How to Plan Your Next Vacation with Google Trends

Saida Safikhanova
ILLUMINATION
Published in
7 min readFeb 18, 2024
Canva

Are you looking for some inspiration for your next vacation? Do you want to discover new places, avoid crowds, and save money? If so, you might want to try using Google Trends, a free tool that can help you find the best travel destinations based on data and popularity.

In this article, I will show you how to use Google Trends to research and plan your vacation. You will learn how to:

◾Identify your niche and target audience

◾ Explore keywords related to your niche

◾ Analyze the interest over time and by subregion

◾ Explore the related topics and queries

◾ Repeat the process with different keywords and combinations

By the end of this article, you will have a list of potential destinations that match your preferences and budget, and that are popular and relevant to your audience.

What is Google Trends?

Google Trends is a website that shows you what people are searching for on Google. You can type in any keyword or topic and see how it performs over time and across regions. You can also compare different keywords, filter by category, and explore related topics and queries.

Google Trends can help you find popular and relevant topics for your blog posts, as well as insights into consumer behavior, market trends, and cultural phenomena.

For example, if you type in “travel”, you will see a graph that shows the interest over time, a map that shows the interest by subregion, and boxes that show the related topics and queries.

You can use Google Trends to research any topic or niche, but in this article, I will focus on how to use it for travel.

How to Use Google Trends to Find the Best Travel Destinations

Here are the steps to use Google Trends to find the best travel destinations for your niche and audience.

Step 1: Identify your niche and target audience

Before you use Google Trends, you need to have a clear idea of what kind of vacation you want and who you are traveling with. This will help you narrow down your search and find destinations that match your preferences and budget.

For example, do you want to go on a beach vacation, a city break, or a nature adventure? Do you want to travel solo, with your partner, or with your family? Do you want to travel in summer, winter, or any season? Do you have a specific budget or time frame?

These questions will help you define your niche and target audience. For example, your niche could be “beach vacations for couples in summer”, or “city breaks for solo travelers in winter”.

Step 2: Use the search bar to explore keywords related to your niche

Once you have your niche and target audience, you can use the search bar on Google Trends to explore keywords related to your niche. Type in a keyword that describes your niche or a destination you want to visit. For example, if you want to go on a beach vacation, you can type in “beach” and see how it performs over time and across regions. You can also compare it with other keywords, such as “island”, “coast”, or “tropical”.

Google Trends Search (Comparison Words)

This will help you see which keywords are more popular and relevant to your niche and audience. You can also see which regions have more interest in your keywords, which can indicate potential markets or audiences that you can target with your vacation.

Step 3: Analyze the interest over time graph

This graph shows you how popular your keyword is on Google over a period of time. You can adjust the time range from the past hour to the past 20 years. You can also filter by country, category, and web search type.

Google Trends (the interest over time graph)

Look for trends that show consistent growth, seasonal fluctuations, or sudden spikes. These can indicate destinations that are evergreen, timely, or viral, respectively.

For example, if you see a consistent growth in interest for a keyword, it means that it is a popular and stable destination that attracts visitors all year round. This could be a good option for your vacation if you want to avoid crowds and enjoy a more authentic experience.

If you see a seasonal fluctuation in interest for a keyword, it means that it is a seasonal destination that attracts visitors during a specific time of the year. This could be a good option for your vacation if you want to enjoy the best weather and activities for that destination.

If you see a sudden spike in interest for a keyword, it means that it is a viral destination that attracts a lot of attention and buzz in a short period of time. This could be a good option for your vacation if you want to discover a new place or join a trending event.

Step 4: Check out the interest by subregion map

This map shows you how popular your keyword is in different regions of the world or a specific country. You can zoom in or out to see more details.

Google Trends interest by subregion map

Look for regions that have high or rising interest in your keyword. These can indicate potential markets or audiences that you can target with your vacation. You can also see which regions have low or falling interest in your keyword, which can indicate destinations that are less popular or overrated.

For example, if you see a high interest in your keyword in a region, it means that it is a popular destination that attracts a lot of visitors from that region. This could be a good option for your vacation if you want to meet new people and learn about their culture.

If you see a rising interest in your keyword in a region, it means that it is an emerging destination that is gaining popularity and attention in that region. This could be a good option for your vacation if you want to explore a new place and enjoy a more affordable price.

If you see a low interest in your keyword in a region, it means that it is a less popular destination that attracts fewer visitors from that region. This could be a good option for your vacation if you want to avoid crowds and enjoy a more peaceful experience.

If you see a falling interest in your keyword in a region, it means that it is an overrated destination that is losing popularity and attention in that region. This could be a bad option for your vacation if you want to avoid disappointment and waste of money.

Step 5: Explore the related topics and queries boxes

These boxes show you topics and queries that are related to your keyword. You can sort them by top or rising. Top topics and queries are the most popular ones while rising topics and queries are the ones that have seen a significant increase in popularity recently.

Google Trends searches related topics and queries

Look for topics and queries that are relevant to your niche and audience, and that can inspire you to visit new places or try new activities. You can also click on any topic or query to see more details and related searches.

For example, if you see a topic or query that is related to a specific destination, it means that it is a popular or emerging destination that attracts a lot of interest and searches. This could be a good option for your vacation if you want to learn more about that destination and what it has to offer.

If you see a topic or query that is related to a specific activity, it means that it is a popular or emerging activity that attracts a lot of interest and searches. This could be a good option for your vacation if you want to try something new and fun.

If you see a topic or query that is related to a specific event, it means that it is a popular or viral event that attracts a lot of interest and searches. This could be a good option for your vacation if you want to join a trending event and have a memorable experience.

Step 6: Repeat the process with different keywords and combinations

You can use Google Trends to research as many keywords as you want. You can also combine keywords with operators, such as “+” for AND, “-” for NOT, or “,” for OR. For example, if you want to visit a beach destination in Europe, you can type in “beach in Europe” or “beach, Europe”. You can also use the Explore page to browse topics by category and see what’s trending globally or in specific regions.

Google Trends Search “Beach in Europe” (last 12 months)

This will help you find more options and alternatives for your vacation, and compare them with each other. You can also use the Customization feature to create your own comparison charts and maps.

Google Trends is a powerful tool that can help you plan your next vacation with data and popularity. By following these steps, you can find the best travel destinations for your niche and audience, and discover new places, avoid crowds, and save money.

Have you used Google Trends to plan your vacation? Let me know in the comments.

If you liked this article, please give it a clap and follow me for more tips and tricks on how to use Google Trends for your blog posts.

Happy traveling! 🌎😊

--

--

Saida Safikhanova
ILLUMINATION

📬 If you share my enthusiasm for exploration, AI, productivity, and writing, let's connect! 🔗 Follow me on www.linkedin.com/in/saida-safikhanova 🌟