Google provides many free tools for the public and businesses. Insights for Search is a tool that uses tons of historical search engine data to evaluate behaviors, patterns, and trends for particular search queries. This is valuable information for any business owner. Here’s 4 ways that Google Insights for Search can help your business:
#1 BUSINESS EXPANSION: If you are a business owner that has the possibility of expansion, than this step is for you!
Some simple data provided using Google’s free tool “Insights for Search” can save you tons of time researching, and a lot of money getting great data that market research companies would charge a fortune for.
The basic premise for Insights is to log all search data entered into Google and provide this data in any form that you want, by creating graphs and filtering data by time, geographic location and keywords.
In the example below I am searching for weight loss, so I would be a business that does either dieting, exercise etc.
Graph1
As you can see on the graph above from 2011, Mississippi indexes way higher than other states in the southeast for people searching for weight loss.
Graph 2
This next graph (see above) breaks down your search more for regional interest, so you can target your campaigns more precisely by metro areas and research which cities should be more successful markets to enter.
#2 SPOT NEW OPPORTUNITIES: By examining the “Rising Searches” section, you can spot new areas of opportunity in your field based on recommended keywords by Google. These keywords have experienced high growth in recent times, and may be a new area to focus on. In the example below, Florida Internet Marketing keywords would have led to terms like “affiliate marketing” and “seo”.
Rising searches can be a great way to forecast whats coming up in your industry.
#3 MARKET RESEARCH: If you are having trouble building an advertising message, figuring out which products to highlight, or what keywords and message to use in your advertising, then Google insights can help you. For example, if you market for a University trying to figure out which of your programs would need the most demand
#4 OBSERVING SEARCH CYCLES: This works great for any seasonal business or businesses that may have peaks and valleys in sales volume. By using Google Insights, you can see changes in search volume for your keywords. This is extremely helpful to a business owners, and can help forecasting, and look back at historical trends to look at industry growth rates in your area.
In the example below, you can see the trends for air conditioning in Florida. As you might expect, the search volume steadily rises into summer, and falls again after summer. Some interesting spikes can also be seen though in April ’10 when there was a major heatwave in Florida. Pretty interesting information here for business owners that want to plan a Florida Internet Marketing Strategy.
Note that Google Insights for Search is by no means the only method you should use when determining a business & Internet Marketing strategy. Take it for what it is, another tool to help plan your business strategy.
