How to Make Money Online with Google Trends: Turn Hot Topics into YouTube Revenue

Staying ahead of trending topics gives anyone a chance to earn money online—even if you’re new or lacking a big audience. Using Google Trends, ChatGPT, Clipchamp, and CapCut, you can create fast-paced news YouTube channels and cash in on the buzz. Here’s a full breakdown of how you can do this with free tools, no expertise, and a little time every day.

This method revolves around three things: spotting what people are talking about, spinning those topics into engaging news videos, and uploading fast and often. You don’t have to be a pro journalist, and you won’t need a fancy camera or microphone. All you need is a solid internet connection, free accounts on the sites mentioned, and the willingness to upload daily to reach YouTube’s monetization benchmarks.

Essentials to Get Started:

• A computer with reliable internet
• Free accounts on Google, ChatGPT, Clipchamp, CapCut, YouTube, TikTok
• Basic computer and web browsing skills
• Patience and consistency until you get to 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 public watch hours

Here’s how you can build a mini news channel empire by riding the latest online waves.

Finding Trending Topics with Google Trends

Start by opening a fresh browser tab and searching “Google Trends.” Click the first link, and you’ll arrive at a user-friendly dashboard showing what’s capturing attention around the globe. This tool is public and updated in real-time.

Choose Your Location

When you reach the Google Trends homepage, look for your country at the top of the screen. Click on it to open a list of countries, then pick one that matches your target viewers. For instance, if you want to reach US viewers, select the United States. If your focus is elsewhere, pick any country you prefer. You decide where your content appears most.

Switching to Trending Now

Click on the “Trending Now” section for a live feed of what people are searching for in the last 24 hours. You can also look back at the past 48 hours or 7 days, but topics from the last day are more likely to gain traction quickly.

Why focus on the past 24 hours?

• You’ll tap into topics people are searching right now.
• Quick turnaround means you beat slow channels to the punch.
• You always have fresh content ideas.

Change Sorting to Search Volume

Hit the dropdown next to “By Relevance” and switch to “By Search Volume.” This change sorts the trending topics by how many people have looked for them, not just what Google thinks is important.

Here’s why this helps:

1. You get topics actually drawing big crowds.
2. There’s a better shot your video will attract views fast.

Now scroll and check for a topic that grabs you. For example, if you see “Randy Travis” with millions of searches, it’s a good candidate. Pick what excites you so creating feels easier and more fun.

Creating an Article from the Trending Topic

Once you’ve clicked your chosen topic, Google Trends shows a list of related news stories. These become the base for your video.

Pick a Relevant News Article

Scan the “In the News” section for articles connected to your topic. These usually come from trusted news sources or large blogs. Open one that feels closest to what you want to cover.

Copy the URL of this news article—this is your blueprint for the next step.

Generate Your Version with ChatGPT

Open ChatGPT in a new browser tab. Instruct the bot by pasting this exact prompt:
Write an article using the information from this link: (then paste your copied URL).

Press enter. ChatGPT will fetch information from your link and create a fresh version of the article, usually in your chosen language. If you get multiple articles as output, select the one that best summarizes the topic or fits your channel’s style.

Copy the whole article using Ctrl+C (or right-click and copy). If extra references or sources appear at the end, skip them. If it’s chopped up into chunks or sections, copy each part separately and paste into a document so you have one clean version.

Tips for good results:

• Start with the introduction and finish with the summary or conclusion.
• Remove any AI disclaimers, “as an AI language model,” or similar notes.
• Keep the language clear, factual, and ready for an everyday audience.

Converting the Article to Audio

The article you’ve just created forms your video script. Now, you want to turn that text into clear, spoken audio. This adds authority and keeps your channel moving quickly.

Getting Started with Clipchamp

In your browser, look up “Clipchamp,” which is Microsoft’s online video editor. Click the main result and make an account if you haven’t yet. Once in, look for the button to create a new video project and start fresh.

Adding and Processing Text

Within Clipchamp, look for “Record & create.” Scroll until you see “Text to speech.” If it doesn’t appear immediately, check for a small tab or search for the feature within the dashboard.

Paste your article text into the provided field. Sometimes, if the article is long, you’ll need to enter paragraphs one at a time. This helps with processing and lets you tweak the pacing later.

Simple setup:

1. Choose your language—United States English tends to sound professional and neutral.
2. Select a voice you like from the menu—listen to a few if you want variety.

Preview, Save, and Export

Preview the result to make sure the spoken version sounds natural and covers your article from start to finish. When it’s good, hit “Save.” Clipchamp will process the file. It might take a moment if the article is long.

Once it’s ready, export the audio as a 480p video. Clipchamp outputs the voiceover with a plain video background, but you’ll split the audio out later. This method is 100% free and creates audio almost as polished as paid services.

Gathering Images and Videos

Next, fill your video with visuals that help tell the story. Go back to your article and copy its headline or main topic—you’ll use it to search YouTube, TikTok, and the article itself for related clips and images.

Downloading from YouTube

Paste your article title or topic into the YouTube search bar. Look for long-form videos that break down the topic, offer commentary, or include relevant graphics.

Long-form preferred: These give you more material to work with and fill time if your narration runs long.

Download chosen videos using reliable YouTube downloader tools. Try saving one or two so you have choices when editing.

Getting Personalized Clips from TikTok

Enter your topic on TikTok’s search. Find short, creative takes or reactions—these grab attention because they feel real and immediate. You might see people discussing the trend, singing snippets, or just sharing opinions on camera.

To grab a TikTok video:

• Click “Share” or “Copy link” on the video.
• In a new browser tab, search for “TikTok video downloader.”
• Pick one of the top two sites, paste the link, and download.

Why add TikTok clips?

• They inject personality into your video.
• TikTok videos are short and mobile-friendly.
• They help your video stand out from dry, slideshow-style news.

Extracting from the Original Article

Scan the article you used for any embedded images or video clips. Many news pieces include event photos or short news footage. Download these via right-click (for images) or by looking for a “download” or “share” button near embedded videos.

Steer clear of images that are ads or unrelated to the core news. Collect everything you’ll need in one folder so you can find it quickly during editing.

Editing the Video with CapCut

With audio, clips, and pictures ready, it’s time to pull everything together. CapCut is a free and beginner-friendly editing platform that gets the job done even if you’re new to video.

Importing and Extracting Audio

Open CapCut and start a new project. Import all the files you just gathered.

Drag the Clipchamp “video” file onto the timeline. Right-click it and select “Extract audio.” This separates the voiceover from the black background. Click the leftover video piece and hit backspace to remove it.

To avoid your final video sounding muffled, click on the audio track and increase the volume by about 10 percent (just drag the slider right).

Adding Visuals

Now, drag your downloaded images and video clips onto the timeline. There’s no strict order—mix and match based on what matches your audio at each moment. You might display a photo of Randy Travis as the narration talks about him, or feature a TikTok reaction during a surprising news twist.

Lower the volume on all added videos, so they don’t drown out the narration. You can either mute them (CapCut’s “Mute track” option handles everything at once) or turn each clip down individually by dragging the volume line low.

If a clip is vertical (from TikTok, for example) and your project is set for YouTube’s 16:9 ratio, select the video, change the project settings to 16:9, then use CapCut’s “Canvas” and “Blur” effect (pick the second blur) to make it fit without awkward cropping or black bars.

Optional Enhancements and Export

You can add transitions for more polish, but for news content, simple cuts between clips usually look more natural. If you want to try transitions, click the “Transition” area and sample a few for smoother jumps from image to image—just keep it subtle.

Before finishing, make sure your footage and audio line up. See that images appear in sync with what's being said. Export your video in a format that suits YouTube (mp4 at 1080p or 720p is standard).

Tips for stronger videos:

• Use images and clips that relate directly to your narration.
• Keep it lively and varied.
• Double-check there’s nothing copyrighted that could trigger YouTube strikes.

Uploading and Monetizing on YouTube

With your video done, set up a new YouTube channel focused on trending news. The best part? You don’t need to be a journalist or expert—just stay on top of daily trends.

Video Length and Upload Strategy

Videos longer than 8 minutes let you run more ads, leading to higher potential income. If your content runs short (e.g., 30-40 seconds per video), make up for it by uploading a batch every day—10 to 15 daily is a solid goal.

Repeat the method for each new trending term on Google Trends. More uploads mean more chances to rack up watch hours and reach that first monetization milestone.

Avoiding Issues and Scaling

Because you’re using news trends, AI-written narration, and open-source video and image content (or content clearly allowed for commentary), copyright issues are rare. This style falls into fair use as long as you transform the material and don’t simply repost someone else’s work.

Once you cross YouTube’s entry rules (1,000 subs and 4,000 watch hours), ads start to bring passive income. Stick to this quick-fire routine:

1. Check Google Trends daily.
2. Turn new topics into articles, audio, and videos.
3. Upload and track channel stats for the next wave of viral topics.

Conclusion

Turning Google Trends into a news video channel is a smart and doable way to make money on YouTube. With nothing but free tools, daily curiosity, and a plan, you can produce compelling content that rides the biggest online news waves. Don’t overthink it—pick topics people are searching for, use AI and editing tools for speed, and keep uploading.

Stay consistent, and those first checks from YouTube ads will roll in before you know it.