What is Google Correlate and How Does It Work?

Google Correlate is possibly the best kept secret in the world of SEO tools. Some marketers don’t take advantage of it because they don’t understand what it does, or even know it exists. We’ll look at four helpful ways to make it work for you.

Use it as a predictor

In a nutshell, Google Correlate matches you with keywords that are like other searching patterns relative to a search that you provide it with. Or, put another way, it’s the opposite of Google Trends. Instead of keywords point to search patterns, search patterns point to keywords.

So how can this help you? By finding a correlation, you can develop a hypothesis, and prove it. This can be used to predict behavior, conditions, or even data. If you’re trying to predict the unemployment rate, for example, you can search “unemployment rate” in google correlate and examine the similar keywords coming up in searches. Analyze them to build a hypothesis and then build a data set to help prove it. Find a good balance of quantity and quality.

Use it to target customers (before they’re ready to buy)

Google correlate can help you target customers get in buying mode or think about your product at a different, earlier time of year. Weight loss is the best example. You can use Google Correlate to find out why and when people typically pack on pounds, and serve them ads BEFORE then to be top of mind when they’re ready to buy.

Use it to figure out when customers AREN’T buying

On the other hand, you can hone in on the best time to serve ads for a product with a less obvious or defined seasonal sales window by searching for a negative correlation. This can show you sometimes to avoid advertising, and conversely, point you to the best times to advertise. 

Use it to target regionally

If you’re trying to pinpoint a psychographic in a specific geographical region, other SEO tools may be vaguer than Google Correlate. Let’s take gender inequality, for example. To understand the attitudes towards this topic in a region, create two data sets, one using a buzzword of female empowerment, one using a buzzword harkening to a male dominated society. You’ll see through the rankings where the data intersects.

This is the tip of the iceberg of what Google Correlate can do for you. Many marketers don’t take advantage of it, and that can be to your advantage!