Trending Words, Global Insights: Enhancing Language Learning with Ubersuggest

By Gisele El Khoury, St. Lawrence University

DOI: https://www.doi.org/10.69732/DGYG6519

Educators constantly seek new tools to enhance language learning and cultural understanding in an increasingly digital world. One such tool, Ubersuggest (a free online search engine optimization (SEO), offers a unique opportunity to bring real-world relevance into the classroom. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the attempt to improve your website’s content and structure to make it appear higher in search engine results like Google. The goal is to increase visibility and attract more visitors by using relevant keywords and optimizing the site for a better ranking. By leveraging keyword research and search trend analysis, which are some of the same tools used in SEO, Ubersuggest provides students with access to the most current and culturally significant content being searched for by native speakers.

Name of the tool	Ubersuggest
URL	https://neilpatel.com/ubersuggest/
Primary purpose of the tool	To help users identify relevant keywords and evaluate their search popularity
Cost	Three free searches/day Option of a 7-day trial begins once you provide your credit card information Individual: $29/month Business:  $49/month Enterprise: $99/month
Ease of use	Logging in is simple—just use Gmail or any other email account. Once logged in, the interface is user-friendly, but some basic familiarity with SEO terms may be helpful to navigate features like keyword research, content suggestions, and trend analysis.

Background

Ubersuggest aggregates data from Google and other search engines, presenting users with valuable information about what people search for on the Internet. Users can access data on related search terms, trends over time, and regional search behaviors by inputting specific keywords.

Though designed for SEO purposes, Ubersuggest can be adapted for educational settings, particularly in language learning and cultural studies. Its ability to reveal trending topics in different regions makes it a valuable tool for understanding cultural relevance and language use in real-time contexts. By analyzing search data from specific countries or languages, educators can use Ubersuggest to introduce students to vocabulary and cultural topics immediately relevant to native speakers, enhancing the learning experience through practical, real-world engagement.

Interface – Key Components

Picture 1 – Main interface

Keyword overview (Picture 2) provides a detailed analysis of any keyword you enter; for example, I searched the word “Ramadan,” and the search term “Ramadan” displays the following information:

• Search Volume: The term “Ramadan” has a high search volume of 1,500,000 global searches per month, indicating significant interest in this topic.
• Location Breakdown: This shows how searches are distributed across various countries:
  • United States: 368,000 searches (25%)
  • United Kingdom: 110,000 searches (7%)
  • France: 110,000 searches (7%)
  • India: 110,000 searches (7%)
  • Germany: 90,500 searches (6%)
  • Other countries account for 711,500 searches (47%).

This detailed breakdown allows users to understand the geographical distribution of interest in the keyword.

Picture 2 – Keyword Overview

Search volume (Picture 3) shows how many people search for the keyword monthly. Higher search volume indicates more interest in the keyword. The Search Volume chart for the keyword “Ramadan” shows trends in searches over time, segmented by mobile and desktop volume. 

Picture 3 – Search volume

Content ideas (Picture 4) lists popular articles and web pages related to the keyword searched and helps users identify popular content and understand what topics resonate with audiences. In our example, the “2024 Guide to Ramadan in Dubai” has an estimated 311 visits.

Picture 4 – Content ideas

The numbers under each social media icon (Picture 5) represent how often the content has been shared or engaged with on those platforms:

1. Facebook: Shows the number of shares or likes. For example, “Laylatul Qadr” has 59,512 shares on Facebook.
2. Pinterest: Indicates how many times the content was pinned. This article was pinned 98 times.
3. Reddit: Displays the number of shares on Reddit, with some content showing no engagement.

These numbers help assess the content’s popularity and engagement across different social media platforms.

Picture 5 – Social Media Hits

Educational Applications

Through real-time data, students can engage with trending topics, understand regional preferences, and expand their language skills by learning words and phrases used in everyday online searches. While this article focuses on Arabic, the same approach can be applied to any language. Ubersuggest’s ability to analyze search trends in different regions offers a valuable opportunity to help students acquire new vocabulary and gain deeper insights into the cultures where their target language is spoken. This method promotes a more dynamic and immersive learning experience.

Here’s how you can expand the language learning use of Ubersuggest with specific examples – one cultural and one focused on vocabulary, with detailed steps.

Exploring Search Trends in Arabic-speaking Countries

Objective: Help students understand cultural trends and popular topics in regions where the target language (Arabic) is spoken.

Steps:

1. Introduce Search Engines as a Reflection of Culture: Discuss how search engines, like Google, reflect the interests and concerns of people in different countries based on the keywords they search for. Explain how regional search trends can provide insights into current events, entertainment, or social issues.
2. Assign Regions and Topics: Assign students to specific Arabic-speaking countries (e.g., Egypt, Morocco, Saudi Arabia) or allow them to choose a region. Each student will use Ubersuggest to research current trending search terms in that area.
3. Use Ubersuggest to Analyze Search Trends: Have students input the country in Ubersuggest’s settings to focus on that specific region. Ask them to search for general cultural terms like “music,” “food,” “news,” or “film” in Arabic (or English), and observe what popular keywords appear. For instance, they might search for the Arabic word for “traditional music” or trending shows like “Arabs Got Talent.”
4. Discuss Cultural Findings: Students should report their findings on popular topics and discuss why these trends are significant in understanding the culture of that region. For example, they might discover that a particular TV show (e.g., “Arabs Got Talent”) is trending in Egypt but not Saudi Arabia, reflecting cultural differences (Picture 6). The numbers shown represent the estimated number of times people in that location searched for the keyword “Arabs Got Talent” in a given month.
5. Class Discussion and Reflection: Discuss how these trends provide insight into daily life in different regions. What do they reveal about societal priorities or challenges? How might these trends shape classroom discussions or influence the focus of language learning materials? An example of the discussion that these results can spark is that Saudi Arabia has historically had more conservative entertainment consumption patterns but the Saudi entertainment landscape has been expanding, especially with reforms that have allowed public concerts, theaters, and movie screenings. However, these shifts are relatively new, which may explain the lower engagement with certain regional entertainment programs like “Arabs Got Talent.” Egypt has a long-standing tradition of producing and consuming entertainment, including television shows, movies, and music. 

Picture 6 – Arabs Got Talent – Location breakdown

Building a Vocabulary List from Trending Keywords

Objective: Use Ubersuggest’s keyword search tool to teach students vocabulary commonly used in real-world contexts in the target language.

Steps:

1. Explain the Importance of Contextual Vocabulary: Explain to students that learning vocabulary in isolation is less effective than learning words and phrases frequently used in popular conversations, news, or searches. Highlight the importance of context in retaining and using new vocabulary.
2. Set Up the Ubersuggest Search: Have students choose a broad topic related to their language studies, such as “food,” “technology,” or “environment.” Then they will input their chosen keyword into Ubersuggest and narrow the search by selecting the target country or language (e.g., France for French, Saudi Arabia for Arabic) to ensure the search terms are culturally relevant.
3. Identify Popular Keywords: Students will compile a list of frequently searched keywords and phrases in the target language. For example, if a student is researching “food” in Arabic-speaking countries, they may find words like “منسف” (Mansaf – a traditional Jordanian dish) or “حلويات رمضان” (Ramadan sweets).
4. Create a Vocabulary List: Ask students to compile a list of at least ten new vocabulary words or phrases they discovered. The list should include definitions, usage examples, and cultural context. For example, students may find that “كَلّاج” (Kallaj) and “كربوج” (Karbouj) are commonly searched for during Ramadan or specific holidays. 
5. Translation and Usage Practice: Have students translate their selected words into English and practice using them in sentences. For instance, they could write sentences like, “During Ramadan, people often search for recipes like ‘حلويات رمضان’ (Ramadan sweets).” Alternatively, students can work on translation exercises, translating Ubersuggest keyword phrases from the target language into their native language and vice versa.
6. Integrating Vocabulary into Writing Assignments: Assign students a short blog post or essay in the target language, asking them to incorporate at least five of the new vocabulary words they found. If their topic is food-related, they could write about a trending regional dish, using vocabulary like “spices” or “ingredients” in the target language.
7. Class Presentation: Have each student present their findings, explaining how the vocabulary they found is used in real-world online content and how they might encounter these terms in authentic texts or conversations.

Pricing and Data Security

The free plan may be adequate for beginners or those with minimal SEO experience. It offers a basic range of features, including keyword research and keyword visualization with a limit of three free daily searches.

Regarding data security, Ubersuggest collects user data primarily to improve its services and provide personalized insights. Like many digital tools, it processes user data following privacy regulations such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). However, users should remain aware of how their data, including search history and preferences, might be stored and used. Reviewing the tool’s privacy policy and taking necessary precautions to protect sensitive information when utilizing online platforms for research or educational purposes is always advisable. If data privacy is a concern, students could choose the topics while teachers extract the data for them to analyze.

Conclusion

Ubersuggest offers an “out-of-the-box” way to enhance language and cultural learning by providing real-time insights into trending topics and commonly used vocabulary in various regions. Educators can make language instruction more dynamic and relevant to students’ lives by integrating keyword research into the classroom. While this article focused on Arabic, the same approach could be applied to any language.