In the fast-paced world of e-commerce and Print on Demand (POD), staying ahead of trends is essential for a thriving business. One of the most powerful tools in your arsenal is the use of trending keywords. These keywords can elevate your merchandise’s visibility, attract your target audience, and ultimately drive sales. So let’s dive into the world of trending keywords and how to uncover them for your merch store.

Why trending keywords matter

Trending keywords act as virtual breadcrumbs that guide potential customers to your merch store. They reflect the current interests, passions, and conversations within your niche. Integrating these keywords into your product titles, descriptions, and tags can significantly increase your store’s visibility on search engines and POD platforms.

How to find trending keywords

1. Understand Your Niche

Begin by understanding your niche inside and out. What are the current hot topics, trends, and preferences? For instance, remember the sudden surge in popularity of capybaras! They went from being relatively unknown to internet sensations in a short span of time. So stalk social media, engage with forums, dissect news feeds, and peruse closely-related blogs. This journey of exploration into your niche will reward you with insights into the language, nuances, and lingo your potential customers speak in, guiding you towards the keywords that resonate.

2. Utilize Keyword Research Tools

Keyword research tools are your compass in the world of trending keywords. This might be the most important step of the process. This tools can provide valuable data on search volume, related keywords, and seasonal trends. These insights enable you to tailor your keywords to match what your audience is actively searching for.

We leave you here some of the most common Keyword Research Tools:

Google Keyword Planner: A free tool by Google that helps you discover keywords related to your business, see search volume trends, and get ideas for new keywords.

SEMrush: A comprehensive SEO tool that offers keyword research, competitive analysis, backlink tracking, and more. It provides detailed insights into keyword volume, competition, and trends.

Ubersuggest: This tool helps you find long-tail keywords, provides keyword suggestions, and offers insights into search volume, CPC, and competition.

Keyword Surfer: A Chrome extension that provides keyword data as you search Google. It shows search volumes, similar keywords, and more.

Google Trends: A tool by Google that shows how often a particular search term is entered relative to the site’s total search volume over a specific period. It’s useful for identifying trends.

SpyFu: This tool lets you see the keywords your competitors are ranking for, helping you identify new opportunities for your own business.

But wait, there’s more to your arsenal. Vexels’ Quote Generator brings a creative twist to keyword research. By generating unique quotes based on trending topics, it helps you unearth keywords in a refreshing way. These quotes, when integrated into your store’s content, can capture attention and reflect the current pulse of your audience.

You can learn more about keyword research tools here!

3. Explore Social Media Platforms

Social media platforms are treasure troves of real-time trends. Here, hashtags morph into conversations, discussions into trends, and topics into tidal waves of popularity. Immerse yourself in the flow of platforms like Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok, which can offer a wealth of information on the keywords that are currently making waves. Begin by exploring trending hashtags – these are the keys to ongoing conversations. In the fitness niche, for instance, hashtags like #HealthyLifestyle can reveal actively used keywords. Additionally, delve into discussions within your niche. What topics are people discussing? What questions are being asked? These conversations hold the essence of trending keywords.

4. Analyze Competitors

Your competitors, rather than adversaries, can be inspiring mentors. Explore successful merch stores within your niche and analyze the keywords they’re using. This doesn’t mean copy-pasting their keywords, but rather understanding their strategy and adapting it to your unique brand. Borrow not just keywords but the essence of what makes their keyword usage resonate with their audience. 

5. Stay Updated with Industry News

Keep a finger on the pulse of your industry. Subscribe to industry-specific newsletters, follow reputable blogs, and set up alerts for news aggregators. Changes, events, and developments can quickly become trending keywords. Aggregator sites and industry-specific web portals are your ticket to staying informed, aligning your store with emerging narratives and freshly sprouted keyword trends. Staying updated isn’t just about knowing the news; it’s about timing. The moment a new narrative emerges, consider it a window to infuse your strategy with relevant keywords. This allows your store to ride the wave of emerging interest and visibility.

6. Seasonal Keywords

Certain keywords gain popularity during specific seasons or events. Every year, certain periods are marked by events, celebrations, and festivities. Halloween, Christmas, Thanksgiving, Valentine’s Day, back-to-school preparations – these occasions set the stage for specific themes and desires within your audience. And where there are themes, there are keywords that capture the essence of these moments. These occasions create a surge in demand for products aligned with the event’s spirit. By weaving these seasonal keywords into your store’s fabric, you’re not just tapping into trends; you’re aligning your offerings with the very moments your audience is deeply engaged in. 

 

Trending keywords are more than just words; they’re the bridge between your merch store and your potential customers. By harnessing the power of these keywords, you position your business at the forefront of conversations within your niche. Remember, trends evolve, so constant vigilance and adaptation are key to maintaining your competitive edge.

With these insights, your journey to discovering and using trending keywords for your merch store is set to begin. May your keywords be forever relevant and your sales forever soaring.