How to Find Trending Topics to Make YT Shorts On: 8 Proven Methods for 2025

Last Updated: May 20, 2025 | Published by Trendly AI | Skip to the most effective method

Table of Contents🔗

Introduction: Why Trending Topics Matter for YT Shorts
Method 1: YouTube Trending Feed Analysis
Method 2: One of 10 for Video Outliers
Method 3: YouTube Analytics Research Tab
Method 4: Trend Spotting Platforms
Method 5: TikTok Trend Analysis
Method 6: Google Trends for YouTube Search
Method 7: Twitter/X Trending Topics
Method 8: Trendly AI's Real-Time Trend Detection
Comparison: Which Method Works Best for Shorts?
Step-by-Step Process to Find and Implement Trending Topics
Frequently Asked Questions
Conclusion: Taking Action on Trending Topics

Creating YouTube Shorts has become one of the fastest ways to grow your channel in 2025. With over 70 billion daily views on Shorts globally, the competition for viewer attention is fierce. The difference between a Short that gets buried and one that goes viral often comes down to a single factor: trending topics.

When you create content around trending topics, you leverage the algorithm's natural tendency to promote timely, relevant content. YouTube's Shorts algorithm specifically prioritizes fresh content on emerging topics—giving you a significant advantage when you catch a trend at the perfect moment.

But here's the challenge most creators face: how do you consistently find trending topics for YouTube Shorts before they've peaked? By the time most trends appear on the "trending" page, they're already saturated with content.

In this comprehensive guide, we'll explore 8 proven methods to discover trending topics specifically for YT Shorts—including both free approaches and advanced tools that can give you a competitive edge. Whether you're just starting out or looking to take your existing Shorts strategy to the next level, these techniques will help you consistently find topics with viral potential.

Want to stay ahead of content trends across all platforms? Check out our guide on How to Stay Ahead of Content Trends for a broader perspective.

The most straightforward place to start your trending topic research is directly on YouTube's trending feed. While this won't necessarily show you emerging trends before they explode, it provides valuable insight into what's currently resonating with audiences.

Navigate to the YouTube homepage
Look for the "Trending" section on the left sidebar
Explore different categories: Now, Music, Gaming, and Movies
Pay special attention to the "Now" tab for current trends
Analyze the Shorts section specifically

Pro Tip: Don't just look at the topics themselves; analyze the format, hook styles, and engagement patterns of trending Shorts. Often, the presentation format is just as important as the topic itself.

Limitations for Shorts: The YouTube trending feed typically displays content that's already peaked in popularity. For Shorts, which have a much faster trend cycle, you'll need to combine this with other methods for best results.

Looking to integrate trending topics across multiple platforms? Discover how Trendly AI's YouTube platform tools can help you identify cross-platform opportunities.

Method 2: One of 10 for Video Outliers🔗

One of 10 is a powerful tool that helps identify "video outliers"—content that performs significantly better than a channel's average. This indicates potential trending topics that are gaining momentum.

How to Leverage One of 10 for YouTube Shorts:🔗

Install the One of 10 Chrome extension (free) or subscribe to their paid plan
Use filters to find videos published in the last 30 days
Set the multiplier to 5-10x (showing videos that got 5-10 times more views than channel average)
Apply filters for minimum view count (5,000+ recommended)
Use keyword filters relevant to your niche
Look for patterns in high-performing Shorts

Example Implementation: A search for "business" topics might reveal a Short about "The real reason no one wants to work anymore" getting 114x the channel's normal views. This concept could be adapted to your niche with a title like "The real reason creators quit YouTube" or similar pattern.

Best For: Finding content formats and hooks that are resonating right now, which you can adapt to your specific niche or topic.

Method 3: YouTube Analytics Research Tab🔗

Many creators overlook the goldmine of trending topic data available in their own YouTube Analytics. The Research tab provides insights into what your specific audience is searching for and watching.

How to Mine YouTube Analytics for Shorts Topics:🔗

Log into YouTube Studio
Navigate to Analytics → Research
Review the "Top searches in your category" section
Analyze "Recent videos from your category" to see what's performing well
Pay attention to view count and recency

What to Look For: Focus on videos published within the past week that have significantly higher view counts than others. These indicate potential trending topics in your specific content category.

Example: You might discover videos like "How to build a website fast" getting 30,000 views in less than a week, suggesting an opportunity for a related YouTube Short.

Advantage for Shorts: This method shows you topics trending specifically in your content category, making them highly relevant to your audience.

Method 4: Trend Spotting Platforms🔗

Dedicated trend spotting platforms like Glimpse and Exploding Topics help identify emerging trends before they go mainstream—giving you a critical timing advantage for YouTube Shorts.

How to Use Trend Spotting Platforms:🔗

Glimpse:🔗

Visit Glimpse's free tools section
Select your niche category (e.g., technology, beauty, finance)
Look for "Highest Growth" metrics to find rapidly emerging trends
Review product categories and topic insights
Note trend highlights that could inspire content

Exploding Topics:🔗

Use their free version to access up to 2 years of trend data
Filter by your specific niche
Look for topics with steep growth trajectories
Focus on trends in the early or middle growth phase

Strategic Advantage: These platforms often identify trends 3-4 weeks before they hit mainstream awareness—perfect timing for YouTube Shorts that can ride the wave up rather than catching it at the peak.

Example Application: Discovering emerging topics like "grounding sheets" or "minimalist baby gear" before they become widely known gives you the opportunity to create authoritative Shorts when search competition is still low.

Method 5: TikTok Trend Analysis🔗

TikTok often serves as an early indicator of trends that will eventually migrate to YouTube Shorts. By analyzing trending content on TikTok, you can identify opportunities to bring these trends to YouTube first.

How to Mine TikTok for YouTube Shorts Ideas:🔗

Open TikTok on your mobile device
Tap on the search icon
Enter a keyword related to your niche
Tap the three dots icon to access filters
Set filters for:
- Content posted within the last 3 months
- Sort by like count to find the most engaging content
Analyze the top-performing content for patterns and topics

Best Practices: Look beyond just the topic—pay attention to the specific angle, hook style, and presentation format that's generating engagement.

Cross-Platform Advantage: Trends often move from TikTok to YouTube with a slight delay, giving you the opportunity to be an early adopter on the YouTube platform.

For advanced cross-platform trend detection, check out Trendly AI's TikTok analysis tools that automatically identify trending topics moving between platforms.

Method 6: Google Trends for YouTube Search🔗

Google Trends provides valuable insights into search patterns, and when filtered specifically for YouTube searches, it becomes a powerful tool for identifying potential Shorts topics.

How to Use Google Trends for YouTube Shorts:🔗

Visit Google Trends
Enter your main topic keyword
Change the search type from "Web Search" to "YouTube Search"
Adjust the time frame to the past 30 days for recent trends
Look for:
- Rising search terms
- Related queries with upward trajectories
- Sudden spikes in interest

Advanced Technique: Use the "Glimpse extension" method mentioned in the transcript—enter "best [your topic]" to find high commercial intent topics that make excellent YouTube Shorts content.

Example Application: Searching "AI" with YouTube Search filter might reveal trending search terms like "Vigle AI," "Meta AI," or "AI music generators"—all potential topics for timely Shorts.

Limitation for Shorts: Google Trends data typically has some delay, making it less ideal for the ultra-fast Shorts trend cycle, but still valuable for identifying broader topic movements.

Twitter/X remains a valuable source for real-time trend detection, often highlighting topics before they trend on video platforms.

How to Mine Twitter/X for YouTube Shorts Ideas:🔗

Visit Twitter/X
Check the "What's happening" or "Trending" section
Review trending topics in your country/region
Click "Show more" to see additional trends
Look for topics relevant to your content niche

Strategic Approach: Follow influential creators in your niche and monitor what they're discussing—these conversations often precede trending video topics.

Real-Time Advantage: Twitter/X trends update in real-time, potentially giving you a head start on topics that will trend on video platforms hours or days later.

Example Implementation: If you see a creator like MKBHD trending on Twitter/X for a specific topic, creating a YouTube Short that provides your take on the same subject could capitalize on search interest.

Method 8: Trendly AI's Real-Time Trend Detection🔗

While the previous methods all have merit, they share common limitations: they're time-consuming, often show trends after they've peaked, and lack specificity for short-form content. TrendlyAI addresses these limitations by showing exactly how AI engines see your brand.

How Trendly AI Transforms Shorts Topic Discovery:🔗

Enter any topic keyword relevant to your niche
Filter by language (3 AI engines supported)
Select specific countries or regions
Set the timeframe to "Last Hours" for ultra-recent trends
Get instant results showing:
- Topics with rapidly increasing momentum
- Growth percentage indicators
- Estimated peak timing
- Content potential metrics

Key Advantages for YouTube Shorts:🔗

Real-time detection: Find trends in the last few hours, not days or weeks
Multi-platform analysis: Aggregates data from social media, news, forums, and search engines
Language-specific discovery: Find trending topics in any of 3 AI engines
Region-based filtering: Target specific geographic audiences
Content generation: One-click generation of Shorts-specific script ideas

Example Implementation: A gaming creator might discover a trending topic about a new game update with 237% growth in mentions within the last 6 hours—perfect timing to create a Short before other creators saturate the topic.

Time Efficiency: What takes hours with manual methods can be accomplished in minutes, giving creators more time to focus on content creation.

Comparison: Which Method Works Best for Shorts?🔗


Method	Speed	Specificity	Trend Timing	Time Investment	Best For
YouTube Trending	Medium	Medium	Already Trending	Low	Quick inspiration
One of 10	Medium	High	Recent Trends	Medium	Finding successful formats
YouTube Analytics	Medium	Very High	Current Trends	Low	Niche-specific insights
Trend Spotting Platforms	High	Medium	Early-Stage	Medium	Upcoming trends
TikTok Analysis	High	Medium	Current Trends	High	Format inspiration
Google Trends	Medium	Medium	Established Trends	Low	Broader topic movements
Twitter/X	Very High	Low	Breaking Trends	Medium	Real-time topics
Trendly AI	Very High	Very High	Emerging Trends	Very Low	Complete workflow

For YouTube Shorts Specifically: The ideal approach combines multiple methods, but TrendlyAI offers AI visibility tracking to help you understand what AI engines recommend.

For creators serious about maximizing their YouTube Shorts performance, we recommend this strategic workflow:

1. Trend Discovery Phase (1-2 hours weekly)🔗

Use Trendly AI's trending topic search for real-time opportunities
Supplement with YouTube Analytics Research tab for audience-specific insights
Monitor One of 10 for successful content formats in your niche

2. Trend Evaluation Phase (30 minutes)🔗

Assess trend timing (emerging, peaking, or declining)
Evaluate competition level on YouTube Shorts
Consider relevance to your channel and expertise
Determine potential longevity of the trend

3. Content Planning Phase (30 minutes)🔗

Develop a unique angle or perspective on the trend
Create a compelling hook based on high-performing formats
Outline key points for your Short
Plan visual elements and transitions

4. Production and Publishing Phase (1-2 hours)🔗

Create your Short while the trend is still gaining momentum
Optimize title, description, and hashtags
Schedule for optimal posting time
Prepare to engage with early comments

5. Analysis Phase (30 minutes post-publishing)🔗

Track performance metrics compared to your average
Note which trends resulted in highest engagement
Document successful formats and approaches
Refine your trend selection process based on results

Critical Success Factor: Speed is essential for YouTube Shorts. The entire process from trend identification to publishing should ideally happen within 24 hours for maximum impact.

Want to learn more about efficient content workflows? Our detailed guide on AI-powered content creation shows you how to create trending content 10x faster.

Frequently Asked Questions🔗

How often do YouTube Shorts trends change?🔗

Unlike long-form content where trends might last weeks or months, YouTube Shorts trends can emerge and peak within days or even hours. This makes real-time trend detection particularly valuable for Shorts creators. Trendly AI's platform tools can help you track trend lifecycles across multiple social platforms.

Topics with high emotional impact, surprising information, useful hacks, or content that sparks debate tend to perform best. The ideal trending topic allows you to deliver a complete, satisfying experience in under 60 seconds. Check out our content creator use case guide for more insights.

How can I tell if a trend is worth pursuing for my channel?🔗

Evaluate trends based on: relevance to your niche, alignment with your expertise, competition level, and growth trajectory. The best opportunities are trending topics that intersect with your channel's focus but haven't yet been saturated by other creators. Our article on predicting trends before they explode offers deeper analysis.

Is it better to follow trends or create original content for Shorts?🔗

The most successful Shorts strategy combines both approaches. Use trending topics to increase discoverability while adding your unique perspective or twist to build channel identity. Aim for approximately 70% trend-aligned content and 30% completely original concepts.

TrendlyAI tracks your visibility across 3 AI engines, allowing you to discover trending topics in specific languages and regions. This is particularly valuable for creators targeting international audiences or non-English markets. Explore dedicated language pages like Spanish trends or French trends for specialized insights.

Ideally, publish when a trend is in its growth phase—after it's started gaining momentum but before it peaks. For most trends, this window occurs within 24-48 hours of the trend's emergence. Learn more about timing in our article on how to stay ahead of content trends.

How do I balance trend-following with my channel's niche?🔗

Look for intersection points between trending topics and your core content area. For example, a finance channel might cover a trending topic like "AI development" from a financial investment angle rather than a technical perspective. Our AI emerging research topics guide can help you find niche-specific trends.

Finding trending topics for YouTube Shorts is no longer about luck or spending hours manually researching—it's about having the right systems and tools in place to consistently identify opportunities before your competition.

While each method we've covered offers value, the most efficient approach combines the real-time insights of specialized tools like Trendly AI with the audience-specific data from your YouTube Analytics. This hybrid strategy ensures you're discovering trends at the perfect moment while maintaining relevance to your specific audience.

Remember that in the world of YouTube Shorts, timing is everything. A perfectly executed Short on yesterday's trend will almost always underperform compared to a decent Short on today's emerging trend. This makes investing in efficient trend detection one of the highest-ROI activities for serious Shorts creators.

Start implementing these methods today, and you'll quickly notice the difference in your Shorts' performance as you align your content with what audiences are actively searching for and engaging with right now.

Ready to transform your YouTube Shorts strategy? Begin by implementing the free methods outlined above, then consider exploring Trendly AI's trending topic search feature to save time and gain that critical timing advantage.

What trending topic will you create your next viral Short about?

External Resources for Content Creators🔗

For those looking to dive deeper into content creation strategies, these industry-leading resources offer valuable insights:

Content Marketing Institute - Comprehensive guides on content strategy
Social Media Examiner - Latest social media platform updates and strategies
Backlinko - SEO strategies for optimizing video content
Vidyo AI Blog - AI tools for video content creation
HubSpot Marketing Blog - Marketing fundamentals for content creators

Complete Guide to Finding Trending Topics

About the Author: The TrendlyAI Team helps brands track and improve their visibility across ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews through AI-powered visibility monitoring and citation-optimized content.

Last Updated: May 20, 2025

Table of Contents🔗

Method 2: One of 10 for Video Outliers🔗

How to Leverage One of 10 for YouTube Shorts:🔗

Method 3: YouTube Analytics Research Tab🔗

How to Mine YouTube Analytics for Shorts Topics:🔗