Understanding what your customers are searching for is the difference between shouting into a void and having a queue at your door. Google Trends is a free, powerful tool that shows you exactly what’s capture the public’s attention in real-time, allowing you to plan your content around what people actually care about.
In this guide, we’ll walk through how to use Google Trends to find high-traffic topics, time your blog posts perfectly, and outsmart your competitors in the Australian market.
Prerequisites
- A computer or tablet (the mobile version is okay, but desktop is much easier for data analysis).
- A general list of topics or keywords related to your business.
- A notebook or digital doc to jot down your findings.
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Step 1: Access Google Trends and Set Your Region
First things first, head over to trends.google.com. What you’ll see: A search bar and some global data highlights. The crucial first step: By default, Google often shows "Worldwide" data. If you’re a local plumber in Chermside or a boutique in Paddington, what’s trending in the US won't help you much.- Look at the top right corner of the screen.
- Click the globe icon or the country name and select Australia from the dropdown menu.
Pro Tip: If you want to get really granular, you can even filter by specific Australian states (like Queensland) later in the process. This is gold for local service-based businesses.
Step 2: Enter Your Core Topic
Think of a broad term related to your business. For example, if you run a landscaping business in Brisbane, you might type in "Decking" or "Landscaping ideas." What you’ll see: A line graph showing "Interest over time."Don't let the numbers confuse you. The vertical axis isn't the number of searches; it’s a score from 0 to 100 representing search interest relative to the highest point on the chart. 100 is peak popularity, and 50 means it’s half as popular as the peak.
Step 3: Refine Your Timeframe
Google usually defaults to "Past 12 months." This is fine for a quick look, but for serious content planning, we want to see patterns.- Click the "Past 12 months" filter.
- Change it to "2004 - present" or "Past 5 years."
Step 4: Compare Multiple Terms
This is my favourite part. Sometimes we use industry jargon that customers don't actually use.- Click + Compare next to your first search term.
- Enter a synonymous term (e.g., if your first term was "Lawyer," try "Solicitor").
Step 5: Analyse the "Related Queries" Section
Scroll down to the bottom of the page. You’ll find two boxes: "Related topics" and "Related queries."- Related Topics: These are broader themes.
- Related Queries: These are specific things people are typing into Google.
Change the filter from "Rising" to "Top."
- Top: These are the most popular searches overall.
- Rising: These are terms that are currently exploding in popularity (great for "breaking news" style blog posts).
Step 6: Identify "Breakout" Trends
In the "Rising" queries section, you might see the word "Breakout." This means the search term has grown by more than 5,000% in the given timeframe. Pro tip from experience: These are often temporary fads or specific news events. If you can write a quick, helpful blog post about a "Breakout" topic related to your industry today, you can catch a massive wave of traffic before your competitors even wake up. Just be aware that these trends often crash as fast as they rise.Step 7: Filter by Category or Search Type
If your search term has multiple meanings (e.g., "Jaguar" could be the car or the animal), use the Categories filter to narrow it down to your industry.Also, try changing "Web Search" to "YouTube Search." Context: If you’re planning video content or Reels, seeing what’s trending on YouTube is much more relevant than standard Google Web Search. This is a step most people overlook, and honestly, the interface doesn't make it obvious—it’s a tiny dropdown menu at the top.
Step 8: Map Your Findings to a Content Calendar
Now, take your findings and put them into action.- Identify the "Lulls": When interest is low, focus on "Evergreen" content (topics that are always relevant).
- Identify the "Peaks": Mark the months where interest starts to climb.
- The 3-Month Rule: Start publishing your content 2-3 months before the peak. Google takes time to index your pages. If you wait until December to post about "Christmas Gift Ideas," you’ve already missed the boat.
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Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Ignoring the Australian context: Always double-check that your filter is set to Australia. Searching for "Football" will give you very different results in the US compared to Melbourne!
- Over-optimising for "Breakout" terms: Don't build your whole business on a fad. Use breakout terms for quick traffic, but keep your core focus on steady, high-volume "Top" queries.
- Confusing volume with intent: Just because a term is popular doesn't mean those people want to buy. "How to fix a tap" is popular, but those people are DIYers. "Plumber near me" has lower volume but much higher commercial intent.
Troubleshooting
- "Not enough data": If you see this, your search term is too specific (e.g., "Organic dog treats for poodles in Indooroopilly"). Broaden your search to "Dog treats" or "Organic pet food" to see the general trend, then apply those insights to your niche.
- The graph looks like a flat line: Check your timeframe. If you're looking at the "Past hour," most things look flat. Set it to a minimum of "Past 90 days."
- The data looks weirdly spiky: This often happens with brand names or celebrities. If a news story breaks, it creates a massive spike that makes the rest of the year look like zero. Try removing that specific term to see the rest of the data more clearly.
Next Steps
Now that you know what's trending, it's time to create the content!- Pick three "Top" queries you found today.
- Write one 800-word blog post for each, focusing on answering the user's question.
- Check back in 30 days to see how your interest levels have shifted.
If you're finding the data a bit overwhelming or you want a professional team to handle your content strategy for you, we’re here to help. You can reach out to us at https://lmgroup.au/contact to chat about growing your Brisbane business through smart SEO and content marketing.