Introduction to Google Trends

This initial course is designed to impart the foundational knowledge of Google Trends, utilizing the complimentary Trends Explore tool.

Lesson Synopsis

Google Trends is a tool that reveals the topics people are currently searching for. This data can be utilized to gauge search interest in specific subjects, locations, and times. The lesson aims to equip you with the ability to decipher this data independently.

Topic Selection and Analysis

The Trends Explore tool allows for the examination of Google Trends data, which is categorized into topics for a comprehensive understanding of search patterns. You can also search for individual terms.

Steps for Topic Selection

1. As you begin typing your query, a list will appear, suggesting topics that Google Trends thinks you might be researching.
2. If the list shows the topic you’re interested in, select it to see the data. Topics are usually more reliable as they encompass exact phrases, misspellings, acronyms, and are applicable across languages.
3. To grasp the distinction between topics and search terms, compare both for the same title simultaneously.
4. Up to five topics or terms can be compared in the Trends Explore tool, ensuring that comparisons are made between similar categories.

Interpreting the Interest Over Time Graph

When you look up a topic on Trends Explore, you’ll see a graph depicting its popularity over time.

Steps for Reading the Graph

1. For instance, search for ‘Veganism’ globally in 2017 and observe the search interest over time.
2. Alter the time range to the past five years and note how the peak interest dates shift.
3. The graph’s values are normalized and indexed from 1-100, with each point being a fraction of the highest point, which is 100.

Comprehending the Indexed Data

Google Trends data is derived from a random, unbiased sample of Google searches. The data is indexed from 1-100, with 100 representing the peak search interest for the chosen time and location.

Search Interest by Location

Google Trends also segregates data by geographical location.

Steps for Location Data

1. After searching, scroll to view search interest by location, which varies if your setting is ‘Worldwide’ or specific to a country.
2. You can toggle between map and list views to see the data.
3. Google Trends data can be grouped by country, region, city, and sometimes metro area.
4. Hovering over a location or using list view will show an indexed search interest value between 1-100.

Top and Rising Searches

This part of the Trends Explore tool shows the most popular and rapidly increasing search topics and queries.

Steps for Analyzing Searches

1. At the bottom of the Trends Explore page, you’ll find tables for ‘Related topics’ and ‘Related queries’.
2. The tool automatically displays data for ‘rising’ searches, indicating a significant increase in search interest.
3. Switching to ‘Top’ will show the queries or topics with the highest search volume for the selected timeframe and location.

Exclusions in Search Data

Certain searches are omitted from Trends data for accuracy, including those by very few people, duplicate searches in a short period, and queries with special characters.