Google Merges Insights For Search With Google Trends

Google has merged two of its popular search/keyword research tools. Google Insights for Search has been absorbed by Google Trends; the combined tool keeps the Google Trends name and exists at the www.google.com/trends address, too.

If you try to access the Insights for Search address (www.google.com/insights/search), Google redirects you to the new Google Trends.

When Google launched Insights for Search in 2008, I remember one of the first really helpful uses that I had for it was to help a client figure out if he should be using the term “lawyer” or “attorney” more frequently. As I use the new, combined Google Trends, it’s still able to help with keyword research questions like that.

That image is the default showing all web searches worldwide from 2004 to the present. The filters that were available in Insights for Search are still there — in the left column — letting me choose specific regions, timeframes, etc.

The merge does make sense since both tools provide a look at the popularity of keywords and searches. Google Trends has been the somewhat more mainstream, less marketer-driven of the two, but now the combined tool may appeal to all users. (At least Google hopes it does.)