In the fast-paced world of digital marketing, guessing what your audience wants to read is a recipe for wasted effort. Google Trends is a powerful, free tool that allows you to peek into the minds of Australians by showing you exactly what people are searching for in real-time. By aligning your content strategy with these insights, you ensure your blog posts, social media updates, and newsletters are always relevant and timely.
Why Google Trends Matters for Australian Small Businesses
For a business owner in Brisbane or across Australia, Google Trends is the bridge between "what we think is interesting" and "what people are actually looking for." It helps you avoid seasonal duds (like promoting winter coats in November) and allows you to capitalise on breakout topics before your competitors even notice them.
---
Prerequisites: What You’ll Need
- A computer or tablet with an internet connection.
- A basic understanding of your core business keywords (e.g., "plumber," "solar panels," "real estate").
- No Google account is strictly required to browse, but being logged into your Google Workspace account helps if you want to save your findings.
---
Step 1: Access Google Trends and Set Your Location
Head over to trends.google.com. By default, Google might show you global data or data from the United States.
What you should see: A search bar in the centre with a globe icon or country name nearby.Click on the country dropdown (usually at the top right) and select Australia. This is crucial because search behaviour in Brisbane varies significantly from London or New York. For example, search interest for "Christmas recipes" peaks in December globally, but the types of food (cold prawns vs. roast turkey) vary wildly by region.
Step 2: Start with a Broad Topic Search
In the main search bar, type a broad term related to your industry. For example, if you run a landscaping business, type "landscaping."
What you should see: A line graph showing "Interest over time" on a scale of 0 to 100. Note that 100 represents peak popularity, not total search volume.Step 3: Filter for the Right Timeframe
By default, Google often shows the last 12 months. To find evergreen content ideas, change the filter to "2004-present" or "Past 5 years."
Pro Tip: Look for repeating patterns. If you see a spike every September, you know exactly when to start publishing content about spring gardening to catch the wave of interest.Step 4: Drill Down into Sub-Regions (State & City)
Scroll down to the "Subregion" section. You can click on the map of Australia to see which states are most interested in your topic.
What you should see: A list of states like Queensland, New South Wales, etc.Click on Queensland to see city-specific data. If you are a local Brisbane business, seeing high interest specifically in Brisbane or the Gold Coast helps you tailor your local SEO strategy and mention specific suburbs in your content.
Step 5: Analyse "Related Topics" and "Related Queries"
Scroll further down to find two boxes: "Related topics" and "Related queries." This is where the real content gold is hidden.
- Related Topics: Shows broad themes users also searched for.
- Related Queries: Shows the exact phrases people typed into Google.
Switch the filter from "Top" to "Rising." This shows you "Breakout" terms—topics that are currently exploding in popularity. These are perfect for "newsjacking" or being the first in your industry to write a helpful guide on a new trend.
Step 6: Use the "Compare" Feature for Keyword Research
Not sure whether to write about "Home Renovations" or "House Extensions"? Use the + Add comparison button at the top.
What you should see: Two or more coloured lines on the graph.This tells you which terminology your customers actually use. In Australia, we might use different terms than they do in the US (e.g., "uphill" vs. "gradient"). Use the term with the higher trend line as your primary headline.
Step 7: Explore the "Trending Now" Section
Go to the menu (three horizontal lines at the top left) and select "Trending Now." This shows real-time search trends.
While often dominated by news and sports, you can filter by category (e.g., Business, Tech, Health). If a topic relates even loosely to your business, a quick social media post or a "Your Business's Take on [Trend]" blog post can drive significant traffic.
Step 8: Identify Seasonal Content Gaps
Look for the "troughs" in the graph—the points where interest is lowest. This is your opportunity to create "problem-solving" content for your off-season.
Example: If you’re a pool builder, interest drops in June. You could create content titled "Why Winter is the Best Time to Build Your Brisbane Pool" to keep your leads flowing during the quiet months.Step 9: Use Category Filters to Refine Intent
If your keyword has multiple meanings (e.g., "Jaguar" could be the animal or the car), use the Category dropdown to narrow it down. For a mechanic, selecting the "Autos & Vehicles" category ensures the data isn't skewed by people looking for zoo information.
Step 10: Export Your Data for Content Planning
Once you’ve found a list of rising queries and seasonal peaks, click the CSV icon (down arrow) on any chart to download the data.
Map these trends onto a 12-month content calendar. If interest in "tax returns" starts rising in May, your "Top 10 Tax Tips for Small Businesses" blog should be published by late April so it's indexed and ready.
---
Pro Tips for Success
- The "Breakout" Strategy: When you see a query marked as "Breakout," it means searches for that term grew by more than 5000%. Create content on this immediately; it’s a low-competition, high-reward opportunity.
- Compare Locations: If you’re looking to expand your Brisbane business to the Sunshine Coast, compare the search volume between the two regions to see if the demand exists.
- Don't Ignore Low Volume: Even if a trend line looks low, if it’s highly specific to your service (e.g., "best EOFY deals for Brisbane tradies"), it’s worth writing about because the intent to buy is high.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Ignoring the Context: A spike in searches isn't always good. It could be due to a negative news story. Always Google the term yourself to see what’s happening in the news before jumping on a trend.
- Short-Term Thinking: Don't just look at the last 7 days. You might see a huge spike that is just a one-day anomaly. Always verify with the 12-month view to see if it’s a sustained trend.
- Wrong Region: Forgetting to set the filter to "Australia" is the most common error. US trends are often 6 months ahead or behind us due to seasons, or completely irrelevant due to different laws and slang.
---
Troubleshooting Common Issues
"Not enough data for this search." This happens if your search term is too niche. Try broadening your term (e.g., instead of "organic dog treats in Indooroopilly," just search for "organic dog treats"). "The map isn't showing city data." Google Trends only shows city-level data if there is a high enough volume of searches. If your city isn't showing, stick to the State-level (Queensland) data for your insights. "The numbers on the graph don't match my Google Ads data." Remember, Google Trends shows relative popularity (0-100), not absolute search volume (e.g., 5,000 searches per month). Use Google Trends for direction and Google Keyword Planner for specific volumes.---
Next Steps
- Audit Your Existing Content: See if your current top-performing blogs align with current trends.
- Update Your Calendar: Place your "Rising" topics into your schedule for the next 3 months.
- Refine Your SEO: Update your website meta tags using the high-performing keywords you discovered in the "Compare" tool.
Need help turning these insights into a high-performing content strategy? The team at Local Marketing Group specialises in helping Brisbane businesses dominate local search. Contact us today to discuss your digital marketing goals.