How can you explore popular searches in other countries or on specific topics?
To explore popular searches in other countries or on specific topics, start by selecting a target country and reviewing keywords by monthly search volume. If you already have a research focus, enter a topic and filter for related terms. The Ahrefs guide covers both methods. However, high monthly search volume does not mean a term is suddenly trending right now. To track news trends, consult trend data separately rather than treating the two types of rankings as interchangeable.
Exploring other countries: select a database, then review search volume rankings
According to an Ahrefs article from July 2026, you can use Keywords Explorer to look beyond the top 100 Google search terms in a particular country:
- Leave the search field blank and run the search.
- View keywords in the selected country’s database, ranked by monthly search volume from highest to lowest.
- To switch countries, use the drop-down menu to choose from the more than 200 country databases described in the article.
These results cover only keywords included in the tool’s database, not a complete record of everyone’s searches in that country. When researching another market, first confirm that you have selected the target country rather than continuing to use rankings for your original market. The article also lists metrics such as search intent, search volume growth over the past three months, and the mobile-versus-desktop breakdown to help you interpret the rankings.
Exploring specific topics: narrow the results with topic and user-need terms
The same Ahrefs article explains how to search by topic: enter a topic in Keywords Explorer and open the Matching terms report to view keyword ideas ranked by monthly search volume. Rather than showing nationwide rankings, this approach narrows the results to queries relevant to your content topic.
For example, if you run a movie review website, you could search for “Netflix,” then filter for queries containing “review” to see which Netflix shows attract more searches for reviews. The point is not to copy the names of popular shows, but to combine topic terms with terms expressing user needs so the results better match the questions you want to answer.
- A topic term, such as Netflix, defines your research area.
- A term expressing a user need, such as review, narrows the queries.
- Monthly search volume helps compare the popularity of the filtered queries; it does not indicate content quality or guarantee traffic.
Tracking news trends: do not treat historical instructions as a current guide
If your goal is to understand recent events, distinguish between searches that are consistently popular over time and those that have recently become more popular than usual. A 2021 Semrush article uses the latter description to explain trending searches and notes that these queries often change with local news and events.
A 2020 Screaming Frog article described how Google Trending Searches allowed users to select a country from a drop-down menu and view daily trending topics ranked by search volume. This describes a past method for tracking trends by country, but the available information does not confirm whether the same interface is available today. When compiling results, label the country and distinguish monthly search volume rankings from daily trends so readers do not confuse measures of popularity over different time frames.
Exploring popular searches: perspectives from across the web
How can you explore topics when you do not know which terms to enter?
You can start with categories. A 2023 Semrush article described how WordTracker's Niche Explorer could be used to view popular keywords in categories such as business and finance, clothing, or food. Users could also enter a seed term to see related terms, search volumes, and competition metrics. This approach can be useful when you are still exploring possible research directions, but the features and instructions in the article reflect the tool at that time.
Are national rankings alone enough when researching a specific region within a country?
Not necessarily. National rankings help you understand the overall market, but when researching a local audience, you can also examine search volumes for the target region or city. Semrush's article explains how to use Keyword Overview to look up this data for local SEO insights. When using the tool, check which locations its data covers and how to access that data.
Besides search term rankings, how else can you track news on a specific topic?
You can also use news or media monitoring tools, but their results cannot be treated as a direct measure of search popularity. A 2020 Screaming Frog article described how the paid BuzzSumo service could monitor brands or topics and filter its trending news section by topics such as technology or health. This can be useful for tracking related coverage, but the historical article alone cannot confirm current features or subscription terms.
References
- Top Google Searches (November 2026)ahrefs.com · 2026-07-03T08:48:56+00:00 — Source used in the article above.
- How to Turn Off Google Trending Searches on Any Devicewww.semrush.com · 2021-11-15T20:10:00Z — Source used in the article above.
- To Make The News, Read The News: Why Content Marketers Should Keep Up With The Daily News Flowwww.screamingfrog.co.uk · 2020-08-17T10:47:45+00:00 — Discusses: Besides search term rankings, how else can you track news on a specific topic?
- Niche Keyword Research: 5 Ways to Find Valuable Search Terms (And 7 Tools to Help)www.semrush.com · 2023-11-06T12:44:00Z — Discusses: How can you explore topics when you do not know which terms to enter?
- The Most Searched Things on Google [2026]www.semrush.com · 2021-05-05T08:55:00Z — Discusses: Are national rankings alone enough when researching a specific region within a country?
Join the discussion 0 comments
What are you working through? Share a question or experience and let’s find the next step.
No comments yet. Start the conversation.