How to Use Google Trends to Predict Profitable Content Topics
You’re creating content that nobody’s searching for.
I know this because I made the same mistake for years—choosing topics based on gut feeling, personal interest, or what some guru said was “hot right now.”
Then I discovered how to actually use Google Trends (not just glance at it), and everything changed.
One topic I identified using this method brought me over 50,000 visitors from a single piece of content. Meanwhile, my competitors were still chasing yesterday’s trends.
Let me show you the exact process.
Why Most People Use Google Trends Wrong
The typical approach goes like this:
- Type in a topic you’re interested in
- See a graph showing search volume
- If it’s going up right now, create content about it
The problem? If you can see it trending, so can everyone else. You’re late to the party.
By the time you create and publish your content, the trend is already declining and you’re competing with hundreds of other creators who had the same idea.
The real power of Google Trends is identifying topics in the early stages of growth—finding the wave before it crests, not after.
The 5-Step Google Trends Process
Step 1: Set Your Timeframe to 5 Years
Don’t use the default “past 12 months.” You need a longer view to identify real patterns versus temporary spikes.
When you look at 5 years of data, you can see if something is:
- A fad that spiked and died
- A genuine trend with sustained growth
Example: “Keto diet” peaked around 2018-2019 and has been declining since—not a great investment now. But “intermittent fasting” shows steady upward growth over several years—much better bet.
Step 2: Look for Steady Upward Trajectories (Not Spikes)
A spike means something went viral for a moment, probably driven by news or a celebrity. That traffic disappears as fast as it came.
What you want is a nice, consistent upward slope. That indicates:
- Growing genuine interest
- People discovering the topic organically
- Compounding searches over time
These topics give you sustained traffic, not a one-day boost.
Step 3: Mine the Related Queries Section
This is pure gold, and most people skip right past it.
At the bottom of Google Trends, you’ll see “Related topics” and “Related queries.” Switch from “top” to “rising.”
Rising queries show you what’s getting the biggest percentage increase in searches. These are the specific phrases and questions people are typing into Google right now.
This is your content roadmap.
If you see a rising query with 200% or 500% growth, create content answering that exact query. You’re literally being told what people want.
Step 4: Compare Multiple Topics
Don’t look at one thing in isolation. Use the compare feature to pit two or three related topics against each other.
Example: Compare “email marketing,” “SMS marketing,” and “messenger marketing.”
You might discover:
- Email marketing = flat
- SMS marketing = slowly growing
- Messenger marketing = spiking up
Now you know where to focus your content efforts.
Step 5: Check Regional Interest
Sometimes a trend starts in one geographic area and spreads to others.
Look at the map section in Google Trends. If something is:
- Huge in California/New York but hasn’t hit the rest of the US yet → You can get ahead of it
- Massive in the UK/Australia but just starting in the US → You have advance warning
Create content now before the trend hits your region fully.
Real Example: How I Got 50K Visitors
Two years ago, I was researching productivity topics. I searched “Notion app” in Google Trends with a 5-year timeframe.
What I found:
- Steady growth for about 18 months
- The growth was accelerating
- Not yet a huge mainstream topic
- Clear upward trajectory
I looked at related queries and saw people searching for:
- “Notion templates”
- “How to use Notion”
- “Notion vs Evernote”
I created a comprehensive guide on Notion templates. That one article has brought me over 50,000 visitors and still ranks on page one of Google.
Meanwhile, people who waited until Notion was mainstream are now competing with thousands of articles and getting buried.
Advanced Tactic: Seasonal Trends With Year-Over-Year Growth
Some topics spike at the same time every year (like “tax software” in January-April).
Look at a 5-year view to see if those seasonal spikes are getting bigger each year.
If tax software searches are 20% higher this January compared to last January, that’s a growing seasonal opportunity.
Strategy: Create your content in the off-season, get it ranking, and when the season hits, you’ll dominate.
Use Google Trends for Validation
Before creating a course, product, or major content series, search related terms in Google Trends:
Is interest growing or shrinking?
If you’re thinking about creating a course on Facebook ads, but Google Trends shows declining interest over 5 years—reconsider. Or pivot to TikTok ads, which might show explosive growth.
What Doesn’t Work
❌ Don’t Chase News-Driven Spikes
If you see a massive spike because something was in the news, ignore it unless you can publish content within hours. Those spikes drop back down just as fast.
❌ Don’t Focus on Flat or Declining Trends
It doesn’t matter how much you love the topic—if interest is dying, your content won’t get traffic.
❌ Don’t Ignore Related Queries
That’s where the specific content ideas live. Skipping this section is leaving money on the table.
Your Action Plan
Here’s what to do right now:
- Go to Google Trends
- Think of 3 topics in your niche
- Search each one with a 5-year timeframe
- Identify which one has the best growth trajectory
- Look at rising queries for that topic
- Pick the top 3 rising queries and create content around each one this month
I guarantee you’ll see better results than creating content based on gut feeling.
Pro Tip: Set Up Google Alerts
Once you’ve identified a growing trend, set up Google Alerts for your chosen topics.
You’ll get emailed anytime your topic is mentioned online. This keeps you informed and gives you fresh content angles.
The Bottom Line
Google Trends is a crystal ball for content creators.
It shows you:
- What people are searching for
- What’s growing
- What’s dying
Use it to create content for tomorrow’s trends, not yesterday’s. Get ahead of the curve instead of chasing it.
Stop guessing. Start using data to guide your content strategy.
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Have you used Google Trends to find winning topics? Share your success stories in the comments!
