Google search terms can tell us much more than what keywords people are looking for; take a longer-term view for example and trends start to appear.
To better understand the types of products consumers are looking for and whether this is changing, we’ve taken a look at the five year search trends for ‘protein powder’, ‘protein bar’ and ‘protein drink’.
Comparing the five year (2019-2024) trends of these terms in the UK and US highlights some key information.
When we compare the three terms like-for-like, the results tell us what we all already know - that ‘protein powder’ is the most popular of the three. This is partially because protein powder has been around a lot longer, but also because the high shipping costs (relative to product cost) and the refrigeration needs of bars and drinks mean they tend to be more in-person purchases.
But when we start to look at related queries - that is, additional search terms that are related to the original three terms - things get a bit more interesting. As well as seeing a notable increase in search frequency over the last five years, we also start to colour in the picture a bit.
So what are people searching for?
In relation to ‘protein powder’, we can see that the terms ‘clear whey protein’ and ‘Snickers protein powder’ are rising in the UK, while in the US ‘Ryse protein powder’ and ‘clean simple eats’ are on the up. So we can see that while there’s interest in certain brands, people are also searching for specific types of protein, e.g. clean or clear. (For more information on the rise of clear protein powder, click here).
Brand become much more important when it comes to protein bars and drinks though.
In the UK, the top rising queries related to the term ‘protein bar’ are ‘Misfits bar’ and ‘Grenade Oreo protein bar’. In the US, it’s ‘Alani protein bar’ and ‘Misfits’.
Similarly, for protein drinks, the UK sees ‘Huel ready to drink’ and ‘Aldi protein yoghurt’ top the list of related queries, while the US has ‘Alani Nu’ and ‘Fairlife protein drink’.
But what does all this tell us?
It tells us that consumers engage with brands more than a product type as a whole. But we also all know that consumers are fickle creatures, and so it’s crucial for brands to create a memorable experience and connect with them on an emotional level to ensure ongoing brand loyalty.
Especially in such saturated markets as powders, bars and drinks, doing so can help consumers through decision fatigue and create long-term customers.
