Google Trends has now been updated to include real-time data and a redesigned homepage. The biggest change appears to be the integration of YouTube and Google News data to help determine trending topics.
“We now look at trends from YouTube and Google News and combine them to better understand what topics and stories are trending across the web right now. ” – Google
The redesigned homepage increases the breadth and coverage of Google Trends data to allow for in-depth research on more niche topics in smaller geographies. Many newsrooms are already using Google data to inform and shape their reporting. Using Google Trends contributes to the growing trend of data-driven storytelling.
To better understand the data behind the headlines you should follow the Google News Lab team on Twitter.
For data journalists who want to do their own analysis, starting today Google will publish data sets on specific topics at their Github page – Google Trends Github
Google Trends A new window into our world with real-time trends
