Top 28 Best Tools to Track Online Trends

In today’s fast-paced digital world, keeping up with online trends is essential for businesses, marketers, and content creators. Whether you’re looking to stay ahead of the competition or simply understand what’s capturing the public’s interest, having the right tools can make all the difference. Here’s a comprehensive list of the top 28 tools to track online trends, categorized by their primary functions.

1. Google Trends

Google Trends is one of the most popular tools for tracking online trends. It allows you to see the popularity of search queries over time and across different regions. This tool is invaluable for keyword research and understanding what topics are trending globally or locally.

Features:

• Compare multiple keywords
• Analyze search interest over time
• Identify related queries and topics

2. BuzzSumo

BuzzSumo helps you discover the most shared content on the web. It’s perfect for identifying popular topics and the influencers behind them. Marketers can use BuzzSumo to analyze content performance and refine their content strategies.

Features:

• Content discovery
• Influencer identification
• Competitor analysis

3. Ahrefs

Ahrefs is primarily known as an SEO tool, but it’s also excellent for trend tracking. The tool’s Content Explorer feature allows you to find the most popular content in your niche, based on metrics like backlinks, social shares, and organic traffic.

Features:

• Keyword and backlink research
• Competitor analysis
• Content Explorer

4. Twitter Trending Topics

Twitter’s trending section provides real-time insights into what’s popular on the platform. This is a great way to monitor emerging trends and engage with current events as they happen.

Features:

• Real-time trends
• Location-specific trends
• Engagement metrics

5. Trend Watching

Trend Watching offers insights into global consumer trends. It’s an excellent resource for businesses looking to stay ahead of market shifts and consumer behaviors.

Features:

• Global trend reports
• Industry-specific insights
• Consumer behavior analysis

6. Reddit

Reddit is a treasure trove of trends, especially in niche communities. By monitoring popular subreddits and discussions, you can get a pulse on what’s trending in various industries.

Features:

• Subreddit monitoring
• Real-time discussions
• Community insights

7. Pinterest Trends

Pinterest Trends shows what people are currently searching for and saving on the platform. This tool is particularly useful for industries like fashion, home decor, and food.

Features:

• Trending keywords
• Category-specific trends
• Seasonal insights

8. Feedly

Feedly is a content aggregator that allows you to follow blogs, news sites, and YouTube channels in one place. By organizing your feeds into categories, you can stay on top of the latest trends in your industry.

Features:

• Customizable feeds
• Trend alerts
• Integration with other tools

9. Exploding Topics

Exploding Topics identifies trends that are rapidly gaining attention. It’s perfect for discovering up-and-coming topics before they become mainstream.

Features:

• Trend discovery
• Growth rate analysis
• Weekly trend reports

10. SEMrush

SEMrush is another comprehensive SEO tool with features that help you track online trends. The Keyword Magic Tool and Topic Research Tool are particularly useful for finding trending keywords and content ideas.

Features:

• Keyword research
• Competitor analysis
• Content and trend insights

11. Google Alerts

Google Alerts allows you to receive notifications about specific keywords or topics. This is a simple but effective way to stay updated on trends related to your interests.

Features:

• Customizable alerts
• Email notifications
• Broad coverage of topics

12. YouTube Trending

YouTube’s trending section showcases the most popular videos on the platform. This is an excellent resource for content creators and marketers looking to tap into viral video trends.

Features:

• Trending videos
• Location-specific trends
• Video category insights

13. Instagram Insights

For businesses and influencers, Instagram Insights provides detailed analytics on posts and stories. By analyzing this data, you can identify what content is resonating with your audience and spot emerging trends.

Features:

• Post and story analytics
• Audience insights
• Hashtag performance

14. Social Mention

Social Mention is a social media search and analysis tool that aggregates user-generated content. It allows you to track what people are saying about specific topics across various platforms.

Features:

• Real-time monitoring
• Sentiment analysis
• Keyword tracking

15. Quora

Quora is a question-and-answer platform where users discuss a wide range of topics. By following relevant questions and answers, you can identify trending topics and get insights into consumer concerns and interests.

Features:

• Topic-specific discussions
• Community-driven insights
• Trend discovery

16. Trend Hunter

Trend Hunter is a leading trend research platform, offering insights into the latest consumer trends across various industries. The platform is particularly useful for businesses looking to innovate and stay ahead of market shifts.

Features:

• Industry-specific trend reports
• Consumer behavior analysis
• Innovation workshops

17. LinkedIn Pulse

LinkedIn Pulse is LinkedIn’s content publishing platform. It showcases trending articles and topics within your industry, making it a valuable resource for professionals looking to stay updated on industry-specific trends.

Features:

• Industry-specific trends
• Professional insights
• Thought leadership content

18. Meltwater

Meltwater provides media monitoring and social listening services. It’s a comprehensive tool for tracking trends across news, blogs, and social media, allowing businesses to stay informed about their brand, industry, and competitors.

Features:

• Media monitoring
• Social listening
• Customizable reports

19. Mention

Mention is a social media monitoring tool that tracks brand mentions across the web. It’s useful for keeping tabs on what people are saying about your brand, industry, or competitors in real-time.

Features:

• Real-time alerts
• Sentiment analysis
• Competitive analysis

20. Sprout Social

Sprout Social is a social media management tool with powerful analytics and trend-tracking features. It allows you to monitor social conversations, analyze performance, and uncover trends.

Features:

• Social media monitoring
• Detailed analytics
• Trend insights

21. Google Keyword Planner

Google Keyword Planner is a part of Google Ads that helps you find the right keywords for your campaigns. It’s also useful for identifying trending keywords based on search volume and competition.

Features:

• Keyword research
• Search volume trends
• Competitive analysis

22. Tableau Public

Tableau Public is a free platform for visualizing data. While it’s not a trend-tracking tool per se, it allows you to create visual representations of trends using your data, which can help you identify patterns and insights.

Features:

• Data visualization
• Trend analysis
• Interactive dashboards

23. Hootsuite

Hootsuite is a popular social media management tool that also offers trend-tracking capabilities. Its social listening features help you monitor and analyze social media trends, making it easier to stay on top of what’s popular.

Features:

• Social media scheduling
• Trend tracking
• Analytics and reporting

24. Talk walker

Talk walker is an advanced social listening and analytics tool. It helps brands monitor online conversations and analyze trends across social media, news, blogs, and forums.

Features:

• Social listening
• Trend analysis
• Sentiment analysis

25. Net Base Quid

Net Base Quid is a powerful consumer and market intelligence platform. It combines social media analytics with consumer behavior insights to help businesses understand trends and market dynamics.

Features:

• Consumer behavior analysis
• Market trend reports
• Competitive analysis

26. Brand watch

Brand watch offers social media monitoring and analytics services, providing deep insights into online trends. It’s especially useful for tracking brand reputation and identifying emerging topics in your industry.

Features:

• Social listening
• Trend detection
• Competitor benchmarking

27. Pinterest Predicts

Pinterest Predicts is a trend forecasting tool that offers insights into what’s likely to be popular in the coming year. It’s based on Pinterest’s user data and can help businesses anticipate future trends.

Features:

• Trend forecasting
• Category-specific insights
• Seasonal trends

28. Pew Research Center

Pew Research Center offers in-depth research on social trends, including digital and online behaviors. It’s a great resource for understanding broader societal trends that can impact your business or content strategy.

Features:

• Research reports
• Data analysis
• Social trend insights

Conclusion

Staying on top of online trends is crucial for success in today’s digital landscape. Whether you’re a marketer, content creator, or business owner, these tools offer a range of capabilities to help you track, analyze, and act on emerging trends. By incorporating these tools into your strategy, you can ensure that your content, products, and marketing efforts are always aligned with what’s currently resonating with your audience.