[Visua.ly Personalized Analytics Infographic Example]
Almost all businesses, regardless of size or industry, use Google in some form. Be it Google Calendars, Google Drive or trusty old Gmail, it seems as though everyone relies on at least one of Google’s products to support their work routine. That said, there are a few hidden treasures in Google’s toolbox that, at times, don’t seem to get enough credit.
Sure, Google has hundreds of apps, but there are some that can have a serious impact on your online marketing initiatives that seem to be flying under the radar. Additionally, Google’s products typically have “freemium†models, which offer the invaluable opportunity to experiment with a variety of different techniques and hone in on what serves your brand most.
We’re all for testing out the latest and greatest from the world’s most powerful Internet giant. If you haven’t already, I encourage you to give a few of these seemingly under-appreciated products a spin.
Google Trends
If you’re looking to amp up your SEO strategy, Google Trends is a tool that shouldn’t be overlooked. It allows you to see how frequently a term is searched so you can get a gauge for its popularity.
Google Trends instantly creates a graph of the search volume by language, country, city or region, revealing how the term has evolved over specific increments of time. It also forecasts how those terms will trend over time, helping you to make more educated decisions.
Essentially, Google Trends makes it easy for you to stay current with your product’s marketing language so you can jump into conversations about topics relevant to your space.
Think With Google
We like to consider Think With Google as a creative brain-trust we can turn to when searching for inspiration for our online marketing strategies. The resource is loaded with valuable information on industry trends, research and statistics, tips on marketing techniques and unique insights to get your creative juices flowing.
When devising your online marketing strategy or quarterly and yearly plans, don’t skip Think With Google. We love visiting this tool when we’ve come down with a marketing writer’s block, too.
GoMo
Consider this: 67 percent of people say a mobile-friendly site makes them more likely to buy a product or use a service. In other words, you should tap into the mobile revolution or your business may soon be left behind with the fax machines and the pagers of the worldâ€"otherwise known as those that failed to innovate.
Luckily, GoMo makes the transition to the digital world a simple one. Free for the first year, GoMo instantly generates a mobile-friendly version of your website so you’re no longer deterring your on-the-go customers with a site that’s nearly impossible to navigate.
Google Analytics
This might seem like a no brainer to some, but studies show that Google Analytics is actually a terribly underutilized tool among small and medium sized businesses. Without Google Analytics, carrying out website online marketing strategies is like driving blindly in the dark. Website analytics reveal critical data about how existing and potential customers interact with you online. When evaluated properly, the analytics insights offer up ample opportunities for customer engagement and retention.
If you take away one thing from this article, let it be this: Install Google Analytics and learn to love it.
Quick tip: If you already have Google Analytics running on your site, check out Visua.ly’s personalized analytics infographics.  You can create visual infographics that include your site’s data so that you can track your site’s performance by viewing it in an infographic. (An example is pictured above.)
I make a concerted effort to explore each of Google’s online marketing apps and gather data on the impact they have. I’m always impressed with what I learn about our customers and marketing strategies. So while one of these four Google tools might leap out at you more than the others, my suggestion is to give them all a try and see what they churn up.
I think you’ll be pleased with what Google has going besides search.
