Analyzing Google Autocomplete predictions for SEO can give your business a leg up from your competition. Start by logging out of Google or use incognito mode to make sure your search history doesn’t influence the predictions you get. Then, for businesses with a global market, use a VPN if you are based in a different location than your target audience. For example, if you’re currently in Europe, but you are focusing on people in the United States, use a VPN to make it seem like you’re in the United States. You want to see predictions for the location where your target audience is. Don’t forget to adjust your language settings to the language settings the people in your target audience use. 

Keyword Research

Google Autocomplete can be a useful keyword research tool. Type in a keyword that is relevant to your niche or target market and look at the predictions. You will discover valuable long-tail keywords. Then, use an SEO tool like Ahrefs, or Moz Pro to analyze those keywords and identify ones that are worth going after. If you don’t like any of the predictions that you got, type in your keyword, then just go through every letter of the alphabet to see what predictions come up. If you are having a hard time using these SEO tools, hire an agency to assign you a consultant to help you understand your findings and obtain the correct keyword you need. 

Google Can Fill in the Blanks

Tom Dupuis from Online Media Masters suggests using the underscore character “_” in a phrase so that Google would complete it. “Instead of having Google complete only the last part, this can show you a better selection of keywords depending on what type of phrase it is,” explains Tom.

For example, type the keyword “web design _ agency” and these first 3 suggestions pop up: “website design agency near me”, “web design and marketing agency”, and “web design and digital marketing agency near me”. Experiment with the underscore’s position to see what new Google Autocomplete predictions show up. You could also try both the singular and plural forms of the same keyword to see if it leads to different Google Autocomplete predictions.

Online Reputation Management

A useful tool for researching results about your branded terms, such as company, executive, or product names. Google Autocomplete can present a serious threat to your public image of your company and brand if an unflattering search term appears in the predictions using your brand terms. You have several options to try to prevent this from happening:

• Address the Problem

If the negative prediction refers to something true, fix the problem. Don’t try to hide mistakes, this can hurt trust amongst your customers. The resolution won’t make the autocomplete issue go away immediately, but if the problem is solved, people will eventually forget about it and stop searching for it, feeling that you handled the issue responsibly. As the volume for that search term goes down, it ultimately will drop off the prediction list.

• Work on Your Brand Image

If the prediction is about an incident, you can help people forget whatever happened faster by giving them something positive to focus on. First, make sure to reassure existing loyal customers that this incident was a one-time thing, and you are working on preventative plans for the future. Then, you can feature these loyal customers on your website, do a giveaway, or organize an event as a “thank you” for sticking buy your company during tough times. Directly engaging with your customers on various social media platforms can go a long way towards creating a positive brand image as well. It reassures the public that you are not running away from your problem and are still willing to interact with them. 

Other Ways to Use Google Autocorrect Research:

• Uncover Key Words for Local SEO
• Create a User-Friendly E-commerce Website
  • Shows which categories are most popular
  • Uncover popular brands
  • Get ideas for your FAQ page
• Content Inspiration:
  • Key term for who, what, where, how, why of your business
  • Use action verbs
  • “Key Term and…”

Use Google Autocomplete in your SEO marketing strategy today. Call 248.528.3600