Google reveals top search trends – here’s how you can use them

Businesses should continue to study the top search trends on internet giant Google in order to take advantage of popular topics to drive traffic to their sites, industry experts say.
The comments come as Google has released its “Zeitgeist” report for 2009, which lists the most popular search trends for the year.

“When seen in aggregate, search queries reflect the people, places and events that captured our attention and imagination throughout the year,” the company said.

Social network Facebook took out the most popular search trend for the year, followed closely by video sharing site YouTube and free email service Hotmail. Also in the top 10 were eBay, MySpace, Gmail, Seek and Google itself.

And despite retail giant Gerry Harvey describing online retail as “dead” late last year, Harvey Norman was the most searched-for retail outlet of the year, followed by Big W and electronics retailer JB Hi-Fi.

But the more interesting results were found in the “fastest rising” search category, which saw Network Ten’s “One HD” channel take the top spot. This was closely followed by Twitter and reality television program MasterChef in third place.

Trading Post Auto took out eighth place for fastest rising search of the year, lending weight to the publication’s decision to abandon its print version and publish entirely online.

Jim Stewart, chief executive of SEO firm Stewart Media, says businesses need to take note of these trends throughout the year in order to take advantage of trends and see more traffic on their site.

“Businesses definitely need to be using Google to find out what is popular and take advantage of that. Google is trying to be up-to-date with the live web in order to compete with Twitter, so there is an emphasis on recent results. If you keep up-to-date with recent trends and use those keywords on your site, you’ll gain traffic.”

Hal Pritchard, chief executive of online kitchenware retailer Everten Online, used this to his advantage earlier in the year when the MasterChef craze was at its peak.

“It has been absolutely huge for business, because not only are we in a recession when people spend more time at home cooking, but MasterChef has increased the focus on that practice and has pushed people’s interest into doing it properly,” he said.

“It was the best form of advertising anyone can give you. Every shot there is a pan or a mixing bowl that would inspire someone to buy.”

Stewart also says ProBlogger Darren Rowse took advantage of this during the Athens Olympics in 2004, during which he wrote a number of articles relating to the event in order to gain traffic.

But Stewart says only businesses which update their sites regularly will be able to take advantage of Google trends.

“You have to use these keywords at the time when you can have major wins with it, but it will only work if you have been regularly updating your site, using tools to track trends and make sure you add content on a regular basis. If you regularly update your site, Google will know that, and will be more likely to pick you up quite quickly in higher rankings.”

Below are some of the most popular Google search trends for 2009.

Fastest Rising:
ONE HD
Twitter.com
MasterChef
Melbourne Cup 2009
Grooveshark
New Moon movie
Facebook search
Trading Post Auto
Smartkiddies
Currency converter calculator

Most Popular:
Facebook
YouTube
Hotmail
eBay
MySpace
Google
Yahoo
Gmail
Bebo
Seek

Most searched for retail outlets:
Harvey Norman
Big W
JB HiFi
Target
Ikea
Bunnings
Officeworks
Woolworths
Kmart
Coles