Find New Home Services Trends: Exploding Topics vs Google Trends for Handyman Businesses
Google Trends shows you past demand for home services. Exploding Topics reveals new trends just starting. This guide helps independent handymen, contractors, remodelers, and tradespeople use both to spot profitable niches and launch new services before everyone else.
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The Quick Answer
Use Exploding Topics to spot new home repair or renovation services picking up steam, like "smart home installation" or "EV charger wiring." This helps you be an early provider. Use Google Trends to confirm if homeowners in your service area are searching for these services consistently, compare them against existing options like "faucet repair," and see if demand is seasonal (e.g., "furnace repair" in winter). Combine them: Exploding Topics to find the idea, Google Trends to check if it's right for your local market.
Side-by-Side Breakdown
Exploding Topics: Costs range from a free limited version to $39–$299/month for full access. It shows a hand-picked list of rising trends in many fields, ordered by how fast they grow. Its strength is cutting out junk; you see clear trends. Its weakness is that it only shows what their team has found, not every tiny local service trend.
Google Trends: Free to use, always. It gives you raw search data for any keyword you type, going back to 2004. Its strength is its depth: you can compare up to five services like "deck repair" vs. "fence installation," and see local interest by city or state. Its weakness is you must know what specific home service or product to search for; it won't suggest new ideas on its own.
When to Choose Exploding Topics
Use Exploding Topics when you're looking for new services to add to your handyman, painting, or HVAC business. It might show trends like "smart home security camera installation" or "electric car charger setup" when they're new. This gives independent tradespeople a 6–18 month head start to get tools, training, or certifications (e.g., for EV charging) before every other contractor offers it. It's for finding ideas, not for checking if those ideas will work in your specific town.
When to Choose Google Trends
Use Google Trends when you have a specific home service idea, like "aging-in-place bathroom remodel" or "ductless mini-split installation," and you need to know: Is demand for this growing or shrinking? Is it seasonal (like more "AC repair" searches in summer)? How does it compare to a similar service (e.g., "kitchen sink replacement" vs. "garbage disposal repair")? Google Trends provides raw search data and shows interest by city or region. It also helps check if a trend is broad (many related terms like "eco-friendly paint" and "low VOC painting" are growing) or narrow (only one specific brand of "smart thermostat installation" is searched).
The Verdict
Check Exploding Topics every few weeks to find potential new services, like "outdoor kitchen setup" or "solar panel cleaning." When a service idea looks promising, use Google Trends to confirm its strength. Look for steady growth in your service area, and check if related searches like "outdoor grill hookup" or "solar maintenance" are also rising. A trend spotted on Exploding Topics and backed up by Google Trends in your local market means it's a real chance for your business.
How to Get Started
This week, spend 30 minutes on Exploding Topics. Focus on categories like 'Home & Garden', 'Technology', or 'DIY'. Find 3 service ideas you could offer, like "smart doorbell installation," "water leak detection system," or "epoxy garage floor coating." Then, go to Google Trends. Enter each idea. Look at the past 2-year demand, compare it to two similar services (e.g., "doorbell camera install" vs. "security system setup"), and see how popular it is in your city or county.
RECOMMENDED TOOLS
Exploding Topics
Discover trends before they peak — find your timing edge
Google Trends
Free demand trend direction and comparison for any keyword
Semrush
Validate trend data with real keyword volume and competition scores
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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
How early can Exploding Topics detect a trend?
Typically 6–18 months before mainstream awareness. The platform flags topics when search volume growth exceeds a threshold, which often corresponds to early adopter phase.
Is the free tier of Exploding Topics useful?
The free tier shows a limited set of trending topics and their trajectory. For early-stage idea scanning, it is sufficient. The paid tier unlocks full historical data, meta-trend groupings, and export.
Can Google Trends show me business ideas I have not thought of?
Indirectly. The 'Related queries' and 'Related topics' sections at the bottom of any search show adjacent terms people search together — which can surface problems and angles you had not considered.
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