Google searches that match the top 100 fastest-rising search terms will now be displayed with a graph showing how their popularity has risen and fallen over time.
Hiroshi Kuraoka, Google product manager, said the feature is designed to help users focus on the top, most interesting content.
"We hope it will help you keep up with everything there's to know about the latest trends online," he said. "No more being out of the loop at your office watercooler!"
At this stage the feature will only appear in results relating to the top search queries in the US and Japan. However, it could be extended to other markets if it proves successful.
The new feature competes directly with Twitter's hot topics list, which users turn to for local information that is unlikely to appear in search engine results, such as whether other locals felt an earthquake.
Until now Google has been a minor player in real-time search, with Twitter, Bing and Collecta dominating the market.
Google has also decreased the number of trending topics on the Hot Trends homepage from a hundred to forty.
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