Effective keyword research is the first and foremost step in a result-driven SEO strategy to get high ranks for a blog or business website.
There are many free and paid keyword research tools on the web, and Google Trends is one of them. It offers great keyword research features and attributes.
After Google AdWords keyword planner, Google Trends is a great option for marketers.
It offers you in-depth keyword research based on various factors like time, region, target market and many more.
In this article, I will explain how to use Google Trends for keyword research to select the best keywords for your next SEO campaign.
NOTE: Fawad Malik (founder of this blog) has also written a detailed article about SEO Keyword Research Tips for Beginners that you may find interesting!
What is Google Trends?
Google Trends is a free tool that tells us what people are searching for in a particular territory. It provides real-time search data, which can be used to measure search interest for a particular topic, in a place, and specific time.
Webmasters and business owners also use Google Trends as a keyword research tool to find search terms related to their products, services or businesses. It helps them optimize their local SEO and international SEO campaigns for better outcomes.
Why Use Google Trends for Keyword Research?
Identify Seasonal Trends: Google Trends assist you in finding out when certain keywords are most searched. This is useful if you are running a business that is offering seasonal products/services, or if you have content planned about any particular holiday event.
Discover Rising Topics: By examining trending searches that are popular during a given period, you can identify topics of interest and create more relevant content.
Compare Keywords: You can then compare the frequent usage of many keywords to see which keyword is more beneficial for the SEO approach.
Understand Regional Interests: Google Trends reveals to you areas that are popular with your keywords, aiming to fit your content into specific regions.
Using Use Google Trends for Keyword Research
Below are the best Google Trends tips to help you get started with keyword research:
Where to Start?
The best thing about Google Trends is that you do not need an account to access the link where Google shows trends.
On its front page, it will show Google Trends 2025 and top searches.
Enter the keyword in the Google Trends search bar that you want to research and collect the data about keyword research trends.
If there is a need to compare different keywords in one go, you can separate them by putting commas among all your keywords in the search bar.
Purify your Search Query
Google Trends offers you a wide range of keyword research features to purify each query to get better outcomes.
For example, if you are running a company that offers SEO services and also want to work on the keyword ‘SEO company’, the graph will show the best and top SEO companies and websites once you have tapped the search button.
It shows the results from all around the world and if you want to see the results from a specific state or country, you can choose from the menu that you will get right below the ‘worldwide’.
When searching for a particular keyword, you can refine your keyword research in Google Trends by time range, location, and similar keywords used to search etc.
Gain Ideas for your Marketing Campaign
It is very easy to gain ideas for your marketing campaign via Google Trends by having a detailed look at related search queries that other people are using.
By doing so, you will be able to write unique and easy-to-find content for your website or blog by using different ideas.
For instance, when working on the keyword ‘SEO company’, you can write different topics to attract visitors like ‘benefits of hiring the best SEO company’, how to find SEO company in town’, and characteristics of best SEO company’ etc.
Choose your Topics Wisely
One of the great features of Google Trends is that it allows you to perform keyword research according to the time range.
It is something that helps marketers a lot to choose the topics wisely in order to get maximum ROI from SEO campaigns.
It shows what keywords people use to find the best SEO companies around the globe or within the country or hometown. In this way, you can choose the right keywords for your topics wisely to write on.
Google Trends is becoming the most popular way of keyword research globally because it pulls data and information directly from the renowned search engine Google.
Forecast Future Trends
Google Trends can help you predict future trends by analyzing past data. This is useful for long-term content planning and staying ahead of the competition.
You just need to enter your keyword into Google Trends and set the time range to several years to identify long-term trends.
You can then use this data to predict future trends in your industry and plan your content accordingly.
To Sum Up
Google Trends is an excellent tool for keyword research and content creation forecasting. If you master how the tool works, you will be perfectly positioned to ensure that the content you offer your audience is fresh and useful in real-time.
If you are trying to classify seasonal trends, find new keywords, or find out where people are interested in certain topics, Google Trends will give you all the information you need to improve your SEO efforts.
People Also Ask
What is Google Trends and why should I use it for keyword research?
Google Trends is a free tool that shows the relative popularity of search terms over time. It helps you identify trending keywords. Unlike traditional keyword tools, Google Trends focuses on search interest, not exact volume, making it ideal for spotting momentum and timing
How to use Google Trends for keyword research?
Here’s a quick step-by-step:
- Go to Google Trends
- Enter a keyword or topic
- Adjust filters: location, time range, category, and search type (Web, YouTube, News, etc.)
- Analyze the “Interest over time” graph
- Scroll to “Related queries” and “Related topics” for keyword ideas
How to use Google Trends to find a niche?
It’s a powerful tool for niche discovery:
- Check regional interest to target specific markets
- Search broad topics (e.g., “fitness,” “diet,” “tech”)
- Look for breakout terms or rising queries
- Use the “2004–present” time range to spot long-term trends
- Compare niche ideas to see which has consistent interest
What are breakout keywords and why are they important?
Breakout keywords are search terms that have surged in popularity, often by over 5000%. They’re labeled as “Breakout” in Google Trends and signal low-competition, high-opportunity topics.