How to Use Google Trends for Blogging: The FREE Tool to That Cleverly Delivers a Content Advantage

Are you ready to take your blogging game to the next level?

Imagine you had a crystal ball that reveals exactly what your audience wants to read. You do! You just don’t know it…

That’s the power of Google Trends for bloggers.

Google Trends is more than just a fancy keyword research tool – it’s a goldmine of people’s search insights waiting to be tapped.

Whether you’re a long-time blogger or just beginning with blogging, understanding how to use Google Trends for Blogging could be the game-changer you’ve been looking for.

It’s not just about keeping up with the latest fads; it’s about valuable insights, new ideas, staying ahead of the curve, and creating content that really resonates with your readers.

So, how do you use Google Trends for blogging?

Google Trends for blogging helps you analyze search data to identify popular topics, and understand audience interests, so you can multiply your marketing efforts and create timely, relevant content.

You start by entering a search term into the search bar, then explore the trends, related topics, queries, and geographic data to help shape your content strategy.

By doing this, you can start to align your blog posts with what people are actively searching for, potentially boosting your traffic and engagement.

By using Google Trends, you can find search volume trends and analyze Google ranking data to track which keywords are gaining traction and which are declining, ensuring your content remains relevant and up-to-date.

But that’s just scratching the surface. Let’s dive a bit deeper into the world of Google Trends and uncover the secret little bits that will transform your blogging journey.

Understanding How to Use Google Trends for Blogging: Mastering the Tool to Boost Your Content Game

Google Trends is like a window into the collective mind of internet users.

It’s a free tool that shows you what people are searching for on Google over time.

Think of it as a massive database of curiosity – every search query is a question someone wants answered, a problem they need solved, or a topic they’re passionate about.

For me and you, the bloggers of this world, this treasure chest of information is invaluable. It’s not just about seeing what’s popular; it’s about understanding the ebb and flow of public interest.

By leveraging Google Trends data, you can discover trending topics for blog content, identify search volume trends, and jump on popular keywords while getting rid of those that are declining.

This is super useful for content published on Google’s search engine, as it helps you stay relevant and attract more traffic.

But here’s what I love the most – Google Trends provides relative popularity, which means you can compare keywords like apples to oranges (or in our case, keywords to keywords) regardless of their absolute search volumes.

This feature enables you to spot rising stars in your niche before they hit the mainstream, helping you improve SEO, and grab all these people searching before they really take off..

Getting Started with Google Trends

Jumping into Google Trends is super simple. Just head over to trends.google.com, and you’re in. The interface is clean and intuitive, but don’t let its simplicity fool you – there’s a lot of power under the hood.

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The search bar at the top is your starting point. Type in a keyword related to your blog niche, and watch the magic happen.

You’ll see a graph showing the interest over time, a map displaying regional interest, and lists of other related topics, keywords and queries.

I love looking for breakout keywords, which can be super valuable as they are not yet competitive yet, allowing you to write content quickly for easier ranking on search engine results pages.

Pro tip: Don’t just stick to broad terms. Try long-tail keywords, questions, and even competitor names. You might be surprised at what you find.

Using Google Trends for Keyword Research

Now, let’s talk about the bread and butter of SEO – keyword research. Google Trends is a powerhouse when it comes to finding the right keywords for your blog.

Start by entering your main keyword. Let’s say you run a food blog, and you’re thinking about writing a post on coffee.

Type in “coffee” and see what comes up, select 12 months as your time window and then look at the results:

You might notice that interest spikes a little bit during certain months – that’s valuable info for planning seasonal content.

Understanding the search trends for a particular keyword like “coffee” helps in determining audience interests and shaping your content marketing plan effectively.

But here’s where it gets interesting. Scroll down to the “Related queries” section. You might see terms like “cold brew coffee” or “best coffee maker” popping up.

These are goldmines for content ideas that are closely related to your main topic.

Don’t forget to use the compare feature. You can add up to five terms to compare their relative popularity.

This is great for deciding between keyword ideas and different content angles. Should you write about espresso or latte art? Google Trends can help you decide.

Discovering Trending Keywords for Your Blog

One of the best ways to keep your blog fresh and engaging is by tapping into trending topics. Google Trends makes this a breeze with its “Trending Searches” feature.

Identifying trending keywords can enhance your content plan by allowing you to target topics that are currently capturing a larger audience…

Super smart strategy!

Check out the daily trending searches to get an idea of what’s hot right now. But be smart about it – not every trending topic will be relevant to your blog.

The key is to find the intersection between what’s trending and what fits your niche.

Who knows, sometimes that crazy article about cat memes might fit with your Star Wars blog… enabling you to target different keywords and grab a whole new slice of the audience.

The “Rising” section under related queries is particularly useful. These are terms that are experiencing a significant increase in search interest.

They’re like little seedlings of trends – catch them early, and you could grab that keyword’s popularity before they shoot to the moon.

Optimizing Your Content Calendar

Planning your content can sometimes feel like throwing darts in the dark. But with Google Trends, you’ve got night vision goggles.

Use the date range feature to look at how trends change over the year.

You might notice that searches for “healthy recipes” spike in January (hello, New Year’s resolutions), while “pumpkin spice” goes through the roof in autumn.

This insight allows you to plan your content months in advance.

By analyzing search volume trends, you can identify keywords gaining traction and avoid those declining in popularity.

You can prepare for seasonal trends in posts, align your content with major events, and even predict when certain topics will start gaining traction.

Geographical Insights for Targeted Content

One of the coolest features of Google Trends is its ability to show you geographical data.

This is a game-changer if you’re looking to target specific regions in the Google results or understand local trends.

Understanding local search trends is so important for businesses targeting specific geographical areas, as it helps in tailoring content and optimizing local SEO strategies.

Let’s say you’re writing about barbecue techniques. You might find that “BBQ sauce” is more popular in some states, while others are all about the “dry rub.”

This kind of insight can help you tailor your content to different audiences or even inspire region-specific posts… love it!

Don’t limit yourself to your home country, either. If you’re looking to expand your readership internationally, check out how trends differ across countries.

You might discover untapped markets for your content.

Utilizing Google Trends for SEO Strategy

SEO isn’t just about stuffing keywords into your posts. It’s about understanding what your audience is searching for and creating content that meets those needs.

Google Trends works for you in this arena, especially when analyzing a search term to uncover specific keywords that can enhance your SEO strategy.

It’s a master at finding great related keywords, things you might have otherwise overlooked, and missed out on.

When you’re planning a new blog post, use Google Trends to identify the most relevant and popular terms related to your topic. Also, grab those related searches that appear.

And don’t just go for the highest-volume keywords – look for rising terms that might have less competition.

Analyzing a specific search term can provide insights into its performance across different platforms like YouTube or Google Shopping, helping you in your content creation and advertising strategies.

Pay attention to how Google phrases the related queries. Often, these are in question format, which can be perfect for structuring your content.

If you see “how to make cold brew coffee” as a related query, that’s a clear signal that people want a step-by-step guide.

This just gives you a deeper understanding of your audience’s wants, and this helps you be better!

Exploring YouTube Search Trends

Don’t forget that Google Trends isn’t just for web searches – you can also explore YouTube videos and search trends.

Understanding the difference between web search and YouTube search is super important, as it highlights the importance of tailoring your content direction for different platforms.

This is huge if you’re into video content (which you should be) or thinking about expanding into that area.

Switch the search type to YouTube, and you’ll see what people are searching for on the world’s second-largest search engine.

This can give you ideas for video content, help you optimize your blog and video content with titles and descriptions, and even inspire you to create video companions for your blog posts.

Advanced Google Search Trends Techniques

Once you’ve got the basics down, it’s time to level up your Google Trends game. Use the category filter in the dropdown menu to narrow down your searches to specific industries.

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This can help you find keywords and niche trends that your competitors might be missing. Leveraging Google Trends data can uncover niche trends, helping you discover trending topics for blog content and identify search volume trends.

Try comparing search terms with the “+” feature. This allows you to group related terms together, giving you a more comprehensive view of a topic’s popularity.

And don’t forget to experiment with different time ranges.

Sometimes, getting into that drop-down menu and zooming out to look at 5-year trends can reveal long-term shifts in interest that might inform your overall content marketing strategy.

Creating Content Based on Google Trends Insights

Now comes the fun part – turning all these insights into killer content… from blogs to social media posts to YouTube Videos.

When you’re brainstorming topics, start with Google Trends. Look for intersections between trending topics and your blog’s niche.

By examining search volume trends can inform your content creation by identifying keywords gaining traction and avoiding those declining in popularity.

I like to use the paid Keywords Everywhere extension when I do Google Trends research, as it actually helps me ensure that my queries have enough search volume data right there on the screen.

Use the questions you see in related search queries as subheadings in your posts. If people are asking these questions, providing clear answers can help your content rank well in search results.

Remember, the goal isn’t just to chase trends, but to create valuable content that aligns with what your audience is actively seeking.

Use the trends as a starting point to create content, then add your unique perspective and expertise.

Measuring and Monitoring Your Search Interest Results

Also… the work doesn’t stop once you hit publish. Keep an eye on how your trend-based content performs. Are you seeing an uptick in traffic?

Are you seeing that your posts are ranking for related queries in Google Search Console, these are all indicators your Google Trends strategy is working.

A good question to ask yourself is…

“Are these posts getting more engagement?”

Why? Well that’s why we are using Google Trends, isn’t it?

Monitoring search volume data can also help in evaluating your content performance, as it provides insights into how often your relevant keywords really are being searched.

Use Google Analytics and Google Search Console alongside Google Trends to get a full picture.

If a post based on a rising trend is doing well, consider creating follow-up content or updating the original post to keep it fresh.

Doing a content series also works extremely well.

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Using Google Trends

While Google Trends is an awesome tool, it’s not foolproof.

One common mistake is focusing too much on high-volume trends without considering relevance to your niche.

It’s so important to focus on the relevance of a particular topic to avoid such mistakes.

Just because everyone’s talking about the latest Kylie Jenner’s new lipstick liner or celebrity gossip doesn’t mean it belongs on your tech blog.

Another pitfall is misinterpreting the data.

Remember, Google Trends shows relative popularity, not absolute search volumes (it’s why I use Keywords Everywhere).

A 100% increase in searches for a niche term might still represent a smaller audience than a 10% increase for a more common term.

Lastly, don’t neglect your own expertise and audience knowledge. Google Trends is a tool to inform your decisions, not make them for you.

My Final Thoughts

Google Trends is like having superpowers for bloggers.

It gives you an x-ray vision of what your audience wants, helps you ride the wave of popular topics, and can even help you predict the future of your niche.

But like any superpower, it’s all about how you use it.

Remember, trends come and go, but quality content is timeless, so even when creating Google Trends-based content make sure it is top-notch!

Use Google Trends to inform your content plan, but always focus on providing value to your readers, and keeping your new topic ideas, well, on topic.

That’s the real secret to blogging success.

Now, let me know… how have you used Google Trends in your blogging escapades? Have you discovered any hidden gems? Let me know below.