Google Trends is a free and simple-to-use addition to every author’s toolbox. In five minutes or less, you can go in and get a clear idea of what search terms and topics are getting the most attention. The data that you can get is visual and easy to understand, and the tools allow you to compare different words and phrases and dig as deep as you want to help your plans take flight.
Here are a few specific ways that Google Trends can help authors with their book marketing campaigns.
Stay informed about the world. The authors I work with tend to read trusted news sources like The New York Times and The Washington Post, but when they want to get a good idea of what readers are typing into Google, Google Trends is a great place to start. Whether you want to see the difference in popularity between conspiracy theories, or which type of diet plan is on the upswing, Google Trends is an excellent place to start.
Devise preorder promotions and strategy. Google Trends allows you to find unexpected opportunities to reach readers. For example, I was working with a contemporary romance author and noticed that one of the related searches was for the latest season of The Bachelor. We devised a weekly content plan that brought in the highlights of The Bachelor, and saw an uptick in traffic and book sales.
Compare search terms to get the best keywords. One author I worked with wasn’t sure whether to make the title of his blog post, “Maximizing Your Healthcare Plan,” or “Maximizing Your Medical Insurance Plan.” We did a Google Trends query and discovered that people were searching “medical insurance” at a much higher rate than “healthcare plan.” His blog post got much higher organic traffic than it would have because we were able to choose the right phrase to use.
Make more effective advertisements. Whether you’re advertising your book on Google, BookBub, NPR, or Instagram, you want to be able to use terms and images that feel current and get the attention of the right readers. Using Google Trends allows you to dig in and explore the popularity of Google Image searches, trending topics, and the queries—or questions—that people type into Google to get their results.
Grab screenshots to prove your point. Google’s amazing visualization allows you to get quick infographic data to talk about a subject with authority. Grab screenshots or download the visual data to share on social media or on your website. You’ll be able to create that proof and deep data that helps you establish expertise and trust with your readers.
