New Features for Google Insights for Search

We explored Google Insights for Search when we announced our fastest rising searches for 2009 in Australia. Insights allows you to tap into the collective pulse within Australia, compare search volume trends across multiple search terms, categories (commonly referred to as verticals), geographic regions, and specific time ranges.

For marketers, Insights can help you determine seasonal variations in your business (When do Australians search the most for weight loss products?). It can also help you find a new market (Where in the world are searches for "shiraz" and "chardonnay" most popular?) or determine new ways to market your business (As an exterminator, what words should I use in my marketing? Answer: pest over ants or termites.)

Today Insights is available on the local au domain and we're introducing several new features in Google Insights for Search.

You can now see forecasts of future search trends for certain queries, based on an extrapolation of historical trends and search patterns. This works best for search queries and categories that are quite seasonal and have repeated patterns. For instance, search trends for the query "cheap flights" hit their peak in Australia during the beginning of the year, and we could naturally expect the patterns of previous years to repeat looking forward.



In addition, you can now visualise the way interest in given terms has changed over time, using the animated map feature. These maps show an animated depiction of how search interest changes over time in different locations. Now we can watch Masterchef mania sweep Australia state by state.

For more information, check out our video below:

You can also keep on top of the latest trends by adding a customisable gadget to your iGoogle page or embedding a gadget directly on your website.

Posted by Jeremy Wood, Product Specialist Team