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Downloadable graphs show scaling of queries

Users of Google Trends gained the option to download the comparisons they make through the service to a spreadsheet for further review.

Google Trends always made it fun to see what's hot or not in the view of the search engine. Single or multiple terms generate a look at Google's view of where the searches come from, and who received more interest from searchers.

The data has been locked to the browser, until now. Google's official blog disclosed the release of a new update containing the download option.

After signing in to a Google Account, a requirement becoming more common for Google's services, visitors to Trends can view the "numbers" on the graph as well as having the download available in .CSV format. Data may be exported with relative or fixed scaling displayed.

Google expanded on what the scaling means to the viewer:

You'll notice a number at the top of the graph as well as on the y-axis of the graph itself. These numbers don't refer to exact search-volume figures. Instead, in the same way that a map might “scale” to a certain size, Google Trends scales the first term you've entered so that its average search volume is 1.00 in the chosen time period.

Comparing interest in the Celtics and Lakers as the NBA Finals take place shows Kobe Bryant's team generating much more activity than Kevin Garnett's green-clad crew.

Google also touted Trends' utility for market research. The activity of searches over time may help a business know when it might be a good time to advertise more heavily to reach interested consumers in its niche. That's a nice service to have available for free, even with a cursory level of information being displayed.