Think With Google: A Resource for Trends in Online Marketing

Imagine strutting into a library and being greeted by aisles and towers of exactly the kinds of resources you need — and it’s all yours for the taking!

That’s what you may feel when you log into Think With Google and see a virtual cornucopia of marketing information and insights ready for you to explore. But what exactly is Think With Google, and how does an advertiser or inbound marketer benefit from using it?

What You Can Find on Think With Google

There’s no question that Google, with its many platforms and services, has a massive impact on all things digital marketing — especially in the inbound world. As inbound marketers, we look to Google for guidance and updates on how to reach the right audiences with our paid and organic content, so it’s a welcoming thought that Google has gathered so much information on what they’re seeing, and presenting it to those who need it. Sharing is caring!

A look at the Think With Google homepage instantly tells you what to expect: “Insights. Ideas. Inspiration.” A quick scroll down the page presents different carousels of articles in categories like “Trending Right Now,” “Consumer Insights,” “Marketing Strategies & Innovations,” and more.

These resources are wonderful for content marketers when conducting initial research for their latest blog post, video script, or advanced content offers. It’s easily navigable, and it takes virtually no time to get the hang of it.

RELATED: 20 DIFFERENT TYPES OF ADVANCED CONTENT THAT GET RESULTS [INFOGRAPHIC]

1. Insights from Google and Its Platforms

A prime example of the marketing trends Think With Google offers — for free — is featured on the homepage above from December, 2022: What marketers can learn from the most powerful YouTube trends of 2022, serves up precisely what it promises, which is vital insight for anyone who’s looking to create YouTube videos as part of their marketing plan. (And really, in 2023, who’s not including video in their marketing plan?) 

The article offers marketers valuable tips — straight from the biggest online video platform and second-largest search engine overall — for utilizing the popular “Shorts” form on YouTube. 

2. Wisdom from Experienced Marketers

If you’re looking for perspectives outside the Google space, you’ll find those here as well. Some of the articles featured on Think With Google are actually written by people who are right in the middle of the action.

Take, for example, the December 2022 article called How the company behind Dunkin’, Arby’s, and Sonic reaches people wherever they are. According to the article foreword, it’s written by Travis Freeman, SVP of demand generation for Inspire Brands, who was on deck for paid advertising efforts behind popular brands including Dunkin’ and Arby’s. 

With this article, you’re getting information straight from the source, speaking directly about the company’s own experiences in marketing. It’s almost like hanging around the table at lunch and listening to an expert in their field imparting what they’ve just learned — for free!

RELATED: Learn when and how paid ads can support your B2B inbound program in our INBOUND MARKETER'S GUIDE TO PAID MEDIA

3. Additional Tools

Think With Google also offers a number of marketing tools that can help you discover and reach your best prospects, such as: 

• Find My Audience, a tool to help you understand who your most valuable customers are on YouTube, so you can discover new audiences and learn how to reach them
• Google Trends, a content marketer’s best friend for discovering keywords and terms your personas are searching for
• Grow My Store, to assess your ecommerce site’s customer experience (CX) and get suggestions for improving it
• Market Finder, to help you discover new global markets

You may already be able to use some of these right away with your current Google login, while some may not be applicable to your business. Either way, there they are, ready to help you on your marketing journey.

RELATED: How the Best B2B Marketing Plans Use Both Traditional and Inbound Insights

How Inbound Marketers in B2B Industries Can Leverage Think With Google

The old saying goes, “If ifs and buts were candy and nuts, we’d all have a merry Christmas.” Marketers can strategize and implement ‘til the cows come home, and it may all look great on paper, but if the plan doesn’t work, what can you do? How can you see where you could have taken a different approach? 

Think With Google provides actual results and analytics and expands on them, offering ideas for how to best go about certain marketing tactics based on this real-life data.

It’s almost like a press conference after a football game: The coaches and players had a plan, they implemented it, and the final score was the result. What can be learned from what occurred out there on the field? They’ll take that knowledge and experience and use it to continuously improve their strategy for their next game.

For Beginners & Experts Alike

Perhaps one of the best things about Think With Google is that you can make excellent use of it regardless of your level of expertise. Whether you’re just starting an inbound strategy and need to build a foundation of research and ideas or you’re a seasoned veteran of the trade looking to keep up, you’ll find this collection of resources very helpful.

Going back to the article about YouTube trends we mentioned above, B2B businesses can digest those key findings — such as the importance of creating engaging Shorts — and incorporate them into their own video content marketing strategies to gain more traction and views.

The same goes for the Travis Freeman-penned article: B2B marketers can see what happened when well known brands had to work to reach their desired audiences and apply those tactics to their own ads. After all, B2C and B2B marketers are both trying to reach humans. The most important caveat here is to make sure you’re researching your ad platforms to make sure your target audience is on them before launching your tactics.

These are just a couple of examples from a quick tour of Think With Google. The best part? It’s free and updated often so you can always find the latest information! All you need to bring to the table is your Google login, a thirst for knowledge, and a flexible attitude.

What’s Your Marketing Plan?

Using Think With Google can be a valuable component of any marketing plan…the key word being a component. But do you have everything else you need for a fully realized marketing strategy?

We’ve developed a valuable resource to help you flesh out your marketing plan. We’ve gathered bunches of our own content that discuss critical topics like establishing KPIs, determining your budget, and so much more — all in one place. We even made a marketing plan template you can download free! Click here to access our Annual Inbound Marketing Plan Resources & Template.