Google Trends is possibly one of the best kept secret tools out there. And it’s free! Google shares all of their data from Google Search, allowing you to compare keywords or industry words, to see what people actually search (and what they don’t). This takes the guessing out of SEO, because you can see that your ideal customer is already searching for X, and you can give that to them now front and center. Google Trends is incredibly useful when you are planning the year ahead, giving you a huge advantage!

Based on search queries, Google Trends lets you see what people want to know about, all across the world over time. Its data goes back to 2004, so you can also see how trends have peaked and dropped, and it covers Web Search, Image Search, News Search, Google Shopping and YouTube Search.

Don’t guess. Let the trends tell you what to do.

Google Trends gives marketers a serious advantage. You can monitor interest in your brand, compare it with interest in your competitors and track shifts in your industry; view current trends to see if your marketing’s in line, take advantage of Trending Searches to expand your reach and follow rising trends to get a step ahead with your planning.

If you are wondering what keywords your customers are typing into Google Search, Google Trends tells you! Look at this example below. For my own business, I know that my audience is seeking help with technology, so I began by comparing “website help” with “SEO help.” I was surprised that the latter would be less popular. However, when I changed the search query to the popular search phrase “How to SEO,” it rose to the expected popularity. Everything was trumped by “How to WordPress,” however, telling me to emphasize that key phrase above all others. Can you see how helpful this might be? It guides everything from content direction to Google AdWords, to campaign messaging. Bam.

Or maybe you want to check out whether there’s more interest in Adele than in Taylor Swift? Simply type in your search terms and start filtering to see trends over time and geographic location. (For the record, Taylor shakes Adele off in India but is way behind her in France).

Or perhaps you’re marketing trainers in Italy. By comparing interest in various cities, you can see that Turin would be a better focus than Milan.

Ready to try it out yourself?

For both real-time marketing and long-term planning, check out Google Trends now.