accordingly.

Such data also help tailor marketing campaigns based on trending seasonal searches.

2. Research Trending Topics

Creating long-form content isn’t all about mastering search engine optimization(SEO) for online visibility. Readers will only continue reading and engaging if the topic appeals to their search intent.

Google Trends enables brand owners to understand an audience’s interest in a specific topic.

If data shows recurring or periodic interest, you can develop numerous topics revolving around that topic.

For example, suppose users show an interest in traveling during festive holidays. In that case, you can use this information to increase your website’s ranking.

With this information at your fingertips, create content around holiday destinations, festive clothing for experiential travelers, and stand-out food and beverage options in these areas.

3. Access Niche-Centric Data

Razor-sharp insights are a gift Google Trends provide owing to its expanded filtering abilities.

Users can research related niche queries and assemble a list of topics resonating with these queries. The platform splits such data into two categories, Breakout and Rising (denoted by percentages).

Leverage this strategy to identify content gaps and increase traffic by creating content on prospective search terms.

7 Ways to Use Google Trends For Growing Organic Traffic

Whether building strong topic clusters for better linking juice or jumping on the seasonal content bandwagon, Google Trends presents many ways to grow organic traffic.

We’ve highlighted seven tried and tested use cases that helped our clients and own agency over the years:

1. Create Multiple Topic Clusters

Cluster centers around a primary idea or concept, often called the “pillar” by SEOs. It provides a strong basis for incorporating valuable on-page SEO elements.

Use robust internal linking structures to sort your website’s content logically. It supports seamless user navigation across your content. Furthermore, it promotes a coherent understanding for search engines to scan your website’s authority and topical coverage.

For example, consider you own a brand selling tennis equipment. You may use tennis rackets as a topic cluster.

Inputting tennis rackets into your Google Trends search engine may reveal search terms tennis enthusiasts may search for. Remember, these search terms are complemented by their trend-related metrics.

Although not all, many related keywords could fit nicely into your topic cluster.

Additionally, this tool helps to fill your topic clusters with several content formats for informational, sales, or marketing content pieces.

2. Find a Niche

Newcomers to the website and brand-building space can first conduct an analysis to assess which niche has the most queries in demand. Spot niches that pique your interest and meet your passion based on the data’s trends.

Google Trends displays a growth graph, showing multiple dips and spikes in search volume for niche-centric keywords.

Use this graph to study niche data over long periods. Further on, careful observations may highlight trendsetting or trend-following content opportunities.

Such trend assessments answer your query regarding the niche’s viability for your digital business to succeed.

Expect segmented data for keywords broken down into global volume by countries, keyword difficulty, and bulk analysis options.

3. Iterate on YouTube Strategy

Google Trends offers an option to switch from their default web search to YouTube search engine. Thus, the tool’s extended capability to pick up trending video content across the billion-dollar marketing industry serves brands with content ideas for videos.

Another remarkable feature is how Google Trends permits users to choose niche categories when analyzing trends.

After inputting your search query, notice how the tool shares names of similar channels in your niche, doing a phenomenal job at attracting organic traffic. Use these references as mediums to ideate content on trending videos.

Besides competitor research, the related queries section enables YT channel owners to develop video content ideas to capitalize on trending traffic.

Here’s a complete guide on image SEO and steps to optimizing pictures for better SERP rankings.

4. Improve Local SEO Strategies

What better SEO research medium than a trend analysis tool with features that allow for segmenting keyword popularity by location? Be it metro regions, subregions, cities, or countries, Google Trends dissects location-specific keyword popularity to guide brands serving specific territories.

Suppose you’re reverse engineering the process and trying to identify target audience regions as opposed to targeting pre-decided areas. In that case, Google Trends is your best bet.

Either tweak existing marketing campaigns and localize your content or devise new marketing techniques to captivate local audiences.

For brand owners aware of their target customer’s locality, there’s room for better SEO research. For instance, filter your query to their locality and study search behavior across multiple location-specific audience personas.

Remember, local trends are more relevant to local business owners than global search trends.

Google Trends holds unmatched potential in spotting these trends and giving a head-start to increase authority in your business locality.

5. Spot Trending Social Media Campaigns

Few SEOs realize that Google Trends serves more than just organic search marketing. For instance, imagine how the related queries section can supplement your social media content creation game.

Use the suggested trending topics to create relevant social media posts and campaigns, using textual content and design creatives.

Take, for example, a spike in trends for a local soccer tournament. If you run a sportswear brand or soccer coaching institute, it’ll help to develop social media campaigns mentioning the local soccer tournament.

Merging your business with ongoing events and trending content through engaging social media campaigns can significantly multiply your organic traffic. The reason is the high relevancy of such audiences to your niche.

Another suggestion is bringing trending niche influencers or soccer personalities from your vicinity aboard.

The presence of coveted online celebrities could put you in the running for establishing an increased search trend over time.

6. Develop Seasonal Google Shopping Ads

Users can study trends over the years, spanning various seasons, festivities, political events, or successful generational personalities.

Such time-independent search data allows small and large e-commerce store owners, the flexibility to study shopping trends across weeks, months, and years.

E-commerce website owners can use Google Trends to boost their ROI from ads to attract substantial organic traffic to their product sales pages.

Switch web search to Google Shopping before inputting your keyword. You’ll see charts denoting rises and falls in customer interest in shopping ads over time.

Place your ads during the peak periods as indicated by Google Trends and consistently witness a rise in Click-Through Rate (CTR) and conversions from potential prospects to paid customers.

7. Monitor Competitor Activity

Combine Google Trends with Google’s Market Explorer tool to keep a check on competitor trends. Next, compare your brand’s trends with that of fellow competitors to make significant changes to business and marketing functionality.

The tool allows SEOs to input two products or services and compare their traffic metrics over time.

You can further segment this research by adding location, time, or keyword filters.

Additional research is needed to comprehend the reasons behind the spikes and dips in the data in Google Trends. It will help you determine whether it was due to introducing a new product, increased engagement, or adopting a niche trend.

Recognizing such competitor trends guarantees you stay up-to-date with their methods to achieve these periodic traffic spikes ranging from 0-100.

We recommend understanding what SEO content is and how it benefits your brand’s growth in the competitive digital world.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are three commonly asked questions about Google Trends:

Conclusion

To sum up, Google Trends presents dozens of use cases to boost your organic traffic and support SEO efforts.

Whether it’s about informed content promotion or validating content ideas, predicting your content’s potential for going viral or acquiring featured snippet spots on trending content, brands stand a lot to benefit.

Consider leveraging this tool to create data-driven content and infographics that increase organic traffic.

If you’re looking for SEO experts who’ve been using Google Trends to raise organic traffic scores, get in touch.