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Opendirectory google-trends-api

Query Google Trends data via SerpApi for search trend analysis, keyword discovery, topic comparison, and geographic interest patterns. Use when users need trending keyword data, want to compare search terms, or need Google Trends insights for content planning.

install
source · Clone the upstream repo
git clone https://github.com/Varnan-Tech/opendirectory
Claude Code · Install into ~/.claude/skills/
T=$(mktemp -d) && git clone --depth=1 https://github.com/Varnan-Tech/opendirectory "$T" && mkdir -p ~/.claude/skills && cp -r "$T/packages/cli/skills/google-trends-api-skills/google-trends-api" ~/.claude/skills/varnan-tech-opendirectory-google-trends-api && rm -rf "$T"
manifest: packages/cli/skills/google-trends-api-skills/google-trends-api/SKILL.md
source content

Google Trends API Skill

Query Google Trends data through SerpApi to discover trending keywords, compare topics, and analyze search interest patterns.

Prerequisites

  • API Key: Set 
    SERPAPI_KEY
    environment variable with your SerpApi key
  • Free Tier: 250 searches/month (no credit card required)
  • Sign Up: https://serpapi.com/

API Basics

Base URL: 

https://serpapi.com/search

Every request requires these parameters:

  • engine=google_trends
  • api_key
    — your SerpApi private key
  • q
    — 1-5 comma-separated queries (max 100 chars each)
  • data_type
    — one of the types below

Data Types

TypeMax QueriesPurpose
RELATED_QUERIES
1Discover related search queries (rising + top)
RELATED_TOPICS
1Discover related topics searched by same users
TIMESERIES
5Track interest over time, compare terms
GEO_MAP_0
1Regional interest for a single query
GEO_MAP
5Regional comparison of multiple queries

Common Parameters

Time Ranges (
date
)

ValuePeriodBest For
today 3-m
Past 3 monthsCurrent trends, SEO research
today 12-m
Past yearTrend validation
today 5-y
Past 5 yearsSeasonal patterns
now 7-d
Last 7 daysBreaking trends
all
2004-presentHistorical analysis

Geographic (
geo
)

  • ""
    (empty) = Worldwide
  • US
    = United States, 
    GB
    = United Kingdom, 
    CA
    = Canada
  • US-CA
    = California (state-level)

Region Granularity (
region
)

COUNTRY
| 
REGION
| 
DMA
| 
CITY

Platform (
gprop
)

  • (empty) = Web Search (default)
  • youtube
    | 
    news
    | 
    images
    | 
    froogle
    (Shopping)

Making Requests

RELATED_QUERIES — Find related searches

curl -s "https://serpapi.com/search?engine=google_trends&q=kubernetes&data_type=RELATED_QUERIES&date=today+3-m&api_key=$SERPAPI_KEY"

Response structure — see references/api-responses.md for full details:

{
  "related_queries": {
    "rising": [
      {"query": "kubernetes vs docker", "formatted_value": "Breakout"},
      {"query": "kubernetes tutorial 2024", "formatted_value": "+180%"}
    ],
    "top": [
      {"query": "kubernetes deployment", "value": 100}
    ]
  }
}
  • "Breakout" = 5000%+ growth — highest opportunity
  • "+N%" = year-over-year growth percentage

RELATED_TOPICS — Find related topics

curl -s "https://serpapi.com/search?engine=google_trends&q=kubernetes&data_type=RELATED_TOPICS&date=today+3-m&api_key=$SERPAPI_KEY"

Returns rising and top topics with titles and types.

TIMESERIES — Interest over time

curl -s "https://serpapi.com/search?engine=google_trends&q=react,vue,angular&data_type=TIMESERIES&date=today+12-m&api_key=$SERPAPI_KEY"

Supports up to 5 comma-separated queries for comparison. Returns timeline data with interest values (0-100 scale).

GEO_MAP_0 — Regional interest (single query)

curl -s "https://serpapi.com/search?engine=google_trends&q=kubernetes&data_type=GEO_MAP_0&geo=US&region=REGION&api_key=$SERPAPI_KEY"

GEO_MAP — Regional comparison (multi-query)

curl -s "https://serpapi.com/search?engine=google_trends&q=react,vue&data_type=GEO_MAP&geo=US&region=REGION&api_key=$SERPAPI_KEY"

Error Handling

Always check 

search_metadata.status
in the response:

if response.get("search_metadata", {}).get("status") != "Success":
    error = response.get("error", "Unknown error")
    # Handle: invalid key, rate limit, malformed query, etc.

Common errors:

  • "Invalid API key" — check SERPAPI_KEY is set correctly
  • "No results" — query too niche, try broader terms
  • "Monthly limit exceeded" — 250 free searches used up

Rate Limit & Budget

  • Free tier: 250 searches/month
  • Failed searches are automatically refunded
  • No strict per-second rate limit, but space requests reasonably
  • Cache results for 7-14 days (trends don't change hourly)
  • Batch up to 5 queries in TIMESERIES/GEO_MAP calls to save credits

Example Script

Run the discovery script for a quick keyword lookup:

python scripts/discover_keywords.py "your topic here"

See scripts/discover_keywords.py for the full implementation.

References