5 ways to use Google to uncover business opportunities

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And now, let's dive in:

5 ways to turn Google into a business opportunity finder

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Looking for your next business idea but having a hard time getting the inspiration for it?

As the saying goes...“The truth is always hiding in plain sight."

Google is your friend here. And can be a powerful (and free) tool to help you find business opportunities and ideas. The reasoning behind this is that Google generally tries to show you the best results for each query, which also means showing you what's "trending."

Most people don't even know about all the possibilities and free tools that are part of the Google ecosystem.

Here are 5 ways you can use Google (and their suite of free tools) to research and reverse engineer new business opportunities: 

#1. Google Trends 

Google Trends is a free tool that allows you to see how often a particular search term is entered into Google over a specific period of time. You can use this tool to:

– Identify popular topics and trends in your industry. Filter for the last 20 years or so to clearly see trending niches in a snapshot view over the long term. 

– Find relevant product categories using "Related topics" to expand to a different but related vertical.

– Get keyword ideas from the “Related queries” section. Once you know a topic/niche is trending, you can use this to target the best possible keywords that people are searching for and/or come up with new category ideas for your product. 

👉 Real founder using this: How I bootstrapped a $45K/month business from a living room.

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#2. Use the "Suggest" function in Google Search

When you start typing a search query into Google, the search engine will suggest related terms and phrases. These suggestions can give you an idea of what people are searching for and help you identify new business opportunities.

– Start with broad keywords: Begin by typing in broad keywords related to the industry you're interested in and scroll through the suggested search terms to see what topics are currently popular.

– Look for patterns: Pay attention to the patterns in the suggested searches. You may notice that a certain topic or phrase consistently appears, indicating a popular trend.

– Identify gaps: Look for gaps in the suggested search terms and consider if there's a potential opportunity to fill that gap with a new business idea.

– Use "near me" and "best": Use the phrases "near me" or "best" in your search to see what businesses are popular in your local area and what people are searching for when looking for a specific type of business.

– Check out the "People also ask" section: Google also shows a "People also ask" section on the search results page, which can give you an idea of the types of questions people are asking about a particular topic. Can you answer those questions and pain points with a business or product?

– Research the competition: Use the suggested search terms to research your competition and see what they're doing well, and what gaps you could fill in the market.

👉 Real founder using this: Making $12K/year in profit by leveraging Google's related searches.

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#3. Use Google News

Google News is a free news aggregator that provides news from various sources. Use it to stay updated on the latest news, trend, and happenings in your industry or niche.

– Use keywords: Search for keywords related to the industry or market you're interested in, and scroll through the articles that come up in the search results. This will give you an idea of the current trends and issues in the industry.

– Look for breaking news: Keep an eye out for breaking news stories related to your industry, as these can indicate new opportunities or changes in the market that you can capitalize on.

– Check the "Local" tab: The "Local" tab on the Google News homepage shows news stories from your local area. This can be a great way to find out what's happening in your community and identify potential business opportunities.

– Use the "Explore" feature: Google News has an "Explore" feature that allows you to discover news on a particular topic by exploring related articles, videos, and other content.

– Follow specific publications: Follow specific publications relevant to your industry to stay up to date on the latest news and trends.

– Set up alerts: For specific keywords or topics so that you'll be notified when new articles or stories are published.

👉 Real founder using this: How a $3M/year company takes advantage of Google News.

#4. Use Google's advanced search operators

– site:domain.com - see all the pages indexed by Google for that specific website, and look for gaps in the content.

Are there any topics the website isn't covering but could be useful for their audience? Consider if there's an opportunity to create a business that fills that gap.

– inurl:keyword - search for pages with a specific keyword in the URL. This can be useful for finding websites related to a specific product or service.

– intitle:keyword - search for pages that have a specific keyword in the title. This can be useful for finding websites focused on a specific topic.

– filetype:extension - search for a specific file type, such as PDFs, PowerPoint presentations, or Excel spreadsheets. This can be useful for finding industry reports, whitepapers, or other research related to your industry.

– related:domain.com - find websites that are related to a specific domain. This can be useful for finding competitors or other websites in your industry.

– -keyword - exclude results that contain a specific keyword. This can be useful for refining your search results and removing irrelevant results.

– "exact phrase" - search for an exact phrase or a set of words. It's useful to find specific information.

👉 Real founder using this: Making the most out of these tools helped this company hit $3.5M/month.

#5. Use Google Alerts

This free service lets you receive notifications when new content is published on a specific topic.

Use it to stay updated on new business opportunities and trends in your industry.

– Set up alerts for specific keywords: Use Google Alerts to set up notifications for specific keywords related to the industry or market you're interested in. This will help you stay updated on the latest news and trends in your industry.

– Monitor your competition: Set up alerts for your competitors' names or specific products or services they offer to stay informed about their latest developments and strategies.

– Track industry influencers: Set up alerts for industry influencers or thought leaders in your field to stay informed about their latest insights and ideas.

– Stay informed about the latest regulations and laws: Set up alerts for any new laws or regulations that could impact your industry, to be aware and be able to plan accordingly.

👉 Real founder using this: This $1M/month biz monitors what people say about them with Google Alerts.