Google Trends is one of those things that’s easy to miss but is very useful. Upon first glance it looks very similar to the main Google search but has stuff in it that the regular search does not.
Example: A trend search for Red Sox.
The results are not necessarily going to be current information but rather what was most popular on the internet concerning that sports team spanning back several years. In addition it will also tell you where the popularity occurred by region, city and language.
A good research tool
I’ve found that when doing historical research, Trends really shines here.
Examples:
What were the biggest stories for Apple in 2008? Answer.
What were the biggest stories for Microsoft in the last 12 months? Answer.
What were the biggest stories for Florida only in Florida? Answer.
You get the idea.
This is a different way of Google’ing and I personally think it’s useful.
What do you think? Bank or bust?
Is Google Trends useful to you? Did you like it, not like it or hate it? Let us know in the comments.
Like what you read?
If so, please join over 28,000 people who receive our exclusive weekly newsletter and computer tips, and get FREE COPIES of 5 eBooks we created, as our gift to you for subscribing. Just enter your name and email below:
