Google Trends Skill

Automate Google Trends research without a browser. Query related topics, rising queries, and interest over time for any keyword across YouTube, Web, Images, or News.

Prerequisites

Node.js 18+ and PNPM required.

# Check Node
node --version

# Install dependencies (first-time only)
cd .agent/skills/google-trends/scripts
pnpm install

---

Quick Start

# Basic search (YouTube, Last 7 Days, Tech category)
node .agent/skills/google-trends/scripts/search.js -k "Claude AI"

# Search Web instead of YouTube
node .agent/skills/google-trends/scripts/search.js -k "AI agents" -p web

# Extended time range (1 month)
node .agent/skills/google-trends/scripts/search.js -k "VibeCoding" -t "now 1-m"

# Output as JSON for piping
node .agent/skills/google-trends/scripts/search.js -k "Cursor IDE" -o json

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CLI Reference

Usage: search.js [options]

Options:
  -k, --keyword <string>    Topic to search (required)
  -p, --property <string>   youtube | web | images | news | froogle (default: youtube)
  -t, --time <string>       now 7-d | now 1-m | today 3-m | today 12-m (default: now 7-d)
  -c, --category <number>   Google Trends category ID (default: 5 = Tech)
  -o, --output <string>     table | json | markdown (default: table)
  -f, --file <path>         Save output to file (optional)
  --interest                Include interest-over-time data (default: false)
  -h, --help                Show help

Property Options

Value	What It Searches
youtube	YouTube Search trends
web	Google Web Search trends
images	Google Images trends
news	Google News trends
froogle	Google Shopping trends

Time Options

Value	Period
now 7-d	Last 7 days
now 1-m	Last 30 days
today 3-m	Last 90 days
today 12-m	Last 12 months

Category IDs (Common)

ID	Category
5	Computers & Electronics (Tech)
13	Arts & Entertainment
174	Sports
3	Business & Industrial

Full list: Google Trends Categories

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Example Workflows

YouTube Phase 1 Research

Use this skill during /youtube-phase1-strategy to validate topics:

# Check if "Claude Cowork" is rising on YouTube
node .agent/skills/google-trends/scripts/search.js -k "Claude Cowork" -p youtube -t "now 7-d"

Signal: Look for BREAKOUT or values > 100 in related queries.

General Topic Validation

# Is "RAG" still trending in AI?
node .agent/skills/google-trends/scripts/search.js -k "RAG AI" -p web -t "today 3-m" --interest

Signal: Check if interest-over-time is increasing or peaked.

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Output Formats

Table (Default)

[TrendProbe] Searching: "Claude AI" on YouTube (Last 7 days)

--- Related Queries (Top) ---
1. claude ai assistant (100)
2. anthropic claude (81)
3. claude vs chatgpt (45)

--- Related Queries (Rising) ---
1. anthropic (BREAKOUT)
2. claude code (450%)

JSON

{
  "keyword": "Claude AI",
  "property": "youtube",
  "time": "now 7-d",
  "top": [...],
  "rising": [...]
}

Markdown

## Claude AI (YouTube, 7 days)
### Top Queries
1. claude ai assistant (100)
...

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Tips

1. BREAKOUT = Gold. A "BREAKOUT" query has grown > 5000% — this is a proven opportunity.
2. Cross-validate. Use with YouTube Studio Trends and Competitor VidIQ for 3-source validation.
3. Try multiple keywords. "Claude AI" vs "Claude Cowork" vs "Anthropic Claude" may reveal different signals.
4. Category matters. Category 5 (Tech) gives tech-focused results; omit -c for broader trends.