What is Exploding Topics?
At its core, Exploding Topics is a massive trend detection engine that uses artificial intelligence to analyze millions of data points across the Internet. We’re talking everything including Google search data, social media, news articles, and online discussions. It identifies trends at least 6 months before they go mainstream!
Trend Detection Algorithm & Data Sources
The Trend Detection algorithm doesn’t just look for spikes in popularity. Instead, it analyzes the growth pattern of topics over time, looking for sustained, organic growth curves.
For example, let’s say you’re researching sustainable fashion trends. The platform can help you spot bamboo fabric as an emerging trend because it shows consistent growth over the years, not just a temporary surge.
Free vs. Pro Versions
The free version of Exploding Topics gives you access to basic trend data and limited historical information. But if you’re serious about trend research, the pro version is worth investing in!
You get daily trend updates, advanced filters, and trend forecasting capabilities which can help spot potentially profitable niches early on. You’ll also get access to Pro features, like Meta Trends, trending products and startups, and API access (in higher-tier plans).
Pro users can also view very new trends peaking in the last 3-6 months, which isn’t available in the free version. Plus, the historical data goes back several years, allowing you to differentiate between seasonal spikes and genuine long-term trends!
Meta Categories
One thing that took me a bit to figure out was how to effectively use the Meta Trends. These are like trend clusters that show you the bigger picture of related topics!
The Meta Trends feature provides a visual representation of umbrella topics and their related subtopics. When you click on a Meta Trend, you’ll see a diagram with an inner ring of popular micro trends and an outer ring of related trending topics.
When exploring Meta Trends, you might discover how seemingly separate topics are interconnected. For example, a broad trend like “Premium Snacks” might include various related trending subtopics, helping you understand the larger market context.
Using Meta Trends can help you identify emerging niches within broader markets and understand the complex relationships between different trending topics. It’s an excellent way to get a more comprehensive view of trend dynamics beyond individual topic analysis.
While the platform is powerful, it’s not without limitations. Sometimes you’ll need to combine its insights with other research tools like Semrush, Google Trends, or other research platforms to get a well-rounded view of emerging market opportunities!
Who is Exploding Topics Best For?
Exploding Topics is best suited for these types of people:
- Bloggers and Content Marketers can use Exploding Topics to find fresh, engaging topics with high search potential, discover content ideas that haven’t been extensively covered, and create content that drives traffic.
- SEO Professionals can use Exploding Topics to identify low-competition keywords linked to rapidly growing trends, help clients get quick ranking results, and stand out in competitive digital landscapes.
- Investors can use Exploding Topics to uncover promising trends and emerging startups and gain insights into untapped market potential.
- Entrepreneurs can use Exploding Topics to validate business ideas, spot market gaps before they become saturated, and position themselves to offer groundbreaking products or services.
- Industries with Significant Potential can use Exploding Topics to track trends in technology (AI, machine learning, blockchain), e-commerce, marketing, health, and finance.
Exploding Topics Key Features
This platform comes with eight key features.
1. Trend Tracking
When I first used the Trend Tracking feature, I was impressed by how comprehensive it was. It doesn’t just show you what’s trending. It breaks down the growth pattern with detailed metrics!
The Trend Tracking tool focuses on overall growth patterns, search volume trends, and future projections. It provides the following key features for trend analysis:
- Historical data going back up to 15 years
- Search volume for the previous month and growth over selected periods
- Trend forecasting using AI prediction for the next year (in some plans)
- Channel breakdown showing where the topic is most popular on social media
- Related trends for additional context
2. Trends Database
The Trends Database has become my go-to resource for research. It’s massive (we’re talking hundreds of thousands of tracked topics across dozens of categories!) It also covers 31+ categories including AI, pets, marketing, tech, food, gaming, design, and travel.
What I love most is the filtering system. You can refine the data by growth rate, time period, and type (brand or non-brand).
The database is updated daily, so you have access to the most current trend information. Each trend includes a graph of historical Google Search volume so you can understand the trend’s growth trajectory and stability over time.
Pro users can export this data into CSV files, making it easy to conduct deeper analysis outside the platform.
3. Trend Analysis
For Trend Analysis, Exploding Topics is really good at providing context. It’s not just raw numbers. You get detailed insights about why a trend is growing!
The correlation analysis has been particularly useful.
For example, you might discover that the rise in “mushroom coffee” is strongly correlated with broader trends in functional beverages and natural nootropics. This kind of insight can help create much more comprehensive content!
4. Trending Startups
The Trending Startups tool is great for staying ahead of industry innovations.
Each startup listing includes:
- Company name and description
- Founded date
- Total funding and latest funding round
- Number of employees
- Location
- Website and social platform links (if available)
It’s an excellent tool for identifying emerging business models and product categories before they hit mainstream awareness.
5. Trending Products
The Trending Products feature saves countless hours of market research. It offers insights into trending products across various categories.
Here’s what sets it apart:
- Uses AI and machine learning to analyze data from multiple sources (including Google Search, social media, and e-commerce sites)
- Provides growth trends and forecasts for products
- Shows top sellers and brands for each product
It also provides monthly sales data for products, average review information, and Google search volume trends to gauge consumer interest.
The tool aims to identify products with long-term growth potential rather than just current bestsellers. You can track products of interest and receive real-time updates on trend data.
6. Meta Trends
Meta Trends might be the most powerful feature for strategic planning. It visually represents umbrella topics and their related subtopics, showing interconnected trends within larger markets.
When you click on a Meta Trend, you see a diagram with an inner ring of popular micro trends and an outer ring of related trending topics. This helps identify fast-growing niche trends within broader markets, providing a list of growing keywords, brands, and products in that niche.
For example, I discovered trending AI chatbots like Yellow AI and Elise AI were all part of a larger meta trend in AI Chatbots. This helped me develop a much more coherent content strategy by providing insights into emerging niches and understanding the complex relationships between different trending topics!
7. Reports Library
The Reports Library offers curated trends and comprehensive analyses delivered weekly. It provides valuable insights that help paint a picture of where markets are heading.
Each report is divided into two main segments:
- “Early bird companies”
- “Tomorrow’s products today”
In every report, you’ll find:
- Four trending products
- Four companies making waves
- Detailed insights for each trend and company
8. API Access
Exploding Topics offers API access for Pro Business subscribers. The API lets you retrieve and analyze topics in real time, with up to 60 requests per minute.
Key features of the Exploding Topics API include:
- Access to trending topics, including descriptions, detection dates, and monthly search volumes
- Data on popular e-commerce products, including growth levels and search metrics
- Information on trending startups
- Historical data going back 15 years, with daily updates
The API can be integrated into existing analytics systems and content planning tools to streamline your workflow. You can even build custom dashboards, create visualizations, and set up automatic reminders or workflows based on trend data.
It’s flexible and easy to use with REST architecture. It’s also managed directly by Exploding Topics for live and accurate data and comes with hands-on support if needed.
Combining These Features
Something I’ve learned is to use these features in combination.
For example, I often start with Meta Trends to identify broad movements, then drill down using the Trends Database, validate with the Products section, and finally use the API to monitor specific metrics automatically. This integrated approach has helped me spot opportunities I might have missed looking at any single feature in isolation.
Just remember that like any tool, these features work best when you have a clear strategy for using them. It took me some time to develop an efficient workflow, but now I can quickly assess new opportunities and make data-driven decisions about content direction.
The real power comes from understanding how these features complement each other. For example, when I identify a promising trend in the database, I can quickly validate it against startup activity and product demand and then set up API monitoring for ongoing tracking. This comprehensive approach has helped me stay ahead of market shifts rather than just reacting to them!
How to Use Exploding Topics
Here’s how I used Exploding Topics to identify rising trends in my niche:
- Create an Account
- Go to Meta Trends
- View All Meta Trends
- Select a Trend
- Track a Topic
- Create a New Project
- View Your Project
- Select a Topic
- Analyze Topic Metrics
- View Related Trends
- Find Trends in Your Niche
Step 1: Create an Account
I started by going to explodingtopics.com and hitting “Pro” on the top right and then “Sign In.”
After creating an account and signing up for a Pro plan, I was taken to the Trend Tracking tab!
Step 2: Go to Meta Trends
First things first: start with the Meta Trends section which you can find near the bottom of the navigation panel. Instead of getting lost in individual trends, I’ve learned to use this tool to look at broader category movements.
Step 3: View All Meta Trends
To view all meta trends, I clicked “All Meta Trends” on the top right.
Step 4: Select a Trend
From here, I could view all of my meta trends in one place and choose the one I wanted to dive deeper into.
I selected “View Analysis” on “AI Chatbots.”
Selecting “View Analysis” gave me a brief background and analysis of AI chatbots, as well as a chart with two rings:
- Inner ring: Micro trends within AI chatbots
- Outer ring: Other trends related to AI chatbots
Step 5: Track a Topic
Selecting one of the trending topics presented a graph showing the volume and growth over the past couple of years. Beneath this graph, I could hit “Track Topic” to start tracking it!
When deciding which topics you want to track on Exploding Topics, pay attention to the platform’s trend indicators. Look for trends with:
- Steady upward growth trajectories
- Increasing search volume
- “Exploding” or early-stage status
I’ve had success targeting topics that are just beginning to gain traction but haven’t reached peak popularity. These emerging trends often represent the perfect timing for content creation or business strategy. By identifying trends before they become mainstream, you can position yourself ahead of the competition.
The meta trends on Exploding Topics are an excellent way to discover topics you might think are a single trend but are actually part of a larger movement. It’s a great way to identify niche opportunities within larger markets! If you’re an SEO specialist like me, it’s an excellent way to create content clusters to establish topical authority and really start ranking in the SERPs.
Step 6: Create a New Project
Hitting “Track Topic” opens a small window with existing projects I can add the topic to. Alternatively, I could create a new project, which is what I selected.
Next, I had to give my project a name. I called it “AI Tools” and hit “Create.”
Step 7: View Your Project
Heading over to the “Trend Tracking” tab was my new project and topic! I hit “View Project” to see more.
Step 8: Select a Topic
Hitting “View Project” took me to a page where I could view my topics, growth, and volume within the project. I selected the topic I had just added.
Step 9: Analyze Topic Metrics
This gave me much deeper insights into:
- The topics growth over time (up to 15 years!) and project forecast over the next 12 months
- What the topic was about
- A breakdown of the topic’s activity on each social channel
- Key indicators of the topic’s growth, speed, etc.
Step 10: View Related Trends
Below that were trends related to my topic, including their growth metrics.
Step 11: Find Trends in Your Niche
The Trends Database is another excellent tool for finding trending topics in your specific niche. At the top, you can search for specific trends, or look through the different categories.
But don’t just stick to your main niche. Explore adjacent categories too to find even more opportunities!
To find trends in my niche, I selected the “Trends Database” from the navigation menu and filtered through the categories. In my case, I wanted to find more AI trends, so I went to “Technology” and selected “Artificial Intelligence.”
Next, I was presented with tens of thousands of Artificial Intelligence topics I could sort by trends, growth, volume, timeframe, and type (brands or non-brands). I could select any of these topics to get deeper insights and add them to my projects to track over time, or I could export the trend data to a CSV!
The real power of Exploding Topics isn’t just in finding trends. It’s in understanding how to time your content strategy around them.
I’ve found that targeting trends when they’re in the early growth phase, rather than at their peak, usually leads to better long-term results!
Overall, Exploding Topics helped me uncover emerging trends before they hit the mainstream for a competitive edge. By tracking and analyzing trends, I was able to create targeted strategies to boost my content’s relevance and reach!
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