The trend is your friend. No, not that chartist mumbo-jumbo. Google Trends.

Google Trends, which launched in 2004, is a free tool that lets users track the popularity of search terms. It's a fascinating tool in its own right, but also valuable for analysts and investors keen to cut through noise to discern meaningful trends.

A prime example of the power of Google Trends in action is a phrase that was popular in the US during the depths of the global financial crisis. The term "lost decade" was flogged in the financial media. Interest in the search term (details can be found at https://trends.google.com.au/trends/explore?date=all&geo=US&q=lost%20decade) peaked in February 2009.

The search term "property bubble" peaked in June 2015, nearly two years ago. Peter Braig

The key for smart investors is that the apex of "lost decade" searches almost perfectly coincided with the trough of the US sharemarket. The S & P 500 has surged 281 per cent in the eight-plus years since. Investors who kept their heads and considered the intense panic felt by other investors might have perceived an attractive buying opportunity.

A popular search term isn't necessarily indicative of a contrary indicator, of course. After all, the tool is called Good Trends, not Google Contrary Indicators.