Tips on Getting the Most Out of Google Trends

There are many tools at your disposal that can help hone your online marketing strategy. Effectively using these tools provides useful data and information about your audience, their behaviors, and even the keywords they use when looking for goods or services. Google Trends is one tool that many marketers find extremely useful. This free tool analyzes search queries to determine their popularity and how frequently they’re used. The process is relatively simple; you type in a search term and certain data is displayed regarding it. You can see search interest over time (over the course of days or months, or even going back 16 years to when Google Trends first started compiling data). You can also compare search terms, look up related terms, and determine interest by region. How you use Google Trends can impact the quality of the data returned. Here are some tips on how to get the most out of this analytics tool so you can use these insights to develop an effective marketing plan.

Find the Best Keywords for Your Brand

The most straightforward use of Google Trends is to see how your chosen keywords stack up. You can assess interest in these keywords over time, even narrowing down your evaluation to the specific region or city your business operates out of. You can also look up related keywords to see how they compare. For example, if you notice a keyword related to your business or brand that is performing well but that you don’t currently use, you can consider adding it to your marketing arsenal.

Identify Seasonal Trends

Online searches can vary quite a bit throughout the year. Certain terms may peak during the holiday season, while others may be more relevant during the spring and summer months. Knowing what your customers want throughout the year will guide your marketing campaign to have the greatest impact on the seasonal wants and needs of your target audience.

For example, if you know people in your local audience begin searching for holiday deals and specials in November, you can get the jump on competitors by tailoring your advertising to meet those needs. You can also track changes in seasonal trends and update your marketing pushes accordingly.

See How You Compare to a Competitor

Along with searching for keywords, you can also perform searches using your business or brand name. Plug in a competitor’s name and see how you rank in comparison. If there are more instances of searches of a competitor’s brand, you can take a look at your current online presence and advertising to see if there are any areas that can be improved.

While all businesses are distinct, you can actually learn a lot by studying the analytics of brands similar to yours. Google Trends allows you to do just that, as well as find out other essential insights to help you create a solid online marketing campaign. Are you making the most of the available online analytics tools? Along with developing reliable marketing campaigns on behalf of our clients, the team at SonicSEO.com also tracks the performance of campaigns so we can make changes as trends change. We also use targeted research to help with things like keyword selection, which helps your audience find you. Contact us today if you have questions about popular analytics tools and their benefits.