Google Trends

I recently asked my LinkedIn network about creating a Sales Tools type of e-newsletter. I received a ton of cool suggestions, but one that stood out is from Ron Shevlin -- MarketingWhims is his blog and i have always enjoyed his posts. His suggestion was to nix the newsletter and put it in a blog. I'm probably going to do both, but will start with the blog.

BizReport is a regular read for me. They often write about things i'm using and i learn new ways to use tools and techniques. One of their latest posts is about Google Trends posted here.

In an effort to keep it brief, here's what Google Trends is good for: You can see if there's any activity on a keyword that may or may not  make it worth using in a PPC effort. Or, it can help you decide how to refine your marketing efforts. Or, it can help you see which countries are searching that term the most. You might discover that there is no US marketplace searching that term. You might discover that the trend has been decreasing for a long time. If you click on the "Learn More" link, you can dig in on the entire Trends methodology. I use it to help me find and plan for strategic pay-per-click opportunities.