Understanding what your customers are searching for is like having a crystal ball for your business. Google Trends allows you to peek into the collective mind of the Australian public to see what’s gaining traction, what’s dying out, and where the next big opportunity lies in your specific industry.
Why Google Trends is a Game-Changer for Aussie Small Businesses
Most business owners guess what their customers want. They might notice a few more enquiries for 'retaining walls' in spring and assume that’s the peak. But Google Trends gives you the hard data. Whether you're a plumber in Chermside or a boutique law firm in the Brisbane CBD, knowing when and where people are searching for your services allows you to spend your marketing budget much more effectively.
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What You’ll Need Before You Start
- A computer or tablet: While it works on mobile, the graphs are much easier to read on a larger screen.
- A list of 5–10 'Seed Keywords': These are the basic terms people use to find your business (e.g., "conveyancing," "pest control," "organic dog food").
- An open mind: Sometimes the data will tell you that your favourite product idea is actually losing popularity—it’s better to find out now than after you’ve spent thousands on stock!
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Step 1: Access the Tool and Set Your Region
First things first, head over to trends.google.com.au.
Pro Tip from the LMG Team: Google often defaults to 'United States' or 'Worldwide'. If you’re a local business in South East Queensland, US data is worse than useless—it’s misleading.- Look at the top right corner of the screen.
- If it says 'United States', click the dropdown and select Australia.
- (Optional) You can actually drill down further once you start searching, but setting the country level is the essential first step.
Step 2: Enter Your First Search Term
In the big search bar in the middle of the home page, type in your primary service or product. Let's use "Air Conditioning" as an example.
- What you’ll see: A line graph showing the 'Interest over time'.
- Note: The numbers on the Y-axis (0-100) don’t represent total search volume (like 1,000 searches). Instead, they represent relative popularity. 100 is the peak popularity for that term in the chosen timeframe.
Step 3: Refine Your Timeframe for Seasonality
Google defaults to 'Past 12 months'. This is okay, but for true market research, we want to see patterns.
- Click the 'Past 12 months' dropdown.
- Change it to 'Past 5 years'.
- Observation: You’ll likely see a series of peaks and valleys. For our air conditioning example, you’ll see massive spikes every November/December.
Step 4: Drill Down into Local Brisbane/QLD Data
Australia is a massive place with very different climates and needs. What’s trending in Melbourne might be irrelevant in Brisbane.
- Below the main graph, you’ll see a map of Australia.
- Click on Queensland.
- Now, look at the top filter bar again. It should say 'Australia > Queensland'.
- You can even click the 'Subregion' dropdown and change it to 'City' to see if Brisbane or the Gold Coast is driving the most interest.
Step 5: Use the 'Compare' Feature to Test Your Niche
This is the most powerful part of the tool. Let’s say you’re an electrician and you’re wondering whether to focus your Google Ads budget on "Solar Panels" or "EV Charger Installation".
- Click + Compare next to your first search term.
- Type in your second term.
- The Visual: Google will give you two different coloured lines.
Step 6: Analyse 'Related Topics' and 'Related Queries'
Scroll down to the bottom of the page. You’ll see two boxes: 'Related topics' and 'Related queries'.
- Related Topics: These are broader categories. If you search for "Gym", a related topic might be "Weight Loss" or "Yoga".
Change the dropdown in these boxes from 'Top' to 'Rising'.
- 'Top' are the most popular (usually very competitive).
- 'Rising' (or 'Breakout') are terms that are suddenly exploding in popularity. This is your 'Gold Mine' area. If you see a 'Breakout' term related to your business, get a blog post or a service page up for it immediately!
Step 7: Identify 'Breakout' Trends for Content Ideas
If a term is marked as "Breakout," it means search interest has grown by more than 5,000% in the given period.
- Example: During the 2022 floods in Brisbane, terms like "Sump pump repair" or "Mould removal Brisbane" became Breakout terms.
Step 8: Use Category Filtering to Clean Up Data
Sometimes a word has two meanings. If you search for "Jaguar," are people looking for the car or the animal?
- Click the 'All categories' dropdown.
- Select the relevant industry (e.g., 'Autos & Vehicles').
- This filters out the noise and ensures you’re looking at market research for your actual industry.
Step 9: Exporting Your Findings for Your Business Plan
If you’re doing this research to apply for a business loan or to present to a partner, you need the data off the screen.
- Look for the CSV icon (a little arrow pointing down to a tray) on the top right of any chart.
- Download the data into Excel or Google Sheets.
- Pro Tip: This is great for creating your own custom charts for a marketing strategy document.
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Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Ignoring the 'Low Search Volume' warning: If you get a message saying there isn't enough data, your search term is too specific. Try broadening it. Instead of "organic sourdough bakery Paddington QLD", just try "Sourdough bakery".
- Confusing 'Search Volume' with 'Intent': Just because "Free Plumbing Advice" is trending doesn't mean those people want to hire a plumber. Look for terms with 'commercial intent' like "Plumber near me" or "Emergency plumber Brisbane price".
- Overreacting to short-term blips: A 1-week spike might just be a news story. Always look at the 12-month or 5-year view to see if a trend is sustainable.
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Troubleshooting Common Issues
"The map isn't showing Brisbane, it's just showing Australia!" Google Trends doesn't always have enough data to show specific suburbs. If the 'City' view is blank, stick to the 'State' (Queensland) view. It’s usually enough to give you a clear picture of the local market. "My graph is a flat line at the bottom!" This usually happens if you’ve included an ABN or a very specific business name. Google Trends is for market research, not brand research. Use generic terms that describe what you do, not who you are. "The interface looks different than your description!" Don't worry, Google loves to move buttons around. Look for the three-line 'hamburger' menu or gear icons—the functionality rarely changes, even if the 'paint job' does.---
Next Steps
- Map out your seasonal calendar: Based on your 5-year trend data, mark down which months you should increase your advertising spend and which months you should focus on admin.
- Update your website keywords: Take those 'Rising' queries you found and make sure they appear in your website's headings and meta descriptions.
- Spy on your competitors (sort of): Enter a competitor's brand name into the search bar. If they have enough volume, you can see if interest in them is growing or shrinking compared to yours.
Need a hand interpreting your data or building a strategy around these trends? The team at Local Marketing Group is here to help Brisbane businesses navigate the digital landscape. Contact us today for a chat about your local marketing needs.
Almost there! You've now got the tools to stop guessing and start growing based on real Aussie search data.