One of the best ways to ensure your YouTube channel grows is by staying relevant to what people are searching for. Trending topics are an excellent way to tap into what's popular and gain more views. By creating content around trending topics, you can ride the wave of viral discussions, attract more viewers, and boost your channel's visibility.
However, finding trending topics can be a challenge. The internet is constantly evolving, and it can feel overwhelming to sift through countless ideas to find what’s truly popular. In this guide, we’ll explore strategies for researching trending topics, how to identify what's relevant to your audience, and how you can create engaging content based on those trends.
1. Why Trending Topics Matter for YouTube Growth
Trending topics can be a major catalyst for YouTube success for several reasons:
a. Increased Visibility
When you create content around trending topics, your video becomes more likely to appear in search results, on the YouTube homepage, and in the suggestions sidebar. This is because YouTube’s algorithm favors content that is timely and relevant to what people are currently interested in.
b. More Views and Engagement
Videos related to trending topics often get more clicks, views, and engagement because they are part of what people are already searching for. If you’re one of the first creators to make a video about a trending topic, your video has a better chance of going viral, leading to increased visibility for your channel.
c. Building Authority
Creating content around trending topics allows you to establish yourself as an expert in a particular area. When you consistently produce timely, relevant videos, you show your audience that you are up to date with the latest trends, building trust and authority in your niche.
d. Increased Click-Through Rate (CTR)
Videos that cover trending topics often experience higher click-through rates (CTR) because people are actively searching for that topic. Thumbnails, titles, and metadata that align with trending topics can attract more clicks, leading to better performance on YouTube.
2. How to Identify Trending Topics for Your YouTube Channel
There are several tools and strategies you can use to find trending topics that are relevant to your audience. The key is to stay proactive in your search for the latest trends while ensuring that the topic fits within your niche.
a. Use Google Trends
Google Trends is a powerful tool that shows you the current search trends in various regions and industries. By using Google Trends, you can identify hot topics and gauge their popularity over time.
- Go to Google Trends.
- Enter a search term related to your niche to see if it's trending.
- Look for spikes in search volume. If a certain topic has a sudden increase in interest, it may be a good time to create content around it.
Google Trends also lets you compare multiple search terms to see which one has more interest. You can also filter results by location to focus on trends specific to your target audience.
b. YouTube Trending Page
The YouTube Trending page is a great resource for discovering popular videos in your region. The trending page shows you what’s currently gaining traction on the platform, including viral videos, news, and viral challenges.
To access the trending page:
- Open YouTube and click on the Trending tab in the left sidebar (or visit the trending page directly).
- Browse the categories, including Music, Gaming, News, and Trending, to see what topics are gaining traction.
- Pay attention to the videos that are performing well in your niche, and try to create content that fits the theme or topic.
c. Social Media Trends
Social media platforms like Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok are great for spotting trends in real-time. These platforms often have trending hashtags, challenges, or viral content that can inspire your YouTube videos.
- Twitter Trends: On Twitter, trending topics are often shown on the left-hand sidebar. These are real-time conversations happening around specific hashtags or keywords. If something is trending, it could be a topic you can explore on YouTube.
- Instagram Explore: The Instagram Explore page curates content based on what’s popular and relevant. You can use it to identify visual trends, popular challenges, and emerging conversations in your niche.
- TikTok Hashtags: TikTok’s algorithm is great for surfacing trending content. By following viral hashtags, you can discover what’s gaining attention in your niche and adapt those trends for your YouTube channel.
d. Google Search Suggestions
Google’s search bar is an easy way to find trending topics. When you type something into the search bar, Google provides autocomplete suggestions based on popular searches. These suggestions can be a goldmine for video ideas.
- Start typing a relevant keyword in Google’s search bar.
- Look at the autocomplete suggestions for popular variations of that topic.
- Use those suggestions as inspiration for your YouTube video content.
You can also scroll to the bottom of Google search results to see “Related Searches,” which can give you more ideas for video topics that are trending.
e. Reddit Communities
Reddit is a hub for niche communities where discussions on trending topics happen in real-time. Subreddits related to your YouTube niche can be an excellent resource for discovering current trends and popular discussions.
- Subreddit Search: Search for subreddits related to your niche (e.g., r/technology, r/fitness, r/beauty) and explore trending threads.
- Reddit Trending Page: Check out the "Trending" tab on Reddit to see which posts are gaining traction. Popular posts often indicate emerging trends.
Reddit also allows you to gauge the level of interest in a topic by looking at the number of upvotes and comments on each post.
f. Follow Industry News and Blogs
Another great way to stay ahead of the curve is by following industry news sites, blogs, and forums that cover the latest updates in your niche. Many of these sources publish news, reviews, and updates that can inspire video content.
- Tech Blogs: For tech channels, blogs like TechCrunch, Wired, and The Verge provide up-to-date news about gadgets, apps, and developments in the tech world.
- Fitness and Health: For fitness content, sites like Healthline or Men’s Health often feature trending fitness routines or new health trends.
- Pop Culture News: If you're into entertainment or pop culture, sites like BuzzFeed, Entertainment Weekly, or E! News cover the latest celebrity gossip, movie releases, and trends in the entertainment industry.
By regularly checking these sources, you’ll always be in the loop and ready to create videos based on emerging trends.
g. Look at What’s Performing Well in Your Niche
You don’t have to reinvent the wheel every time you create content. Looking at what’s already performing well within your niche can give you inspiration for your own videos. If a particular type of video (e.g., reaction videos, unboxings, tutorials) is getting significant views, you can consider making similar content.
- Popular Content Formats: Identify the types of videos that are gaining traction in your niche (e.g., product reviews, how-tos, unboxing videos).
- Analyze Video Performance: Use YouTube Analytics to analyze which of your videos are performing well. This can give you clues about the types of content your audience prefers.
3. Tools to Help Find Trending Topics
Several online tools can make the process of finding trending topics easier and more efficient. Here are some of the best tools to help you stay updated:
a. Google Trends
Google Trends helps you track the popularity of specific search terms over time. It can show you whether a particular topic is trending up or down and help you find related terms that you can target.
b. BuzzSumo
BuzzSumo is a tool that helps you analyze trending content across various platforms, including YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook. You can use it to identify the most-shared content in your niche and spot emerging trends.
c. Social Mention
Social Mention is a social media search and analysis tool that shows you the popularity and sentiment of keywords across social media platforms. It’s useful for discovering trending hashtags, topics, and discussions in your niche.
d. Answer the Public
Answer the Public is a keyword research tool that shows you common questions people are asking about a specific topic. By exploring these questions, you can identify video ideas based on what your audience is already curious about.
e. VidIQ or TubeBuddy
VidIQ and TubeBuddy are YouTube-specific tools that provide keyword research, trending topic insights, and SEO recommendations. These tools give you a deep dive into video performance, allowing you to discover content gaps and identify topics that are gaining traction on YouTube.
4. Making Your Content Relevant to Trends
Once you’ve found trending topics, the next step is making sure they’re relevant to your channel. Not all trends will fit every creator, and it’s important to ensure that your video aligns with your channel’s focus and audience.
- Be Selective: Choose trends that align with your content style, audience, and channel branding. Jumping on every trend can confuse your audience and dilute your content.
- Put Your Unique Spin on It: Don’t just copy what others are doing. Add your own personality, expertise, or perspective to the trend to make your content stand out from the crowd.
Staying on top of trending topics is crucial for growing your YouTube channel. By researching and leveraging popular topics, you can create videos that resonate with your audience, attract more views, and increase engagement. Remember to use tools like Google Trends, YouTube’s trending page, and social media to keep your finger on the pulse of what's hot. When done right, creating videos on trending topics can be a game-changer for your channel's growth.