What Is Google Traits?
Google Traits is a free software for analyzing search time period recognition over time throughout areas and languages, utilizing a scale from 0-100. It helps companies optimize advertising and marketing methods primarily based on real-time search information.
Google Traits visualizes search curiosity over time. It reveals developments primarily based on location and time-frame, nevertheless it doesn’t present precise search volumes.
Right here’s an instance of a Google Traits graph:

Why Google Traits Issues for search engine optimization Success
Google Traits helps you determine rising developments and keep away from matters with declining curiosity so you possibly can guarantee your content material stays related.
The software additionally helps you analyze seasonal developments and regional pursuits, serving to you choose the precise time, place, and language for creating and distributing content material.
However Google Traits solely reveals relative curiosity, not precise search quantity. To substantiate a subject’s potential, you’ll must cross-reference with different instruments for exact information.
Use Semrush’s suite of instruments to examine the month-to-month search quantity and discover further related key phrases for the search phrases you discover with Google Traits.
Easy methods to Use Google Traits to Enhance Your search engine optimization Efforts
Discover Common Matters in Particular Time Frames and Areas
Choose a time-frame and area to search out well timed and related matters to focus on in your search engine optimization campaigns.
First, go to Google Traits and enter a search time period. Choose the specified nation and time-frame.
The default setting reveals information for the previous day.

You may modify each the situation and time-frame for extra tailor-made outcomes. This helps you gauge developments and plan accordingly.

Examine Search Time period Recognition in Totally different Classes
Google Traits permits you to examine a single search time period throughout enterprise classes to assist guarantee your content material aligns along with your viewers’s pursuits.
Merely click on on “All classes” and choose the class you need to discover.

For instance, let’s examine the recognition of the search time period “chatgpt” in two classes: Autos & Autos and Magnificence & Health.
In Autos & Autos, “chatgpt” peaked in April 2025 however is declining.

In distinction, in Magnificence & Health, “chatgpt” has been steadily growing through the earlier 12 months.

This comparability reveals how curiosity can range throughout classes and areas. So you possibly can keep centered on what issues to your viewers.
Examine Totally different Search Phrases to Gauge Recognition
Google Traits additionally helps examine a number of search phrases. This lets you determine the most well-liked matters.
For instance, let’s examine “chatgpt,” “claude,” and “gemini ai.”
Click on “+ Examine” and enter the search time period.

You’ll shortly see which phrases dominate.

And whether or not there are variations in language preferences.
For instance, the phrases “london relocation” and “shifting to london” appear fairly related, however the latter appears extra standard.

Google Traits will help you discover refined nuances in your viewers’s language.
Discover Seasonality Patterns
Google Traits reveals seasonality patterns, which will help you propose your content material calendar successfully.
For instance, curiosity in “Mom’s Day presents” rises each April in anticipation of the Could 10 vacation.
However if you wish to publish a Mom’s Day present information, plan to publish it one month early to seize curiosity initially of the annual development line.

In case your trade is very seasonal, this software will help you optimize timing for content material and campaigns.
Use the ‘Trending Now’ Characteristic to Discover Rising Matters
The “Trending Now” window reveals matters which have seen a speedy improve in curiosity over the previous 4, 24, or 48 hours, and 7 days.
The graph reveals you when the development began and the approximate search quantity for it.
For instance, developments within the “Sports activities” class can provide you well timed content material concepts.

By monitoring these developments, you possibly can determine rising matters related to your online business.
If you discover one thing that your online business has a novel perspective on or recent information about, you possibly can bounce on the development by including that subject instantly to your content material calendar.
Apply Google Traits Insights Throughout Channels
Discover New Concepts for Your Content material Calendar
Google Traits helps you generate new concepts in your content material calendar by analyzing associated matters.
After researching a selected time period, scroll all the way down to the “Associated matters” and “Associated queries” sections to search out trending matters in your viewers.
On this instance, Ghibli-style animations are at present rising in recognition.

Click on “Rising” to change to “High” outcomes. This reveals matters with the very best total curiosity, not simply inside the chosen time-frame.

This characteristic helps you determine top-performing matters and rising developments. Use it to search out content material concepts with excessive potential to drive natural site visitors and increase enterprise income.
Carry out Key phrase Analysis
After discovering an rising subject on Google Traits, validate its viewers relevance and potential to drive site visitors by performing key phrase analysis.
Use the Key phrase Magic Instrument to enter the rising search time period, discover associated subtopics, and examine key metrics. This helps affirm if the subject can appeal to natural site visitors and generate extra income.
For instance, in the event you run an affiliate weblog about generative AI instruments and spot rising curiosity in “chatgpt,” you possibly can deal with associated content material.
Wanting on the outcomes, you possibly can see that customers are in search of a mixture of login pages, checking if ChatGPT is down, and ChatGPT-related instruments.

Subsequent, analyze the search intent (the aim behind the search):
- Navigational (N): The searcher is in search of a selected web page or web site
- Informational (I): The searcher desires to be taught one thing
- Industrial (C): The searcher is exploring choices earlier than buying
- Transactional (T): The searcher is able to make a purchase order

Revisit your record to determine matters with industrial intent, which might drive income, comparable to software comparisons or options.

Additional prioritize by reviewing the next columns:
- Quantity: Represents the common variety of month-to-month searches for the key phrase
- Key phrase Problem (KD%): Represents how onerous it might be to rank for this key phrase primarily based on the present competitors

On this instance, the 4 key phrases have an identical search volumes however range in key phrase issue. Prioritize key phrases with decrease issue to rank quicker and increase natural site visitors.
Enhance Your YouTube search engine optimization
Google Traits helps you optimize for YouTube search engine optimization by figuring out matters that may rank nicely in YouTube’s search outcomes. So you possibly can create content material round them.
For instance, in the event you’re a health creator, enter a subject thought like “yoga.”
Then apply these filters:
- Change the “Internet Search” class to “YouTube Search”
- Choose the “All classes” drop-down and select your channel’s theme (e.g., “Magnificence & Health”)

Now, you’ll see the development for “yoga” on YouTube.

The development is steady and nonetheless standard, so creating video content material round it may very well be a good selection.
To find different video concepts, scroll all the way down to the “Associated matters” and “Associated queries” sections.
Click on the arrow buttons to discover extra associated outcomes.

This reveals different related matters, comparable to:
- “facial yoga”
- “yoga for seniors”
- “yoga nidra 10 minutes”
These matters can provide further content material concepts.
Use Google Traits to Discover Concepts for Social Media Content material
Utilizing developments in your social media content material helps you publish what your viewers is occupied with, primarily based on present developments.
For instance, discover the “Leisure” class within the “Trending Now” tab to search out popular culture actions to react to in your social media accounts.

If a subject sees a progress of greater than 5,000%, it’s thought of a breakout subject.
At Semrush, we leverage breakout matters like these.
As an illustration, when the Barbie film was introduced, there was numerous buzz.
We responded by creating this Fb submit evaluating how touchdown pages are sometimes designed versus different elements of a web site.

It’s a fast strategy to join along with your viewers and increase interactions.
Keep away from Widespread Google Traits Pitfalls
Widespread errors happen when customers misunderstand how Google Traits works.
Right here’s a breakdown of key pitfalls.
Small-Pattern Information Traps
Small-sample information traps happen when spikes in Google Traits don’t replicate actual search demand. This usually occurs when a time period with low curiosity sees a slight improve in searches.
As a result of low baseline, Google Traits might present a spike, however the search quantity stays low.
For instance, take into account the key phrase “fractional content material workforce.”
The graph reveals a peak in October 2024, which could lead you to consider it’s an rising development.

However once you examine the search quantity for this time period in Key phrase Overview, you’ll discover solely 20 month-to-month searches.

Because of this it is best to at all times pair Google Traits with a extra thorough evaluation utilizing instruments like Semrush.
Misreading Relative Curiosity
Misreading relative curiosity occurs when customers mistake the graph in Google Traits for search quantity.
The Google Traits graph reveals relative curiosity, scaled from 0-100—not precise search quantity.
A search time period with “100” on the Google Traits graph doesn’t imply it has 100 month-to-month searches or is probably the most searched question. It solely means the subject had its peak curiosity through the chosen time and within the chosen area.
For instance, the time period “chatgpt” has an curiosity of 63 on the Google Traits graph.

However after checking the search quantity, you’ll discover that “chatgpt” is searched by a whole bunch of hundreds of thousands of customers worldwide every month.

Alternatively, the rising time period “generative engine optimization” lately reached 100 on the Google Traits graph.

However its search quantity is simply round 2,000 month-to-month searches, in keeping with Key phrase Overview.

Though 2,000 month-to-month searches isn’t insignificant, relying solely on Google Traits might result in a probably false conclusion that this subject has a whole bunch of hundreds of potential guests.
At all times double-check and validate information from Google Traits with instruments like Semrush for accuracy and context.
Flip Google Traits Indicators Into Subsequent Steps
Google Traits is a strong software for uncovering insights and remodeling development spikes into natural site visitors surges.
Use Google Traits to determine rising matters in your content material.
Then, join Semrush’s Key phrase Overview and Key phrase Magic instruments to evaluate whether or not these matters can considerably impression your search engine optimization outcomes.