Google Trends is a tool put out by Google Labs that allows users to monitor the most popular search results on the web and how they have changed over time (since 2004). Google Trends also displays news stories covering factors that may have affected the volume of the term’s search results.

After entering your search term, Google Trends will display a line graph that has time (in years) across the horizontal axis and search volume (on a global scale) on the vertical axis. There is also a news-reference-volume graph that tracks which news stories relevant to your search term have appeared on Google News. Below this, Google Trends displays which countries, cities and regions have searched for this term the most.

Another brilliant feature Google Trends offers is the ability to compare multiple search terms (up to five) on the same graph. Simply enter the terms, each separated by a comma, and then the graph will display them with each term designated a different color. This allows companies and internet marketers to pinpoint which search terms are more popular so they can optimize their websites, blogs and articles accordingly. They can also hone in on specific times in the year when their respective search terms increase in popularity (i.e. Turkey recipes peaking around November and December).

Hot Trends is a recent addition to Google Trends and follows the top 100 search terms that have had recent surges in popularity. It is updated roughly on an hourly basis and users can look up past dates to see how the most popular terms have changed in ranking.

At Apollo Media, we are very excited about the potential Google Trends has for search engine optimization as it is such an accessible and organized tool for analyzing what search terms draw the most attention. Understanding what potential customers are searching for online is vital to satisfying their demands. And keeping track of how news stories change the frequency of the term’s use deepens any analysis of the online marketplace.

Stay tuned to Apollo’s blog for future stories about Google Trends and how you can incorporate its findings in your online efforts.