How to Find Trending Topics (Google, TikTok, YouTube & More)

Content marketing is a great way to grow a business. That said, maintaining a consistent flow of high-quality content can be challenging. No matter how creative you are, eventually, you will run out of ideas to use for your content.

One of the most effective ways to find new ideas is to check online trends. Trending topics have the public's current interest and can be a valuable source of quality traffic.

In this post, you’ll learn how to find trending topics on Google, social media platforms, and with dedicated trend tools, and how to publish content before a trend peaks.

How to find trending topics using Google Trends

Google Trends is an online tool used to gather insights on search terms used on the Google search engine.

It provides real-time data for current search trends as recent as the past hour going all the way back to 2004. This data is presented as a metric called interest over time.

Interest over time is measured on a scale of 0 to 100 with a score of 100 representing the highest interest for the term over the time period specified in the search.

With Google Trends, you can search for specific topics and filter the results based on geographic location to quickly learn about the keywords most relevant to your business.

Google Trends also provides useful visualizations to make the data easy to digest and you can review multiple terms at once to analyze them side by side.

To get a quick overview of what people are searching for right now, open the Trending now page. It shows searches that are rising in the last few hours or days, and you can filter by country, time period, and category.

How to use trending topics from Google Trends in your content strategy

Content timing

Creating a content calendar is an important part of building a content strategy. It helps you strategize your articles, enabling you to post the best types of pieces at the right time.

With Google Trends, you can see when certain topics have the most interest.

To do so, you need to set the time window to the past day or past 7 days. You can then view the interest for each hour of the day.

You can expand on this data by using a custom time range. This will let you set a 7-day window for any prior week. With this information, you can analyze prior periods to pick up on consistent trends.

Check keyword research against Google trends

Google Trends is useful for cross-referencing the keyword research you perform with other keyword research tools.

Solutions such as Ahrefs and Semrush provide tons of data but it is not always easy to tell if interest in a topic is trending up or down.

Google Trends gives you trending data to pair with the monthly search volume and difficulty metrics that you pull from other tools.

With the Related topics and Related queries sections, you can quickly find similar terms and see their directional data.

Topic clustering

Google Trends makes it easy to identify subjects to include in a topic cluster strategy.

When you enter a search, each topic also lists related topics. These insights help you discover the relationship between topics.

You can refine your searches even more by using the category filter.

To do so, enter a search with the category filter then delete the search term you used to get a list of top current trending topics for that category.

How to find trending topics on YouTube

YouTube is one of the most visited sites and a popular search engine, so it’s a great place to spot topics people want to watch and read about.

YouTube used to have a single Trending page, but it retired that page and its “Trending Now” list in July 2025. Today, you can find what’s popular on YouTube in these places:

• YouTube Charts: category charts such as trending music videos, top podcast shows, and trending movie trailers.
• Search suggestions: type a topic into the YouTube search bar and look at the suggestions YouTube offers as you type. They reflect what people are searching for.
• YouTube Studio: if you have a channel, the Research tab in YouTube Studio Analytics shows what your audience and other viewers are searching for.
• Shorts: scroll the Shorts feed in your niche to see which formats and sounds keep showing up.

Check comments and hashtags

Another way to find trending topics on YouTube is to read the comments on popular videos in your niche. You’ll have to skip some noise, but comments show how your audience feels about a topic and what questions they still have.

YouTube also uses hashtags. Clicking a hashtag shows other videos that use it, which helps you see how big a topic is.

Use YouTube trends to create more thorough content

You can use the topics you find on YouTube to create a written, more detailed piece of content.

Many videos don’t cover a topic from every angle, so it’s often easy to create a unique piece that still provides value to the reader.

Once you find an interesting topic, do some keyword research to decide how to position your post to get search traffic.

How to find trending topics on X (Twitter)

X, formerly Twitter, is known for fast-moving trends and real-time conversations.

You can find trending topics on the Explore page (you need to be logged in). The Trending tab lists the topics getting the most engagement, and you can switch to trends for your location or specific categories such as news, sports, and entertainment.

Click a trend to see the posts driving it.

Use X trends to understand audience sentiment

X trends are useful for understanding audience sentiment around a topic. You can see what people are saying about a subject in real time and create content that answers their questions or adds a new perspective.

How to find trending topics on Instagram

Instagram has more than 2 billion monthly users, according to Meta, and trends spread quickly as brands and creators post about the same topics.

The Explore page is the easiest place to start. It shows popular posts and Reels based on your interests and the content you have interacted with before.

Hashtags are also a key part of discovering content on Instagram. When you find an interesting trend, note the hashtags that the most popular posts use. You can use relevant ones to reach the right people with your own content.

Reels are where most trends start on Instagram. Pay attention to the audio and formats that keep appearing in your niche.

Use Instagram trends to grow your brand

As a visual platform, Instagram is a great way to reach a different audience with your content. After you create a blog post, turn the key points into a Reel or carousel and share it on Instagram.

How to find trending topics on Facebook

Facebook no longer has a trending topics section in the news feed, but Meta still publishes trend data for marketers.

The best place to find trends is Facebook IQ Hot Topics. It lists conversation topics on Facebook and Instagram that have at least doubled in volume since the previous month, in categories such as brands and products, entertainment, food and drink, holidays and events, people and culture, and sports. You can filter by country and platform. Meta refreshes the tool quarterly with three months of data at a time.

Another way to find popular topics on Facebook is to search for a topic and look at recent public posts, groups, and videos to see what people are discussing and sharing.

Use Facebook trends to improve engagement

The trending topics you find on Facebook help you create fresh, relatable content that is easy to share.

You can add your own opinion on the subject and explain whether you agree or disagree with other popular opinions.

You can also use these insights to start or grow a Facebook group, where you share valuable content over time to build trust with your audience.

How to find trending topics on LinkedIn

LinkedIn is a popular social media platform for businesses and professionals, which makes it a good source of trends for B2B content.

You can browse Top Content on LinkedIn, where posts are grouped by topic, such as marketing, technology, and finance. Choose a topic and explore its subtopics to find popular posts. You can also follow hashtags related to your industry and check which posts get the most comments in your feed.

When you find trending topics related to your business, add your own perspective in a post or comment to reach relevant prospects in your network. You can also share articles from your blog, or publish long-form articles and newsletters directly on LinkedIn to build your authority.

LinkedIn also shows analytics for your posts, so once some of them gain traction, you can see which topics and formats work best with your audience.

How to find trending topics on TikTok

TikTok was built on trends. Users create short videos that quickly gain traction, and once a theme or sound takes off, others create their own version.

The best place to find TikTok trends is the TikTok Creative Center. Its Trends section shows trending hashtags, songs, creators, and videos, and you can filter them by country or region, industry, and time period. You can also browse the Discover page and search for topics in your niche.

TikTok trends are usually short-lived, so you need to act on them quickly.

Watch the videos to see what issues people are talking about and how you can create content that adds value to the discussion. People often showcase popular products, so TikTok is also a good way to see which products are getting attention.

By following TikTok trends, you can learn about the interests of younger audiences that may be harder to spot on other platforms.

How to find trending topics on Google News

Google News aggregates stories from thousands of news sites and groups related stories together.

The Top stories and Headlines sections show the news that is getting the most coverage right now, and you can browse sections such as business, technology, and health. Google also considers freshness, location, and relevance, so what you see depends on your region and interests.

Use Google News trends for newsjacking

Because Google News is so fresh, it’s great for newsjacking: finding a major story in your industry and quickly publishing your own take on it while interest is high.

If your site is well optimized for Google and you publish quickly, your article may also appear in Google News and Top stories results.

How to find trending topics on Reddit

Reddit is a network of communities (subreddits) where people discuss the topics that interest them.

The Popular feed shows the posts that are getting the most engagement across Reddit right now.

Within a subreddit for your niche, sort posts by “Hot” or “Top” to see what the community cares about most. You can also use Reddit search and sort the results to find the most active discussions about a topic.

How to use Reddit in your content marketing

Reddit is especially useful for finding the questions people ask in their own words, which are often topics that keyword research tools miss.

If you share your content on Reddit, follow each subreddit’s rules. Most communities don’t allow self-promotion unless you contribute to the discussion.

Tools to find trends before they peak

Besides the platforms themselves, several tools help you spot trends early:

• Exploding Topics: tracks topics, products, and startups whose search interest is growing quickly, often before they become mainstream.
• AnswerThePublic: shows the questions people search for about a topic, grouped by who, what, why, how, and more.
• Pinterest Trends: Pinterest’s own tool for seeing which searches are rising on Pinterest, useful for visual and seasonal niches like food, home, and fashion.

Use these tools together with Google Trends. When a topic is growing in several places at once, it’s more likely to be a real trend and not a short spike.

How to use trending topics in your content strategy

Trending topics make great material for online content. When you create content around a trending topic, you know that there is current interest in the subject.

Because you know the subject has strong demand, you don’t have to spend as much time researching the topic’s search volume or other metrics before creating your posts.

Additionally, trending topics tend to be fresh and new. This makes them easier to rank for. Many marketers invest their time creating content around established subjects that already have a high search volume.

By creating content around a newer topic, you have the opportunity to gain a high ranking for emerging keywords.

Plus, when you create an article with fewer alternatives, there is a higher likelihood that people will read through all of your content instead of skimming it.

This increased engagement has SEO benefits and boosts the chances that readers stick around your site to interact with more pages.

Publish before the trend peaks

The earlier you publish, the more of the interest you capture. Check your trend sources regularly, keep a list of rising topics in your niche, and prepare a simple template for quick posts so you can publish within days, not weeks.

Not every trend is worth chasing. Separate short-lived trends, such as a viral meme, from trends that become lasting topics, such as a new tool or regulation in your industry. Short-lived trends are best for social media posts. Lasting trends deserve a full article that you can update as the topic grows.

Focus on your niche

The most useful trends are the ones your audience cares about. Filter trend tools by your category and region, and ignore trends that don’t connect to your products or expertise, however popular they are.

Conclusion

Most marketers will run into the trouble of coming up with new content ideas at some point. By staying on top of the latest trends, you not only get new ideas but you can also be confident that the topics will be interesting to your audience.

Take action on the tips in this guide and start using the latest trends to enhance your content marketing.

Trending Topics FAQ

How can I find trending topics on Google?

Open the Trending now page in Google Trends. It shows the searches that are rising right now, and you can filter by country, time period, and category. To check a specific topic, search for it in Google Trends and look at its interest over time and related queries.

What are the most trending topics right now?

Trends change by the hour and by country, so any list goes out of date quickly. Check Google Trends’ Trending now page, the Explore page on X, and the TikTok Creative Center for the current top trends in your region.

How do I find trending topics in my niche?

Use the category and region filters in Google Trends and the TikTok Creative Center, follow the main subreddits and hashtags in your niche, and use tools like Exploding Topics and AnswerThePublic to find rising topics and questions.

Are trending topics good for SEO?

Yes, if they’re relevant to your audience. Publishing early on a growing topic gives you a chance to rank before competition builds up, but short-lived trends lose their traffic quickly. Focus on trends that will stay relevant.