So we've had the #SpotifyWrapped and this week, Google launched it’s Year in Search , allowing an interesting look at exactly what the world was searching for this year of 2021 by topics like culture, economy and environment.
Google says: “Google Trends gives us a unique look at what the world is searching for, and what it seeks to better understand. At the end of every year, Trends data becomes the backbone of Year in Search and reveals some of the top questions, moments, and individuals the world searched for throughout the year. These searches reflect specific moments in time and illuminate our shared experiences, helping us to understand the societal issues and cultural events that mattered most around the globe.
"In a year in which the world continued to face a devastating pandemic among other global challenges, a theme emerged from the search data: the global pursuit of healing and finding a way forward. Whether searches were personal (like “how to recover from burnout” or “how to maintain mental health”) or related to issues like climate change (“impact of climate change”, “how to conserve”), 2021 was a year of seeking out reassessment, reflection, and growth.”
Some interesting facts we found in the Year in Search that we feel could be of particular interest to business owners and bloggers:
Searches for affirmations reached an all-time high worldwide this year https://about.google/intl/ALL_uk/stories/year-in-search-2021/trends/affirmations/
The world searched for how to start a business more than how to get a job in 2021 https://about.google/intl/ALL_uk/stories/year-in-search-2021/trends/start-a-business/
In 2021, how to move with plants was searched more than how to move with kids and how to move with pets globally https://about.google/intl/ALL_uk/stories/year-in-search-2021/trends/move-with-plants/
The world searched impact of climate change more than ever before in 2021 https://about.google/intl/ALL_uk/stories/year-in-search-2021/trends/climate-change/
Sustainability was searched at record highs this year worldwide https://about.google/intl/ALL_uk/stories/year-in-search-2021/trends/sustainability/
How to maintain mental health was searched more this year globally than ever before https://about.google/intl/ALL_uk/stories/year-in-search-2021/trends/mental-health/
The world searched for body positivity in 2021 more than ever before https://about.google/intl/ALL_uk/stories/year-in-search-2021/trends/body-positivity/
Ok so these stats are all very interesting but just how can these trends results be used/help in your business planning for this year and next year?
Not only do these stats and insights give us key insights into what people are focused on/concerned about for 2021, but also these concerns are likely to be also there in 2022 too with the ongoing pandemic and climate change discussions.
By looking at what people are searching for not only could you use this to think of new products, new blog posts topics, but also perhaps look at your business practices.
Is your business environmentally friendly and sustainable? Is this something your customers know about and could you increase your customer base to include more of those shoppers who are concerned about the environment and want to make more sustainable choices when they shop? Have you advertised the fact that you are a sustainable or environmentally business? Do you blog about it and post it on social media and in your newsletters?
Think of ways your business could solve some of these problems or answer some of these key questions people have been searching for. Write blog posts on the topics and share them on social media or even make a YouTube video and channel and share your experiences. Does your brand for example focus on body positivity or ways people can help improve their mental health? Do you use affirmations in your marketing materials or perhaps on your products? Is this something you may want to explore doing for 2022 and capitalise on these trends.
You can also use some of these keywords in your SEO if they directly relate to your business, write blog posts on them and even tailor whole ad campaigns around these key trends.
By looking at the trends of the last year, we can also predict what might be popular next year especially with regards to common global concerns as well as gain insight in how people may react to key events and issues.
Read more about Google Trends and how you can make better use of and intrepret the data here: https://medium.com/google-news-lab/what-is-google-trends-data-and-what-does-it-mean-b48f07342ee8
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