No matter what kind of business you have, it’s helpful to keep up-to-date on the latest trending topics and search queries on Google. Knowing what people are searching for is important if you want to keep your finger on the ever-changing pulse of the average consumer.
But what’s the best way to find popular search queries? In this comprehensive guide, we’ve covered all the ways you can find trending search queries and popular trending topics on Google: from social media sites, enlisting experts and digging for data on your own.
Why is it important to understand trending search queries?
First of all – you might be wondering why it’s so important for businesses to understand search queries in 2022. It’s simple: having access to popular Google search queries allows you tap into the current needs and wants of the average consumer.
Google is the most heavily utilised online tool for finding data: the average person makes around 3-4 Google searches per day. If you have access to the most popular search queries, you can create engaging content that answers these questions while directing potential customers to your website and your business.
This process is part of what is called an SEO (Search engine optimisation) strategy. If you want your business to be competitive in the online market, an SEO strategy is essential
What were the most searched queries in 2022?
While we’re not finished with 2022 yet, here are some of the most highly-searched queries on Google so far:
- “Why is Russia invading Ukraine?” – As the war in Ukraine began in March 2022, many users took to Google to better understand the reasons behind the conflict.
- “What to watch” – Many users often take to Google to find TV series recommendations, film recommendations and recently released shows. “What to watch” is a consistently popular search query year on year.
- “What is my ip address” – Conversations around online privacy and online tracking have resulted in more users searching for their IP address year on year. “how to screenshot on mac” – a classic of the informational query genre, the search query
- “how to screenshot on mac” remains one of the most popular search terms on Google. Businesses are also evidently responding to the popularity of this search term – typing this simple question into the search bar will throw up around 985,000,000 results on Google.
Finding trending search queries on google in 2022: what are the best methods?
So, where can you access that all-important search data and begin using it? Here are the top methods most widely used for finding popular search queries:
Google Trends
Google Trends is a great, free way to access popular search queries. Google Trends allows you to browse trending topics, search the popularity of chosen keywords and break down popular search queries by genre.
When you first open the Google Trends homepage, they’ll give you an immediate snapshot of the day’s trending topics.
If you want to find more precise data, you should click on the “Explore” tab. Using the search-engine feature in the Explore tab, you can search popular keywords that relate to your own business or interests, and you can measure their popularity by date, country, and time.
Google Trends offers you the ability to divide up information by the following filters:
- Country. You can see the popularity of various search queries by filtering your results by country. You can also see the worldwide trends of the search time, as Google measures its popularity over time.
- Date. You can use this filter to compare the popularity of your search term in different time periods. You can filter your results to show the following: 1 day, 7 days, 60 days, 90 days, 5 years and from 2004 onwards. You can also include a custom date range.
- Categories. For keywords that have multiple meanings, you can filter your results using the “categories” option.
- Type of search. You can browse the popularity of your keyword search time by what type of content users were searching for: i.e., web pages, videos, images.
For a beginner in keyword research, Google Trends is a great way to familiarise yourself with finding popular search queries and analysing keyword data. Most importantly, it’s free to use, making it an accessible alternative for those starting out in business.
Trending topics on social media
Most social media sites have an in-built algorithm used to detect trending topics and popular searches on their apps and websites. For example, if lots of Twitter users are watching and tweeting about a live broadcast of an event (such as a royal wedding), you can expect the trending topics to relate to the live event.
Similarly, Reddit has a trending page where users can browse upward-trending topics, news stories and posts. Facebook has also recently tapped into this with their ‘What’s Trending’ page, where popular posts and local news stories are available in users’ feeds.
While social media can be helpful in finding popular news stories, they’re not the most useful for businesses. Social media sites do give you the added bonus of being able to read users’ responses to stories in real time, but this data isn’t necessarily reliable or easily optimisable.
However, social media can be a useful tool when it comes to identifying trends. TikTok is a recent example of this, with many companies using the “tik tok made me buy it” trend to identify market niches and popular products.
Keyword Search Tools
Another way to access search queries is by using a keyword research tool. These tools are typically very expensive, but will give you invaluable insight on trending search queries and popular keywords. You’ll also be able to search for popular keywords within your own business niche, and determine whether or not these search queries are competitive for your business.
Keyword research tools will also give you access to lots of valuable information surrounding each search query: whether users search certain keywords for commercial purposes, informational purposes or navigational purposes. Understanding these terms is important if you want to optimise your business using keyword research.
For beginners, amateurs or those new to keyword research, it’s important to note that paid keyword research tools should be considered an investment. Most keyword research tools cost hundreds of pounds a month for continued access, so don’t invest in one until you’re sure you know how to use it. To avoid wasting your money, you should be hiring a keyword specialist to use and optimise your data effectively.
Hire an SEO agency
Finally, the easiest way to optimise popular search queries to your advantage is by hiring an SEO agency to do it for you. SEO consultants will know how to manipulate Google’s algorithm and make your content competitive, and they’ll also know how to use search query data to help grow your business.
After all, simply being aware of popular trending topics isn’t enough to land a first-page result on Google. SEO can be a complex and tricky concept to harness effectively, and background SEO and SERP knowledge is a must.
Not only is SEO ranking more complicated than it seems, but businesses are now also fully aware of the power Google harnesses when it comes to generating organic website traffic. As a result, SEO ranking is more competitive than ever.
If you want your business to compete on Google, it might be a good idea to consider SEO training London. When it comes to understanding SEO strategy, it’s a good idea to have experts on your side to help you fully understand how to achieve organic growth.
Final Thoughts
With so much data available online, it’s easier than ever to access popular trending searches and queries. The key is being able to use this data to help scale your business. With the help of an SEO agency or SEO consulting services, growing your brand on Google is entirely possible.
