In the past month, searches for “how to make hand sanitizer” have grown by 4,950% worldwide.1 Meanwhile, there has been a 600% increase in searches for “can you get coronavirus twice.”2 And searches for “grocery delivery service near me” have gone up 200% globally.3
In this dynamic environment, people’s needs are changing constantly. To keep up with shifting behaviors, consider Google Trends, a free tool that provides access to actual search requests across Google Search, YouTube, Shopping, and Images. By entering a keyword or a topic, you can explore what the world is searching for in near real time.
To help you stay on top of these shifts, the Google News Lab is curating global trends related to the pandemic with an option to dive more deeply into any of 24 local markets.
Explore U.S. trends.
To help you find your own insights and get the most of the tool, here are 10 tips for using Google Trends.
- Filter across properties. You can now explore trends across Google Search, Image Search, News Search, Google Shopping, and YouTube Search.
- Compare your search terms and topics across languages, locations, and time periods.
- Explore by category. Words often have multiple meanings, so make sure to find the right version on Trends. For example, if you search for “mask,” you can add a category to indicate whether you mean protective health equipment or a type of beauty product.
- Find related searches. When you search for a term in Trends, you can also explore the top searches, rising searches, and searches related to your term.
- Export, embed, and cite Trends data. Once you’ve found what you’re looking for, you can then easily share your insights.
- Leverage Trends search tips. Use punctuation to refine trends, group search terms, and filter your results.
- Understand exactly what data is in your results, how trends data is pulled, and how it should be interpreted.
- Subscribe to a Google Trends alert to get email updates on topics and searches in your region.
- Review Google News Lab’s latest analysis and insights of the top trending stories, including entertainment, sports, and current affairs.
- Become an expert user by completing Google Trends Lessons and find out even more about how to get the most out of the tool.
Good luck exploring and finding new insights.
