Finding Your Next Profitable Niche: Exploding Topics vs Google Trends for Photography & Videography Businesses
For photographers and videographers, knowing what's next can mean the difference between a busy booking calendar and an empty one. Google Trends shows you what clients are already searching for. Exploding Topics reveals what's just starting to get popular. This guide helps you use both tools to find your next profitable photography or videography niche before everyone else does.
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The Quick Answer
Use Exploding Topics to find new photography or videography trends that are just starting. Think '360 virtual tours for real estate' or 'short-form video content for local businesses.' This helps you enter a market before it gets crowded. Then, use Google Trends. It helps you check if client interest in these trends is real and lasting. For example, compare 'drone wedding video' against 'standard wedding videography.' You can also see when clients search for services like 'holiday mini-sessions' to spot seasonal demand. Use Exploding Topics to find fresh ideas. Use Google Trends to prove they're worth your time and money.
Side-by-Side Breakdown
Exploding Topics: You can start with a free basic account, or pay $39 to $299 each month for full features. It shows you a hand-picked list of trending topics across many areas, like 'content creation for TikTok' or 'virtual staging photography.' Its strength is that experts filter out the bad ideas, so you see truly growing trends. The downside is you only see what they pick, not every possible trend.
Google Trends: This tool is always free. It gives you real search data for any term you type, going back to 2004. Its strength is showing you exactly what people are searching for. You can compare up to five search terms, like 'maternity photoshoot ideas' versus 'newborn photography packages.' You can also see interest in specific cities or states. The weakness? It won't suggest new ideas. You have to already know what you want to look up.
When to Choose Exploding Topics
Use Exploding Topics when you need fresh ideas for your photography or videography business. It helps you find growing niches you haven't considered. For example, it might show 'micro-wedding photography' or 'personal brand videography' when these services are just starting to take off. This gives you a 6 to 18-month head start. You can buy new gear like a specific prime lens or a new drone, learn new editing skills, and market your service before many other photographers do. It’s for finding new paths, not for proving they will definitely work.
When to Choose Google Trends
Use Google Trends when you have a specific photography or videography idea and need hard data. For example, you might wonder: is 'senior year portrait photography' getting more popular or less? Is 'holiday mini-session photography' seasonal, and when does demand peak? How does 'virtual event videography' compare to 'in-person event video production'? Google Trends answers these questions using real search numbers. It also shows if demand for a service, like 'commercial product photography,' is strong across your city or only in certain neighborhoods. It helps you understand if a trend is wide (many related searches) or narrow (only one specific search term).
The Verdict
Use Exploding Topics once a week. Spend 15-20 minutes looking for new chances for your photo/video business. Look for ideas like 'short-form video for local businesses' or 'authentic lifestyle photography.' When a trend seems promising, switch to Google Trends. Use it to check if many clients are searching for it, how long the interest has lasted, and if it's growing in your area. If Exploding Topics spots a trend and Google Trends shows lots of related client searches, it's a strong sign you should learn more or offer that service.
How to Get Started
This week, spend 30 minutes on Exploding Topics. Look at categories like 'Marketing', 'Creative', or 'Digital Media'. Find three new ideas for photography or videography that solve a real client problem you understand. For example, 'small businesses needing quick video ads,' 'couples wanting unique engagement photos,' or 'real estate agents needing professional drone shots.' Once you have your ideas, open Google Trends. Type in each idea, like 'UGC video content' or 'AI photo editing for real estate.' Check the search interest over the last two years. Compare it to two similar terms, like 'user generated content marketing' or 'professional photo retouching.' Then, see if people in your city or region are searching for it.
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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