Year-end Google Zeitgeist Unveils Recent Search Trends

At the end of each year Google analyzes the queries entered by all its users and creates a list that reveals whether people are more interested in politics, entertainment or any other domain. As expected, this year, several of the fastest rising queries are related to global events such as Euro 2008 or the Beijing Olympics. Social networks, politicians and actors are also placed on high positions.

Each of the 34 countries features several lists. While some of the lists are common to all nations (i.e. Fastest Rising and Most Popular), others are meant to emphasize the cultural differences. For example, Brazil features a list with the most popular football-related queries and the UK has one with the hottest tickets for concerts.

Of particular interest to the Google users are the social networks and entertainment, in general. The global fastest-rising query list includes four such networks, several U.S. politicians and international sports events. In several countries, despite the election year, Google users were more interested in musical acts. Such is the case with Russia, where Dmitri Medvedev, the new president, got less attention than some popular cultural events.

The search trends seem to also be able to resurrect cultural icons. Poland's 5th fastest-rising query, "Jozin z Bazin," is living proof of this fact, as the performer of this 1978 Czech song started touring again, after the reaction that it generated on YouTube. 

Unlike other companies from this domain, Google did not give the greatest importance to the top search terms, but to the fastest-rising ones. Up to one point, these notions may seem similar, but the differences between the actual lists and the ones from last year distinguish them from each other. For comparison, Yahoo's list of top searched terms is pretty much similar to the one emitted last year, while Google's Zeitgeist is far more diversified from one edition to the other.