Google Releases Its Annual ‘Year In Search’

Google Releases Its Annual ‘Year In Search’
B&T Magazine
By B&T Magazine



It’s that time of year again, when we look back at the last 12 months, 366 days, 527,040 minutes and reflect on the search trends and moments when we celebrated, mourned and wondered in 2016.  It was the year we ‘caught ‘em all,’ grasped extraordinary political change, said goodbye to some greats – and made Harambe a hero.

From breaking news, to breaking Olympic records, and the UK’s break-up with Europe – the events of this year affected all of us in different ways. We turned to Search in the happy and hard moments to get the details, see the bigger picture and find our way forward.

So, to celebrate 2016, here’s a wrap-up of the five top topics that caught our attention and brought us together in Search:  

Aussies love a good game

2016 was a super sporty year, with many historic and unforgettable moments that kept us searching, cheering – and dancing with Michelle Jenneke.  We supported our Olympians in Rio de Janeiro, placed our bets for Melbourne Cup and followed the scores for the Australian Open, AFL and Super Rugby. We missed buses and trains, ran into walls (and each other) as we tried to catch ‘em all when the Pokémon Go! craze took Australia and the world by storm.

Politics and personalities

Donald Trump beat Hillary for the second time this year – piping her at the post to take home the title of our most trending person, along with the presidency. Back on home soil, Pauline Hanson took out the title of Australia’s top trending politician, ahead of current Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull. At times we were lost for words, but we were never short of questions – with many of us still trying to figure out exactly what a plebiscite is.

The oh-no and uh-oh moments

The shock and tragedies of the Dreamworld accident and Brussels attack had Aussies trying to comprehend what, how and why. We looked into the Mitchell Pearce incident, and watched cricketer Chris Gayle try and fail while interviewing with Mel McLaughlin on live TV. We also followed Tara Brown’s imprisonment in Lebanon closely, and fired up our opinions (and our Google searches) about controversial comments from Sonia Kruger. Together, we kept clicking for Census and wondered what was next when the UK voted out.

 Saying goodbye to the greats

This year the world mourned three of music’s greatest with the passing of musicians David Bowie, Prince and Leonard Cohen. They weren’t the only legends headed for the stars, with Alan Rickman, Muhammad Ali and Gene Wilder also passing away this year. Closer to home, we bid farewell to journalist, commentator and broadcaster Rebecca Wilson, who lost her battle with cancer in October.

Calling mother nature

Aussies looked to understand natural events and disasters in 2016, with the total solar eclipse, Hurricane Matthew and the Zika virus landing in the lead Searches. We also discovered an unsung hero, with an outpouring of grief, Searches and a lifetime of memes following the death of Harambe. More broadly, we wondered why the sky is blue, the ocean is salty – and why biodiversity matters.

And that’s just a preview. To dive into the top trending terms of the year, check out the full trending and most searched lists*: 

Overall Searches (Trending)

  1. US election
  2. Olympics
  3. Census
  4. Euro 2016
  5. Australian Open 2016
  6. Pokemon Go
  7. Donald Trump
  8. iPhone 7
  9. David Bowie
  10. Prince

News (Trending)

  1. US election results
  2. Census
  3. Pokemon Go
  4. Total solar eclipse
  5. Oscars 2016
  6. Dreamworld accident
  7. Brussels
  8. Zika Virus
  9. Harambe
  10. Hurricane Matthew

Global People (Trending)

  1. Donald Trump
  2. Hillary Clinton
  3. Conor McGregor
  4. Steven Avery
  5. Melania Trump
  6. Meghan Markle
  7. OJ Simpson
  8. Chris Gayle
  9. Tom Hiddleston
  10. Brad Pitt

Aussies (Trending)

  1. Mitchell Pearce
  2. Molly Meldrum
  3. Tara Brown
  4. Pauline Hanson
  5. Mel McLaughlin
  6. Rebecca Wilson
  7. Peter Brock
  8. Sonia Kruger
  9. Malcolm Turnbull
  10. Michelle Jenneke

Loss (Trending)

  1. David Bowie
  2. Prince
  3. Alan Rickman
  4. Muhammad Ali
  5. Christina Grimmie
  6. Leonard Cohen
  7. Gene Wilder
  8. Glenn Frey
  9. Anton Yelchin
  10. Chyna

Sporting events (Trending):

  1. Olympics
  2. Euro 2016
  3. Australian Open 2016
  4. Melbourne Cup 2016
  5. UFC 205
  6. Wimbledon 2016
  7. Tour de France 2016
  8. Paralympics
  9. AFL Grand Final 2016
  10. Super Rugby

How to…? (Most Searched)

  1. How to tie a tie
  2. How to screenshot on mac
  3. How to make pancakes
  4. How to play Pokemon Go
  5. How to draw
  6. How to write a cover letter
  7. How to get rid of pimples
  8. How to download from YouTube
  9. How to lose weight fast
  10. How to write a resume

What is..? (Most Searched)

  1. What is my IP address
  2. What is a plebiscite
  3. What is Pokemon Go
  4. What is the weather today
  5. What is the time
  6. What is all purpose flour
  7. What is love
  8. What is Brexit
  9. What is gluten
  10. What is the meaning of life

Why is…? (Most Searched)

  1. Why is there a leap day
  2. Why is the sky blue
  3. Why is my internet so slow
  4. Why is my poop green
  5. Why is my computer so slow
  6. Why is Australia in Eurovision
  7. Why is the ocean salty
  8. Why is biodiversity important
  9. Why is my period late
  10. Why is my eye twitching

Recipes (Most Searched)

  1. Pancake
  2. Carbonara
  3. Banana bread
  4. Scones
  5. Hummus
  6. Cheesecake
  7. Quiche
  8. Chocolate mousse
  9. Crepe
  10. Brownie

Where is…?

  1. Where is NSW
  2. Where is Brussels
  3. Where is my phone
  4. Where is Bora Bora
  5. Where is Rio
  6. Where is Home and Away filmed
  7. Where is Malta
  8. Where is the Great Barrier Reef
  9. Where is Perth
  10. Where is Mount Everest

Calories:

  1. Kilojoules to calories
  2. How many calories per day
  3. How many calories in a banana
  4. Calories in chicken breast
  5. Calories in blueberries
  6. Calories in grapes
  7. Calories in apple
  8. Calories in strawberries
  9. Calories in carrot
  10. Calories in avocado




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