Want to Boost Your SEO? Keyword Research Reveals the Latest Google Trends

Since ‘netizens’ started using cyberspace as a primary source of information, the SEO game has undergone a significant transformation. Used alongside high-quality content, the right keywords can help rank a website on Google and other relevant search engines. Just look at any SERP and you’ll notice a massive difference from just a few years ago— not only in appearances but in rankings, as well.

Today, keywords are the driving force behind content visibility. Whether it’s high-scale corporate marketing or simple social media posting, keywords have the power to boost content performance and, ideally, drive new clients to your business’s website.

The right keywords can push your content beyond the limited reach you already have. That’s why it’s worth getting acquainted with the latest keyword research tools, which can help you identify which trending keywords accumulate the most audience interest and boost your website’s rankings.

So, what is the best course of action when it comes to keyword research?

Understanding Google Trends

There is a lot of confusion regarding the incredibly useful Google Trends tool and its functions.

Google Trends is a free online tool that generates, systematizes, and categorizes data on the popularity of given search terms, and allows users to compare the search volumes to other similar keywords or key phrases across locations and languages. 

Using Google Trends doesn’t require that big of a skill-set, but making it work in your favor may not be as simple as you’d think.

If you are familiar with the Google Keyword Planner, you might find Google Trends similar, but they are far from being one and the same. While GKP shows the absolute numbers a search term has been typed into the Google Search Bar, Trends shows the relative popularity of that particular search term.

In other words, Trends eliminates bursts of repeated searches that were made by the same person over a short period of time.

This explains the different values you’ll see if you make a parallel inquiry between these two Google tools.

Put simply: Google Trends show you which keyword trends are rising and declining in popularity.

How To Use Google Trends

Google Trends is not your standard SEO tool, and how you use it will depend on the goal you are trying to achieve.

From identifying trending searches on YouTube to finding niches and seasonal variations, this Google feature can help you edge out the competition and improve your online visibility.

As a business owner, you can use it to better understand the current demand for products and services at different locations around the world.

For example, you can use Google Trends to analyze the seasonal popularity of topics in your niche or industry. You can further use the analysis results to create a content calendar to promote topics, products, and services around their peak season.

Interpreting Keyword Search Volume

The keyword search volume has to do with a query that was searched a particular number of times within a fixed period of time. Understanding search volume is crucial for digital marketers and SEO experts because keywords and topics with optimal search volumes drive organic traffic to websites.

Google Trends provides a graphic interpretation of the interest in a particular topic in a determined time frame. You can also compare data extracted from different locations.

It’s important to mention here that Google Trends only shows the relative popularity of a keyword or keyphrase. It gives marketers and SEO’s a general idea of the competitiveness of a given search term.

In other words, the line chart that appears every time you search a word or a phrase represents a ratio of the number of times that that term was searched related to the total number of searches of anything carried out in a particular place at a specific time.

However, to fully understand keyword search volume, you will have to conduct a deeper, more thorough analysis. Use other SEO tools like the Google Keyword Planner to figure out how much traffic a given keyword generates and whether it’s more likely to be hit or a flop.

Seasonal Trends: How To Identify and Capitalize on Them

Content marketers often plan their content calendars in advance. They also keep track of the popularity of keywords and whether there has been any change in the search volume.

This is a useful tool for determining which keywords or key phrases have been searched most often and on what dates.

Some keywords generate more volume around particular periods — like the holiday seasons or on days like “Black Friday.” Google Trends will give you an idea of what content works best with which trends so you can make the most of the seasonal hype.

You can compare this data against how many times the keyword is typically searched daily and determine if you are interested in a seasonal trend or just a temporary spike in search volume.

To that end, a successful year-long strategy can be adjusted to the changing seasons, resulting in fewer marketing missteps and avoiding unnecessary expenditure throughout the year.

Why Avoid Keywords That Are Temporarily Popular?

Keyword research can be further broken down into what works and what doesn’t work in the long run. Some keywords are simply experiencing a viral moment that will last a relatively short amount of time. Google Trends helps you to understand which keywords are just popular today and which are likely to stay relevant for a while.

The tool features a “Year in search” tab on the left-hand menu that reveals the year’s top-performing topics. There you can see the keywords that had spikes in popularity during the past 12 months. These spikes often occur in specific periods on the calendar.

Terms that are carefully curated have a lasting impact, while most seasonal keywords like Olympics or Christmas die out quickly. One such example was last year’s ‘Tiger King.’ In late March, the term went viral and triggered massive global interest, but it died down quickly and has failed to gain any traction since.

Keyword Research Should Include Relevant Trending Topics

Content marketers always have an eye to the future. Take some time to consider what content or offerings may be relevant to upcoming trends. Google Trends helps in research on related topics that can help you see what direction trends are headed in and maximize your profit. Simply type in a topic, and everything relevant to that trend would appear below.

Google Trends even supplies predictions of keywords that may turn viral. Google has added many new features to its tool, such as forecasting keywords that may trend in the coming months or weeks. And if any such keywords are related to your firm, make the best use of the opportunity!

Related Queries to Edge Out the Competition

Google Trends also features related queries. This helps you to discover other topics associated with your existing searches that people who searched your topic also showed interest in.

This data helps in making content calendars, marketing campaigns, or seeding keywords/phrases. Hence, if you are writing content on “literature,” you can look for related topics and create topic clusters.

Improve Your Local SEO Strategy

Google Trends’ features for filtering queries at particular locations is also useful for improving your local SEO strategy. The thing to note here is that you are not the only one using the GT keywords breadcrumbs. Many other local businesses use the same strategy.

So how do you stand out?

By making use of local searches as well as wider-scale trends. One can always get creative with newer, less-exploited keyword trends. To use the above example of “literature,” one can relate to trends in the local metropolitan area. This could include languages, newly released books, or popular local books, among others.

Keyword Research for Videos SEO Strategies

Trending keywords can also be used to make videos go viral. Relevant keywords can be used in titles, descriptions, timestamps, and subtitles in videos. This will help the video trend online due to the existing popularity of the keywords.

You can also look for keywords that are trending on YouTube. Use these to get on board with popular searches and utilize them as tags and key phrases.

Your keyword research becomes much easier when you let Google Trends be your SEO expert. Used in combination with other keyword tools, you are bound to create effective SEO strategy, capitalize on the top trends, and set yourself up for search engine success.

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