It can be overwhelming to navigate the competitive online music marketing landscape. There is often too much noise. Data is the key to cutting through the chaos and noise. Google Trends is a great tool to help you gain insight into what people are looking for, how they search and how your music strategy can be aligned with their trends.
Google Trends allows anyone to view real-time information about search behaviour around the globe. It can be used to help make informed decisions about many aspects of your music career, such as growing your audience, planning your song release, finding new content ideas or deciding on where to tour. We will look at the ways in which musicians can use Google Trends to reach out to more people and increase their exposure.
What is Google Trends? Why should musicians use it?
Google Trends allows you to track the popularity of searches over time. It provides valuable insight into what people want to know and how their interests change over time and by location. This is a powerful tool for musicians, since you can now discover:
- Trends in your genre: Stay ahead of the curve by identifying emerging styles and keywords.
- Understanding listener behaviour and preferences: Understanding patterns of behaviour, such as when and how people engage with certain types of music or events.
- Promotional opportunities: Align releases to trending topics or similar topics for maximum impact.
An example of how to use this effectively is to notice an increase in searches for “chillbeats”, which could indicate that it would be the right time to release a themed playlist or a track with a low-fi sound.
How to Start Using Google Trends
Even if you have never used Google Trends before, it’s easy to get going. This is a step-by-step guide:
- Explore Google Trends on the Homepage: Go directly to Google Trends.
- Enter Keyword: Type in a keyword that is relevant to your music. For instance, “indie rock,” “lo-fi beats,” or even your artist name.
- Apply Filters Filters can be used to refine results.
- Location: View where your keyword trends geographically.
- Time frame: Analyse trends in the last week, month or even year.
- Category: Focus on music or entertainment-related topics.
- Analyse Results: Examine the interest over time and related queries.
Understanding these metrics will help you to tailor your strategy and maximize your reach
How to Increase Your Music’s Exposure Using Google Trends
Keyword optimization for SEO
Use popular keywords to optimize your online presence. Use these terms on your website, in social media posts and in YouTube descriptions. If “ambient music study” is a popular trend, you can highlight that phrase in your content.
Timing your Releases
Music marketing is all about timing. Google Trends can be used to find out when people are most interested. You can, for example:
- Seasonal trends “Christmas Music” may show spikes in searches in November. Plan your holiday album release accordingly.
- Weekly patterns: Analyze the fluctuations in search volume during the week and time your promotions accordingly.
Discovering regional demand
Google Trends shows you the most popular keywords. This data can be used to target advertising, social media campaigns and even tour planning where the most interest is. Consider focusing on Atlanta if “trap beats’ searches are popular.
Creating Content Around Trends
To stay relevant, you need to match your content with current topics. Consider creating a themed playlist, remix, or cover of a popular artist or genre. This can help you tap into the current cultural dialogue and attract more listeners.
Case Studies
Here are some examples of real-life artists who have used Google Trends to their advantage:
- Indie Artists: Used Google Trends to identify the rising interest in “bedroom pop” and aligned their music release with this trend.
- A touring band: They targeted their tour promotion to cities where searches for “live indie” music were trending. This resulted in sold-out concerts.
- A Content Producer: Created a YouTube series of trending cover videos based on Google Trends, which led to an increase in engagement and new subscribers.
Google Trends: Best Practices for Musicians
Keep these tips in mind to make the most out of Google Trends:
- Monitor regularly: Trends are constantly changing, so it is important to monitor your niche frequently.
- Combining Data Sources: Do not use Google Trends alone. Use it in conjunction with analytics platforms such as Spotify, YouTube or social media platforms to get a comprehensive picture.
- Be authentic: Rather than chasing trends, make sure your content is true to you.
