So it would appear that 2014 was the year of the search! Yes, incredibly, the figures are in, and the WORLD WIDE WEB Google community have searched trillions of times.
Trillions! You get the feeling that the number is so high that any definitive number is hard to quantify.
Most certainly, Google is the most popular search engine. Hence when they release their annual statistics, you sit up and take note. Formerly known as the Google Zeitgeist, we always look forward to gaining an understanding as to what we have searched for. A kind of high-speed rewind of the year, an understanding of what fascinated and obsessed us or indeed didn’t. A data dump of information. A treasure trove of cultural tastes of people across the globe.
But enough of the adjectives, what of the list?
The list includes various categories, shedding light on the topics that we looked up the most throughout the year, from news to gadgets to videos, among others. And of course, Google’s year in search also trended.
Now I don’t need to crack open a dictionary to understand the definition of ‘Trending’: trillions of people worldwide killing time online looking at ‘important’ stuff.
It is somewhat easier to recall huge personal events: weddings, births, deaths and a new job perhaps. These significant milestones are easy to mark off a year. So your personal 2014 aside what were the big stories and cultural obsessions of 2014? Can you recall what you searched for over the previous twelve months?
Remarkably Renee Zellweger’s supposedly new face was a topic I recall trending. Likewise, the sad and shocking passing of the wonderful Robin Williams on August 11 sent shock waves across the world and of course via the Internet many searched for news.
From a tech perspective, some of the searches are highly predictable, such as new information on the iPhone 6 and Samsung smartphones, some more offbeat topics were also prominent in 2014. Some, of course, may not have substantial cultural significance; for instance, more people searched for Oscar-winning actress Jennifer Lawrence than the equally talented Kim Kardashian!
Transformers 4 was the most popular film of the year in the UK and Paris and Italy were the top holidaying destinations.
Hands down the top trending term of 2014 in the UK, stealing the crown from all others was the World Cup in Brazil.
No surprise that the Ebola crisis features as the most topical search of the year with, ‘What is…?’ as we searched for as much information as we could.
But what of technology, what was it we searched for within our chosen field? Well, the ten most tech terms searched for in 2014 were:
1. iPhone 6
2. Google
3. YouTube
4. Fifa 15
5. Guess The Emoji
6. iOS 8
7. Samsung Galaxy s5
8. Chromecast
9. OK Google
10. Xbox One
I look forward to a year of search in 2015.
Until next time…
