How To Find Current Trending Topics for Content Creation: The 10 Best Tools
Good search engine optimization isn’t just about ranking high for keywords. You need to rank for current trending topics that lead to conversions.
However, searching for current content ideas can be time-consuming. You’d surely appreciate any shortcuts you can find.
Don’t worry — we’re here to help you out. Investigate our list of resources for discovering current trending topics that keep your content relevant.
Key Takeaways:
- Resources like Google Trends, Exploding Topics, Feedly, and Trend Hunter help you find top trending topics.
- Test the features in popular marketing software and sites, such as Buzzsumo, Ahrefs, and Trends.co, to discover fresh subjects for content.
- You can adjust your settings for Twitter and YouTube to see what interests people in other locations.
- Don’t forget to check what’s popular in podcasts by using Podcast Notes.
Why You Need To Find Current Trending Topics
Content quality and quantity are critical for ranking well on search engines. Google favors sites with regularly updated content, meaning you always need fresh material.
Not only that, but you’ll get new views by having information that deals with the current concerns of your target audience. By focusing on current trending topics, your site demonstrates its authority, credibility, and relevance.
Here are 10 of the top resources you can use to find up-to-date issues.
1. Google Trends
Pretty much everything online runs through Google at some point. Unsurprisingly, therefore, the search engine behemoth is one of the best places to discover current trending topics.
The Google Trends page shows trend data for specific keywords by location, including:
- Search demographic data
- Search volume patterns
- Suggestions for related topics and queries
You’re not going to find more reliable data on trends because this information is coming from the horse’s mouth. Best of all, the tool is free.
Pay attention to the history of a subject and see if it has a tendency to spike seasonally. You can use that intel to help you build a content calendar for the year.
Also, make sure you use Google Trends alongside other marketing tools. Drill down more into long-tail keywords that fit the topic to present a niche perspective to your target audience.
2. Exploding Topics
Of course, you’ll want to dig deeper and quickly locate current trending topics that relate to your industry. Exploding Topics is one of the top choices for marketers with search engine optimization in mind.
The tool shares if a topic is hot, building traction, or declining. The ranking system makes it easier to determine what subjects are worth your time to write about.
The company offers free and paid options you should look into. A plus side to Exploding Topics is that it uses human researchers to analyze the data and weed out irrelevant topics as well as discover meta trends.
3. Buzzsumo
Buzzsumo is a top content marketing tool for any martech stack. One of its best features is the ability to find current trending topics from social media.
The Trending Now section uncovers the most viral posts from the previous 24 hours. You can determine where to add your own two cents to a conversation as you stay on top of industry news.
The software can also clue you into what competitor content is performing well so you can get in on the action and get ahead of your rivals. The Trend Score feature shows you the engagement level for a subject, which can be perfect for finding what topics will get responses.
4. Trend Hunter
Trend Hunter is a massive resource for trend data. The company is leaning heavily into artificial intelligence to gather trends in categories that include:
- Insights
- Ideas
- Events
- Products
- Brands
You get lots of access to free articles, but you can pay for trend reports and a dashboard that updates hourly. The company must be doing something right because it boasts clients from Disney, Domino’s, Samsung, and Kellogg’s.
5. Trends.co
Trends.co is a site by HubSpot helping entrepreneurs build successful businesses. The newsletter and network also help readers discover sources for funding and product market fit.
The content is a treasure trove for B2B marketers looking for current trending topics and pain points for business leaders. You can get the newsletter for free or sign up for paid resources that provide more insight and industry connections.
6. Ahrefs Content Explorer
Dive into the most popular web pages discussing current trending topics with Ahrefs Content Explorer. Type in a keyword to see which sites are most popular on a given issue.
The software shares the site’s domain rating, traffic value, page traffic, and referring domains in the Ahrefs dashboard. You can further filter results by platform and publication date.
See Content Explorer in action in the video below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-tBlpww3fE
7. Twitter
Twitter offers a Trends section on its app and website. Click on the “Explore” button, and the platform starts by showing trends that it tailors for you by your location, interests, and who you follow.
You can also see current trending topics that are popular among people in a specific place. Click the gear icon and change the location to refine your results.
The site looks specifically at topics that are surging at the moment, not what has been trending for some time. When you want to discuss what’s hot right here and now, you can use this feed.
Make it a daily habit to see what’s trending so you can get an idea of what’s staying in the public consciousness.
8. YouTube
Did you know that YouTube has a Trending button? Go to the “Explore” section and click “Trending” to see what’s popular.
This option is helpful for finding current trending topics because the homepage of your YouTube mostly sends you suggestions according to your interests. Since only Google web and image searches have a higher volume than YouTube’s, you should see what’s happening on the platform.
9. Feedly
If you understand what sites and sources your audience consumes most, you can curate the stories together using Feedly. You’ll get updates on the most recent uploads from your list to see what’s going on.
You can also create a list of newsletters, news feeds, and Twitter feeds with pro features. A paid account allows you to gather hundreds of sources and use advanced topic searching with AI.
10. Podcast Notes
Podcasting is a media sector that just keeps growing. The problem with audio is that you don’t have time to sit and listen to multiple shows and find what topics are gaining traction.
Fortunately, Podcasts Notes gives you the CliffsNotes of the current trending topics in podcasts. You can get the breakdown of what popular shows are discussing and find pertinent talking points.
For example, the site outlined a two-hour health podcast in 1,800 words. You can read that in less than 10 minutes!
How To Create Top-Rated Content for Current Trending Topics
Finding current trending topics is only part of the battle. Next, you have to create engaging content for your audience.
If pumping out a steady stream of material for your blog is challenging, let our team help. Contact Marketing Insider Group to collaborate on a marketing plan that lets you take full advantage of current trending topics.