Every time you carry out a Google search you are expressing a need. You are also providing data about that need that can be harnessed and utilised by the people that are able to fulfil your requirements. 
 
This data can be accessed in a number of ways. One of them is to carry out keyword searches using the Keyword Planner and metrics such as estimated search volumes. This can be helpful, but it is not the most accurate or precise way of tapping into the potential of the available data at specific times of year. 
 
One other way that small businesses can really use the power of data from Google searches is to use Google Trends. This mines the search functions for search terms that are popular right now. And when you think that many of the goods and services that we use are seasonal, this seems to make more sense than using the keyword searches which cover a broader time scale. 
 
For example, think about summer clothing such as swimming costumes. These will be most in demand in the summer months in the UK. So, as an ecommerce platform that sells swimming costumes, you need to start focusing on these products from January onwards. 

How does Google Trends work? 

Google Trends works by reporting the relative popularity of search terms across various regions and in different languages. You can use the Trends website to scrape the data about various products and their seasonal appeal in the searches. You can do this manually by entering keywords that you think are relevant to your business – but remember to choose them selectively or this can turn into an extensive process. Some terms are just not popular enough to register on the Trends website, so you may need to do some careful thinking about what you are looking for. 
 
In general, long tail searches tend to follow the same trend line as the main searches. So, for example, ‘red swimming costume’ will follow the same path as ‘swimming costume’. You can save some time in this way by only looking for main search terms. 
 
When you have found the data that you need, you can export it by clicking the small downwards arrow icon. You can then chart the data in a spreadsheet to present it in a more visual and easier to understand way. 
 

How to apply Google Trends data 

If you use the Google Trends data once a year, you can plot a calendar for your goods and services, creating a schedule for when you need to market certain products. However, if your ecommerce platform sells lots of different products, this can start to get a little unwieldy. However, there are other ways that you can use the Google Trends data in a more efficient way. 
 
These include the following: 
 
Historical sales: You can use this data from your own records to validate the data from Google Trends. For example, it might predict that swimming costumes start trending in early spring but does the sales data from your own records agree with this? It’s worth checking to corroborate the data from Google Trends to make sure it will work with your sales schedule. 
 
Margins: If you don’t have time to optimise all of your products, then start with the most profitable and work your way back from there. This is the most logical way to work. 
 
Estimated search volume: The products that register the highest search volumes will generally be those that generate the most sales. 
 
Google Trends data can throw up some surprises. Some of these might be genuinely effective but it is always worth trying to validate the data with your own experience as well as using other metrics. 
 

Tricks and tips for using Google Trends  

1. You can use Google Trends to find niches. You can do this by expanding the search period. For example, rather than looking just at the last 12 months, take the search history back to 2004 and you can see which products are on an overall upward curve and which are going down in popularity. This gives you a clearer picture of the long-term trajectory. It can also help to highlight the seasonal popularity of certain items. 
 
2. You can also use Google Trends to do valuable keyword research. Imagine you are selling men’s shirts. Google Trends may show that this product is trending upward. But you can also use this to figure out what goes after the main keyword. Look at the Related Queries section on the right-hand side of Related Topics - this will give you more information about colours, styles and other details that frequently come up in searches. 
 
3. It is also a great tool for keeping your content fresh and relevant. If you struggle to find relevant blog topics or titles, then you can see what is trending at certain times of the year and build your content around that. 
 
4. By coinciding relevant themes for your blog posts with trending topics, you can also help to boost your SEO and traffic throughout the year. 
 
5. Another way you can use Google Trends is to monitor competitors using the compare function. You can see how well your brand has been performing against your rival's over time and monitor this to see if there are any trends you can build upon. 
Google Trends is a very useful tool for businesses with an ecommerce platform. It should be used ideally in conjunction with other SEO and marketing tools to create an overall strategy. Get it right and it can help you to target the right products at the right time of year, leading to more efficient marketing, increased traffic and revenue, and reduced budget. 
 
If you would like more insight into Google Trends, or to get some help trying to access and apply the data, get in touch with the team here at it’seeze Web Design Windsor. We can help you to use Google Trends to get your business working smarter. 
 
Tagged as: Ecommerce websites
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