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How to use data sources: Google Trends

Google Trends is an open source web analytics tool that tracks how often a search-term is entered into the search engine across different regions of the world.

As a novel start-up in a poorly-researched space, we needed to validate the problems Whirli is solving. Sapio Research were fantastic partners from start to finish – creative in brainstorming angles, careful in designing the questions, and rigorous in analysing the results. The research brought a wealth of insights, backed by hard figures, for our business decision making and for us to talk about publicly in the press.

Nigel Phan
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Whirli

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This is part of Sapio Research’s series: 16 Useful Desk Research Sources and how to use them

What is it?

Google Trends is an open source web analytics tool. Google Trends tracks how often a search-term is entered into the search engine across different regions of the world.

Who can use it?

Google trends would be useful for someone attempting to track the spread of an idea, phenomenon, or event across cultures. It would be particularly useful in anthropological research when tracking the spread of memes.

How to use it

Google trends is incredibly easy to use. On the homepage, you can navigate by looking through top trending stories, select from some preset categories, change the country of examination, or use the search function to look for a particular trend.

Selecting business from the drop-down menu allows us to view stories relating to this category.

Once you’ve chosen a report you wish to view you can see a chart tracking interest in that idea, related articles, and interest over time by sub region.

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