The Trends Tracker brings together multiple data sources to help you assess how trends are evolving over time.
It is designed to provide a directional view of momentum, rather than a single definitive answer. Because of this, it’s important to interpret multiple metrics together to get a complete picture of a trend.
Key metrics
Each trend is supported by a set of metrics that help you understand both its trajectory and overall scale.
Growth %
Growth % measures the relative change in interest over a selected time period.
Positive growth indicates increasing momentum
Negative growth suggests declining interest
Growth is best used to understand direction and trajectory, rather than the absolute size of a trend.
Volume
Volume represents the overall level of activity or interest in a trend.
Higher volume suggests broader or more established interest
Lower volume may indicate a more niche or emerging trend
Volume is useful for understanding the scale and reach of a trend.
Signals
Signals provide additional context beyond search behavior and help indicate whether a trend is gaining real-world traction.
Examples of signals include:
Articles (media coverage and thought leadership)
Funding (investment activity and startup momentum)
Patents (innovation and R&D activity)
Product-related content (launches, features, and commercial adoption)
Signals are updated regularly and can help show whether a trend is moving from awareness to action.
Trend status
In the Macro-trends view, trends are categorized based on their recent trajectory.
Emerging trends are gaining traction, with increasing growth and/or signals
Declining trends are losing momentum, with decreasing growth and/or reduced activity
Accelerating trends have rapidly increasing momentum. Mentions/searches are rising quickly and growth is strengthening compared to the previous period.
Established trends have steady, sustained interest. It has meaningful volume and stable presence over time, with growth leveling off (not spiking, not dropping suggests maturity).
These labels are directional and should be used as a starting point for deeper exploration.
Data sources (high-level)
The Trends Tracker aggregates data from multiple inputs to provide a more balanced view of trends.
This includes:
Search data (e.g., Google and other platforms) to capture interest over time
External signals from a variety of sources to reflect real-world activity
Combining these sources helps connect early interest (search) with tangible movement (signals).
How to interpret the data
No single metric tells the full story. To get the most accurate understanding of a trend, it’s important to look at growth, volume, and signals together.
Some helpful ways to think about this:
A trend with high growth but low volume may be in an early stage
A trend with high volume but flat or negative growth may be mature or plateauing
Strong signals alongside growth can indicate a trend is moving toward real-world adoption
Notes
Data is refreshed regularly to reflect the latest available information
Short-term spikes may not indicate sustained trends- look for consistent patterns over time
Trends should be used as inputs into strategic thinking, not definitive conclusions