How to Use Google Trends to Come Up with Article Ideas

It's sometimes a challenge coming up with article ideas. Even though I've been a writer for several years, there are days when finding something to write about is so challenging that it's all too easy to give up. However, when it comes to making a living as a content writer, so-called "writer's block" is a luxury I can't afford.

One of my favorite ways to generate ideas is using Google Trends. On this page, Google shares the top 100 keywords that are being searched. It's updated several times throughout the day so the information is fairly current. There are several ways you can use it.

Use it to find Fresh Keywords

These keywords are about as current as they can get. If you see a keyword that jumps out at you, feel free to use it as the subject of an article. For example, I just went to the site and noticed that "2009 Espys" was a keyword. If I ran a sports oriented blog or had an interest in sports writing, I'd write an article sharing highlights from the broadcast. This tactic is especially useful if you often write about current events.

Observe Pop Culture

The Google Trends service is also a great way to observe what the overall trends are. Visit the site at least once a day and just make note of the keywords that come up. You don't even need to write anything down, but you could. Ideally you'd check it twice a day - once in the morning, afternoon, and evening.

For example, I noticed that evening and weekend keywords include entertainment oriented topics. If I wanted to write about entertainment, I'd focus on browsing the keyword during those times.

Once you've observed the trends, article ideas might just come to you. For example, after observing the trends in entertainment, I may put together a series of articles offering movie reviews, entertainment tips, etc.

Use it to Jump Start the Creative Juices

You don't need to use all the keywords literally. As you noticed above, I didn't need to take the relevant entertainment keywords that show up. Instead, I observed a trend about evenings and weekends and used that to come up with a few related article ideas. You could do the same. All you need to do is visit the site often enough.

I've been visiting Google Trends a few times a week for at least the past year and I have a pretty good idea of what kinds of keywords come up when. This is pretty powerful when coming up with content for your clients, your blogs, or to submit articles at places like Associated Content and Constant Content.

If you're stumped for some article ideas, make Google Trends part of your routine and watch your creativity when coming up with articles soar!