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- Read the chart correctly before choosing a topic
- 1. Set the market and search type
- 2. Distinguish a search term from a topic
- 3. Check recurring seasonality
- 4. Review related queries and rising interest
- 5. Compare candidate angles together
- 6. Validate demand and the existing page
- 7. Turn the trend into useful content
- 8. Use regional differences carefully
- 9. Measure what happened after publication
Use Google Trends to compare relative search interest, spot seasonality, and discover related questions. Then validate the opportunity with your audience, current search results, and keyword or Search Console data. Trends does not report exact monthly search volume or guarantee that a topic will rank.
Read the chart correctly before choosing a topic
Trends uses sampled, normalized data. The 0-100 scale describes relative interest within the selected comparison, place, and period. A score of 100 is the chart’s peak, not 100 searches. A zero can reflect insufficient data rather than nobody searching.
Two regions with the same score can have very different total search counts. Read Google’s explanation of Trends data before treating a chart as a market-size estimate.
1. Set the market and search type
In Explore, enter a topic or term and select the geography and period relevant to your audience. Choose the appropriate search type, such as Web Search or YouTube Search. Keep those settings consistent when comparing ideas.
A web-content plan and a video-content plan may need different evidence. Do not present a YouTube interest chart as a count of Google web searches.
2. Distinguish a search term from a topic
A term follows the entered wording; a topic can group a broader concept. Inspect what you selected, especially for ambiguous words or multilingual research. Use a category filter when it helps separate meanings. Google’s comparison guidance explains these controls.
3. Check recurring seasonality
Compare a recent period with several years where data is available. Repeated peaks suggest a planning cycle; a single spike may be a news event. Plan enough time for research, production, and review rather than assuming every article should be published a fixed number of months in advance.
For a lawn-care business, for example, compare maintenance questions in the actual service region. Do not assume the same seasonal pattern applies to a different climate.
4. Review related queries and rising interest
Related queries can suggest a reader’s next question. “Breakout” indicates very large growth relative to the comparison period, not necessarily a large absolute audience. Check the query’s meaning and the underlying event before building a page around it. See Google’s related-search explanation.
5. Compare candidate angles together
Put candidates in the same comparison rather than comparing separately normalized screenshots. Record the settings and collection date with the result. Prefer a topic that fits your offer and expertise over one that is merely rising faster.
| Observation | Useful next action |
|---|---|
| A recurring seasonal peak | Review and improve an existing relevant page before the next cycle |
| A sudden news-driven spike | Check whether you can add timely, original information |
| Insufficient data | Use customer questions and other evidence; do not infer zero demand |
| A declining broad term | Investigate changing language and narrower questions before abandoning the topic |
Swipe the table to see all columns.
6. Validate demand and the existing page
Use Search Console to see whether your site already receives impressions for related queries. Inspect the Pages tab to avoid creating a duplicate answer. Use keyword research estimates as additional context, keeping their geography and dates with them.
In BrandWell, open Visibility > Keywords > Research to investigate the candidate and save relevant ideas. Then use RankWell > Articles > Plan before you write > Check opportunity to review existing content and prepare a brief.
7. Turn the trend into useful content
Write down the reader’s task, the evidence behind the timing, the existing URL to improve or the new page to create, and the example you can contribute. Ask AIMEE to help assemble a draft from that brief, then check every claim and source before publishing.
For example, a payroll business could turn recurring year-end questions into a reviewed checklist, linking jurisdiction-specific requirements to official sources. This is an illustrative planning approach, not a reported customer outcome.
8. Use regional differences carefully
A higher regional interest score does not establish more customers or justify dozens of nearly identical city pages. Confirm that you serve the location and can provide distinct, useful local information before creating a page.
9. Measure what happened after publication
Track relevant queries, qualified visits, and business outcomes. Compare similar periods and account for seasonality. A rising trend can increase impressions without your article gaining position, while a falling trend can reduce traffic even when the page improves.
Keep Trends as one research input. Explore Visibility for ongoing keyword research and tracking and RankWell for turning findings into reviewed content.
Reviewed and updated October 2, 2026.
Written by
Julia McCoy has contributed articles to BrandWell on content marketing, writing, and search engine optimization. This archive retains her original bylines; individual articles may be updated by the BrandWell editorial team.
