At InSynch we undertake digital marketing consultancy and write digital marketing strategies for organisations of all sizes and sectors. I have many tools up my sleeve to help make businesses market themselves more effectively. I thought it would be nice to share one of these tools that I use almost without fail when working with a business and tell you how to use this valuable tool in your business.
Google Trends
Google Trends is basically what the name implies. It gives you trends on what people are searching for. Not just over the last few days, but over the last 12 years!
How to use it for your business
1. Find out when people are searching for your product or services
If we were to look at a graph over the year of when people search for what you sell or offer, it would never be a flat line. There are peaks and troughs throughout the year. Some of which can be quite dramatic. The basic principle is that if you plan your marketing activities to coincide with these peaks, when people are more predisposed to be looking for your product or service, you will get a higher response rate.
For example, in the tourism sector, the first two weeks of January are the most popular time to search for a holiday cottage. The week before Christmas is the least likely time and yet this is when many holiday cottage providers send Christmas cards to previous guests. Simply sending new year cards instead in the first week of January will have a far better result. See the screenshot below.
It doesn’t matter what your industry sector is, there will be a trend of some description. Funnily enough many industries follow the same pattern as tourism. January is also a peak time for people planning a Wedding (for those in this marketplace). Sadly, it is also a peak time for people searching for Divorce! Something for our solicitor clients to note!
2. Discover how the use of phrases is changing, and change your Website content accordingly
A basic search engine optimisation principle is that you should include the words on your Website that people are searching for. This changes over time. For example, there is a reason why we changes the name of our popular marketing course:
It used to be – Internet Marketing Masterclass
It is now called DIY Digital Marketing
Why? Have a look at the graph from Google Trends below showing the use of both Internet marketing and Digital Marketing over time. Quite simply, more people now search for Digital Marketing and so if we want to get found in more searches, we can change the name of the course to help this happen.
Please remember that this is just one tool you can use but I think if you had a look and tried some phrases, you will find it interesting. Have a go for yourself here at www.google.co.uk/trends
If you would like to discuss how we can give you support with your digital marketing, just contact us to discuss your needs