Understanding how customers are searching for women's apparel 

Retailers, especially local businesses, can benefit significantly from understanding keyword search trends. This understanding enables retailers to refine their strategy, better connect with their target audience, and boost foot traffic, online interactions, and sales.

Explore our analysis of Google search trends over the past five years to gain insights into the evolving landscape of consumer shopping habits.

Women's apparel search trends

Women's apparel search terms and keywords

Styles in women's fashion change constantly, so staying on top of the latest trends is essential for retailers. Luckily, this year maximalist and minimalist alike had their fair share of trends. Below are some of the most recent top trends.

• Going out tops: As restrictions have eased since the pandemic, a resurgence in partying has occurred, leading to an increase in the search for going out tops.  

• Wedding guest dresses: This year, guests have become more conscious of their attire than ever due to viral videos of guests out-dressing the bride. With more people researching to buy the best dress, this search has steadily increased.

• Leggings with pockets: While the initial surge in searches for "leggings with pockets" might have been driven by the athleisure trend, the focus has shifted towards practicality and convenience.

• Matching set: Even after pandemic restrictions eased, many companies have embraced remote work models permanently or offered hybrid options. Increasing remote work resulted in many women wanting to stay comfortable at home while staying stylish. Matching sets provide a great way to combine both needs.

• Jeans: Deciding what jeans are in or out has always been one of the biggest debates among women. Recently, we have seen a resurgence of low-rise jeans with the "y2k" style returning. 

Since 2019, searches for low-rise jeans have begun to outweigh those for high-waist jeans.

Women's apparel search volume and seasonality

Search trends for women's apparel also shift depending on the season. For example, while the search term volume for "chunky sweater" has risen overall, despite the year, it always drops when temperatures get higher. As seen below, there have been consistent seasonal fluctuations, with peaks typically occurring in fall (September-November) and winter (December-February) when people are more likely to need warm clothes.

Pro-tip: Adjust marketing content, including ads, Google Business Profile posts, and social media, more around seasonal trends you know are on the horizon. Plan, create, and promote content early. 

Chunky sweater search volume has been consistent but is seasonal.

Women's apparel search regionality

Combining more affordable living, cultural richness, and growing job markets make New York City, Minneapolis, and Kansas City hotspots for a high volume of searches surrounding women's apparel.

Next steps 

Taking action on women's apparel search terms: local listings

Retailers for women's apparel can take advantage of these trends by using them to optimize their local listings. 

• Google Business Profiles: GBPs are a great place to incorporate the terms women seek. GBP attributes like owner descriptions, posts, reviews, Q&As, service descriptions, and more should be optimized with key terms.
• Apple Business Connect:  Apple Business Connect is the new player in town, but it brings a high-income audience. Attract upscale customers with Apple Business Connect.
• Bing Places: While Bing Places is less well known as Google Business Profiles, it is still critical that women's apparel retailers account for them.

Taking action on women's apparel search terms: local ads

• Google Performance Max: Google's new multichannel ad campaigns can be optimized with the terms and seasonality reelected in this analysis. Reach women's apparel customers across Google Search, YouTube, Gmail and more.
• Google Local Service Ads: Google LSAs are mandatory for retailers.
• Microsoft Local Service Ads: Microsoft LSAs are often overlooked but provide the same LSA experience as Google, just to a different audience.

dbaPlatform has been helping women's apparel retailers win with local searches for six years. Please reach out below to see how we can help.