The end of the year is here and with it comes something for people to look forward to: those year in review lists! We can’t help but look back on 2015 in fondness as we reflect on our music choices on Spotify’s Year in Music, our life choices on Facebook’s Year in Review, and our search choices on Google’s Year in Search.
Google’s Year in Search is a summary of the biggest search queries in 2015 across all of Google’s search engines: Google Search, Google News and YouTube. This year, Google handed the year in search results to the new Google News Lab, and their take has resulted in a brilliant visualization about what people around the world were searching about this past year.
What makes Google’s Year in Search interesting for a marketer and business owner is the capability to take advantage of those trending search topics to shape some strategies to begin 2016.
Not only do these results show just how important it is to implement SEO for your company’s online presence, but it also shows that following trends will impact your marketing efforts and in return, may reward you for it.
Here are some quick changes you can make to your 2016 marketing strategy to take advantage of Google’s Year in Search results.
Shape Your Social Media Strategy
This is the perfect opportunity to utilize the #YearInSearch hashtag and share with your audience that your product or service is a hot topic.
For example, Lisa Vanderpump, a restaurant owner and reality television star, took the opportunity on Instagram to showcase her Sangria.
Similarly, the San Diego Padres gave themselves a shout out. They may not have been number one, but what baseball fanatic wouldn’t like to brag?
There are easy opportunities to take advantage of the Year in Search on social media by creating boards on Pinterest centered on the trending topics. For example, if you’re a health food company, you should make sure that those trending recipes are on your Pinterest board and shared on Twitter and Facebook.
Add Trending Topics to Your Content Calendar
While reviewing those trending search topics, revisit your content calendar and add any missing holes you may have on those categories.
If you know Yoga Challenge and Crossfit are both popular search topics for workouts and you’re a fitness instructor, incorporate those types of workouts into your blog. Just make sure to add a unique twist and approach so your article isn’t drowned out by the rest.
Another important aspect for your content calendar is to have your articles solve the questions your customers are asking. If a common search question is “What is a boutique hotel?” as a boutique hotel, you’d want to make sure your content answers that question. Talk about the pros and cons of boutique hotels and resort hotels or the common misconceptions about boutique hotels. Find a way to create content that will not only answer the question, but will offer even more valuable insight.
Make Sure You’re Ranking for Those Keywords
Don’t miss out on opportunities for people to find you online. Use these search terms in your Google AdWords account (if applicable). Add these keywords into some of your on-site landing pages to optimize search results.
Trends and fads come and go, but if Google has taught us anything, it’s that Google is here to stay. Since marketers are always learning, it is up to us to stay on top of the trends and tweak strategies as more data and customer habits change.
Have you taken a look at Google’s Year in Search? Get in touch with us today to see how we can help use it in your marketing efforts.