<p>Invasive species pose significant threats to ecosystems and human industry and biological invasions are being rapidly exacerbated by increased globalization and climate change. Effective monitoring of invasive species population size and established distribution is crucial for control and eradication efforts, but physical survey efforts can be costly and resource-intensive. Here, we explore the capacity of Google Trends, a tool quantifying internet searches made on the Google search engine, to contribute to monitoring of population abundance and established distribution of the spotted lanternfly (<i>Lycorma delicatula</i>), a recent invasive insect in the United States that has resulted in a number of negative ecological and agricultural effects. Specifically, we aimed to assess whether Google Trends reflects changes in population size and established geographic range. We analyzed Google search data for this species from 2014 to 2022 and compared it to official occurrence data pooled from a variety of government and citizen science-based sources. Our results show a significant positive relationship between the number of Google searches and the presence of the spotted lanternfly. Yearly patterns in Google search data align with observed population sizes and citizen encounters, and seasonal patterns align with the emergence of mature adult spotted lanternflies. Our results indicate that Google Trends may be particularly useful in complementing traditional monitoring methods. We discuss its efficacy in monitoring the spotted lanternfly invasion in particular as well as possible considerations and limitations of this approach generally. In total, this approach could enhance future monitoring of the spotted lanternfly and possibly other invasive species to better inform conservation efforts.</p>