For decades, Google search has been a source of information for users who search
Today Google processes about 3.5billion search queries per day. Due to its dominant market share, the IT giant maintains an extensive archive of keyword searches. Their analysis shows which themes have been key and have captured the world's attention for many years.
Visual Capitalist's editorial team examined hundreds of the most popular search terms from global and US data and hand-picked the best ones.
What does "popular" mean?
As experts note, “the most popularsearch queries" are different from popular search queries, which are measured only by volume. Popular search queries are terms whose popularity has increased dramatically in recent times. Here we are talking about growth, and not on total volume.
A good example is Donald Trump, who appearedin the news cycle during the 2016 presidential campaign. After the elections, interest in the person remained high. But his name does appear on Google's trending list after 2017 because Trump's search volumes had plateaued by then.
When it comes to the most popular search queriesGoogle, relying only on volume, they are much more boring than the most popular search queries. In the first place - YouTube, and then Facebook (* the activities of Meta Platforms Inc. and its social networks Facebook and Instagram are prohibited in the Russian Federation) and WhatsApp.
Globalization of search trends
People and topics featured in the listsGoogle's top trends are changing over time, reflecting the wider adoption of the Internet (and Google Search) around the world over time. Early themes relate to mainstream American pop culture and tech trends.
Over time, the spread of social networksand smartphones have increased the granularity and volume of searches, leading to emerging trends that are broader, more diverse and global in nature.
Another variable to keep in mind is that Google itself has started sharing more detailed search results every year.
What do people love?
Macro statistics show how people and search queries have changed over the past 20 years.
Sport
Over the past 20 years, this topicremained a constant trend. Every four years, the World Cup becomes one of the most searched keywords around the world. The Olympics also make regular appearances with athletes such as Michael Phelps and McKayla Maroney.
Celebrities
Over time, one can note the transition from “ordinary” celebrities to “celebrities 2.0”. We are talking about stars in social networks and influencers.
So, in the early 2000s, suchpop culture icons such as Britney Spears, Eminem and Jennifer Lopez, and traditional media forms such as television shows and films dominated media categories. But by 2011, YouTube stars like Rebecca Black began appearing on trending search lists. In 2014, memes became the most popular category.
This transition points to a broader shift in media, as digital technology has gradually overtaken traditional media as the dominant form of entertainment.
Natural disasters
Hurricanes have been mentioned for eightfrom 20 years. In 2005, Hurricane Katrina took second place in the ranking of the most popular search queries in the world. It continued to attract worldwide attention—by 2006, the devastating storm was still one of the top five most searched news stories.
The main thing in the search by year
year 2001 — Windows XP, Shrek moviesand Harry Potter. People were also interested in the file sharing application Napster. It shut down the network after a lawsuit with the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Then Britney Spears released her third studio album and performed I'm a Slave 4U (along with a live python) in the iconic MTV VMA performance. At the beginning of the 21st century, Nokia was the best-selling brand in the mobile phone market.
2002- events in Iraq, Linux, video game TheSims, Eminem, “The Simpsons” and SMS technology. Users were also interested in David Beckham. He recovered from his injury to arguably have his best season as a United player. The famous football player also captained the England team at the 2002 World Cup. People were also interested in Anna Kournikova.
B 2003users continued to be interested in Iraq and Britney Spears. The anime “Sailor Moon” and “50 cent” hit the top.
People were also interested in the Kobe scandalBryant, who was charged with sexually assaulting a 19-year-old spa worker in Colorado. The case was actively covered by the media.
IN2004Justin Timberlake exposed Janet Jackson's breastsat the halftime show of Super Bowl XXXVIII. This became one of the most talked about incidents of the year. Users were interested in the Ebay service, the iPod, Ugg boots and George Bush.
B 2005people were interested in the iPod mini, andApple released five new models this year, including the iPod Nano and the iPod Shuffle - people often googled the MP3 player. People were also interested in the XBOX 360 and digital camera. Additionally, in August 2005, Hurricane Katrina, a Category 5 storm, struck New Orleans, killing more than 1,800 people and causing $125 billion in damages. The topic was hotly discussed.
Also in 2005, Janet Jackson became the most searched person on Google. But they also Googled Brad Pitt.
2006- podcasts, web 2.0 and the third part of the Fast and the Furious franchise, which introduced the concept of "drifting" into popular culture.
Paris Hilton was also discussed - 2006 turned out to be a good year for the socialite. The hit by Nelly Furtado and Timbaland Promiscuous took first place in a number of charts around the world.
2007 Cricket World Cup, YouTube Pilates and American Idol.
People were also captivated by Rihanna's popular song Umbrella featuring Jay-Z and the Crazy Frog ringtone. He became the first to reach the top of the music charts.
That same year, Steve Jobs first announced the iPhone at the Macworld conference in San Francisco.
2008- TV series Lost, Olympic mascots andfinancial crisis. And when Sarah Palin, the governor of Alaska, became a candidate in the 2008 election, it sparked a flurry of Google searches. That same year, Senator Barack Obama won the Democratic nomination to become the first African-American president in US history.
2009 year— Eurovision, the film “Twilight”, swine flu, transformers and “Twitter”
Incident with Kanye West at the ceremonyThe MTV Video Music Awards became one of the main search trends of the year. During the awards ceremony, the rapper came on stage and took the microphone from Taylor Swift as she was giving her acceptance speech for the Best Female Video award for her video You Belong with Me and said that Beyoncé's Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It) video nominated in the same category, is "one of the best videos of all time." This trick was negatively received by the audience. West then handed the microphone back to a disheartened and completely upset Taylor, who did not complete her speech.
2010 —Katy Perry, Justin Bieber, World Cup.After the success of Apple and Pixar, Steve Jobs was named “Person of the Year” by Time. Unfortunately, he passed away the following year. The Chatroulette service, which brings together random users to communicate via webcam, has gained popularity. Sales of Apple's iPhone 4S reached a record four million units in the first weekend of its release.
2011 — Amazon, Angry Birds, Pinterest,Google+, economic debt ceiling. A magnitude 9.0 earthquake at a nuclear power plant in Fukushima, Japan, led to the worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl. Search queries skyrocketed as people around the world worried about radioactive fallout. 13-year-old singer Rebecca Black conquered the world with her song Friday.
year 2012 — “The Hunger Games”, Kate Middleton, WhitneyHouston. The catchy song of Korean rapper Psy Gangnam Style has captivated the world. The iconic music video became the first on YouTube to reach a billion views.
At the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, Michael Phelps won four gold and two silver medals, more than any athlete at the Games.
2013 year- Vine app, Tesla, Harlem Shake, Tumblr.The tragic deaths of celebrities received great attention in 2013. Paul Walker, Nelson Mandela and Cory Monteith were the main topics of the year. Communication and support for victims of the Boston Marathon bombing raised #boston to first place on the list.
2014was the year when millions of people publishedvideos of buckets of ice water being poured on them. Ice Bucket Challenge has become one of the viral challenges on social networks.
Also this year, people Googled the Ebola virus,Game of Thrones and Robin Williams. At the age of 63, he died at his home in Paradise Cay, California. In addition, podcasts about serial killers were gaining popularity.
2015 — “Jurassic World,” Snapchat, the “Pepe the Frog” meme and “what is lip filler.” Adele's album "25" became the best-selling album of the 21st century.
And back in 2015, Caitlyn Jenner publicly declared herself a transgender woman.
2016 — Olympics, David Bowie, Nintendo, virusZika, Stranger Things and the Orlando shooting. Then, 49 people were killed and 53 were injured in a mass shooting at the gay club Pulse, Florida. Following a controversial campaign and stunning victory in the US presidential election, Google has declared Donald Trump the world's most popular person of the year. Despite the eventful news cycle of 2016, Pokémon Go was the most popular search term in the world.
2017 year— Ariana Grande, Hurricane Irma, Despacito,iPhone 8, North Korea and Bitcoin—then it showed impressive growth, reaching a peak price of $19,511. This was the first time that cryptocurrency became so widespread. Dozens of women have accused film producer Harvey Weinstein of rape and sexual harassment. The allegations caused a media storm and brought the #MeToo movement into the mainstream.
Users also googled how to make solar eclipse glasses.
2018 — “Black Panther”, Fortnite, World Cup,keto diet. In 2018, several high-profile events occurred in the life of rapper Mac Miller, including the release of a new album and breaking up with Ariana Grande. Unfortunately, it was his untimely death that caused the greatest surge in search interest. From the wedding day to the pregnancy announcement, Meghan Markle has been in the media spotlight all year.
2019 — “Avengers: Endgame”, Hurricane Dorian, Disney+, “Game of Thrones”.
Millions of people around the world are inWatched in real time as the iconic Notre Dame Cathedral caught fire and partially collapsed. South America's largest football tournament, the America's Cup, has caused a surge in search queries. Billie Eilish's album When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? topped the charts around the world and received a Grammy in the Album of the Year category.
B 2020users were interested in the game Among Us,and there are also many requests related to how to do something. Two years ago, people were Googling how to make “whipped coffee,” face masks, “cloud bread,” and sanitizer.
US presidential elections always attract a lot of attention, and the 2020 contest between Joe Biden and Donald Trump was no exception, with everyone Googling “election results.”
Over the course of the year, COVID-19 has becomefrom an unnamed virus circulating in China to a full-blown pandemic that has paralyzed human activity across the planet. As concerns about the "novel coronavirus" reached a fever pitch, Tom Hanks became the first celebrity to contract the virus.
Tesla had a good year with salesThe company grew by more than 50%, and the automaker's market capitalization grew to $670 billion—growth for the year was close to 800%.
B 2020users wanted to know how to cookpasta according to the recipe from TikTok and how much the Etherium cryptocurrency costs. The Australian cricket team finished first in the 2021 T20 World Cup. The Squid Game series became a hit in 2021, surpassing three billion streams in a week. Actor Alec Baldwin was in the news after the tragic death of a cinematographer from an accidental gunshot on the set of the film “Rust.” A vaccination campaign against COVID-19 has begun around the world.
It’s worth thinking about—in 20 years, what we Google now will become history.
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On the cover: collage “High-tech”, photo 1, photo 2, photo 3, photo 4