2017 has been a year of change, challenge and showing the depth of the human spirit. We all watched, riveted, as we witnessed horrific natural disasters that have torn people’s lives apart around the world, and we’ve also seen the incredible acts of kindness, courage, compassion and resourcefulness that have come from people stepping up to help each other through it. We’ve seen spikes of political changes around the world, from impactful actions here in the US and our relations with other countries such as North Korea, to the changing conversations we’re having here in the US, such as with the NFL protests at the national anthem. We’ve seen the incredible outpouring of responses to the powerful Me Too movement, with people around the world coming together to break the silence and create a better world for everyone.
And, of course, there’s a tool to help you take it all in, keywords and all:
Google’s Year In Search!
//trends.google.com/trends/yis/2017/GLOBAL/
This tool is the perfect choice for exploring the words that have shaped our world, through the top searches of the whole year, all organized by specific categories. It’s fascinating, and even a bit humbling, to see the words that moved our world for the year. People search based on what is happening in the world and matters to or intrigues them. Meghan Markle becoming British royalty sparked all sorts of curiosity and excitement. Gal Gadot touched the hearts of people around the world, inspiring women to be strong and kind. Harvey Weinstein made headlines as his abuses were brought to light, starting an avalanche of no-longer-silenced women speaking up. This was a big year.
Here are some of the categories that you can expect to find:
General Searches – The top searches overall, across the internet
People – Who made waves this year? The good, the bad and the rather quirky.
Global News – What happened around the world? Natural disasters, political change, and even fun things, like the eclipse!
Actors – Who stood out? Gal Gadot and Meghan Markle are high on the list and much loved, but this search also shows the darker side of stardom, with searches on Kevin Spacey and Louis C.K.
Consumer Tech – See what was on trend this year with iphones, gaming systems and more!
Elections – Around the world, there have been huge political changes from elections. This is a great way to keep your finger on the pulse.
Global Sporting Events – Sports can bring people together in unique ways, and are a powerful place for other conversations now too, such as we’re seeing in the NFL.
Losses – This is a helpful one for seeing who has been close to people’s hearts, around the world.
How-To – What are people interested in learning? This can help you connect to your audience in a relevant way.
Memes – These silly images can be marketing gold. They show the ideas and styles of communication buzzing around social media in a useful way.
Movies – Films are a great way to get quotable content for your campaigns, and stay connected to your audience.
Recipes – What are people excited to try, and what foods are the most loved?
Songs – popular songs are a great way to see what people related to, as well as offering catchy subject lines in your emails when they’re relevant.
TV Shows – Like movies, television can be a great way to connect with your audience as well, especially when you use relevant quotes from popular shows.
The way we search is such an interesting cross section of the human mind. What are we motivated by, in search of and inquisitive about? This is the “crowd sourced” data that is the true backbone of my business, and the foundation to make yours a bold success in the New Year!
I hope that you find this tool helpful, and that you have a strong start to your business in the New Year!