I was recently introduced to Google Insights to use for SEO purposes.  I was pleasantly surprised with Google Insight’s versatility and accuracy of information presented.  A friend turned me onto this Google service as a means to research trends and keyword opportunities.  With Google Insights, anyone can “compare search volume patterns across specific regions, categories, time frames and properties.”  I found Google Insights to be a great tool for real-time keyword research trends.  When using keyword research tools and checking the Search Results Totals on Google to determine a keyword or keyword phrase’s worth, I can now use Google Insights to verify which keywords or keyword phrases provide the most value now.

Some key features that Google Insights provides is:

Marketing Strategy- When researching three different keyword opportunities, enter the three terms into Google Insights and receive a detailed graph showcasing the overall popularity of the keyword/phrase when people search Google. (see example below)

For example, an automobile manufacturer may be unsure of whether it should highlight fuel efficiency, safety, or engine performance to market a new car model.

When the three features are entered into Insights, we can see that there's a considerable amount of interest in car safety. With this information, the manufacturer may want to consider incorporating car safety into its marketing strategy.

Seasonality- Google Insights can be used to determine when a search term is searched most often. (See example below)

For example, a ski resort may want to find out when people search for ski-related terms most often.

With this kind of information a ski resort can predict demand and make educated decisions about the appropriate allotment of resources from marketing and advertising to staffing decisions.

Creating Brands- As mentioned before, Google Insights is great for marketing and advertising and deciding brand associations.  This is a great way to research and conduct a competitor analysis.

The results are seen in the form of “Related Results” and “Rising Searches” to further understand the competitors’ offers and current positioning.

New Markets- Lastly, Google Insights presents a very cool tool that visually shows people new and upcoming markets that are searching Google using specific keyword/keyword phrases. (See example below)

A wine distributor may be looking to expand into new markets. By entering in wine + vino, and comparing the data across multiple countries, such as Argentina, Mexico, Spain, and Venezuela, the distributor can get a sense of where interest is more prevalent.

The resulting graph indicates greater interest in Spain and Argentina. Choosing Spain, for example, the distributor can examine the subregions and consider centralizing distribution in the La Rioja region, where interest appears to be the highest.

Google Insights has become a major marketing tool I use in determining marketing and advertising trends as well as deciphering significant opportunities based on seasonality, keywords, competitor analysis, and locations.  Google Insights is a Must-Have for online marketers and SEO experts.

(note: quotes and examples are from the Google Insights homepage, http://www.google.com/insights/search/# )