The year’s top trending Google searches have been revealed, showing a wide spectrum of curiosities, worries and cravings by Australians in 2020.

Among the top trending terms searched for by Australians were for things outside of our country, namely the US election, which claimed top spot in 2020, followed by the coronavirus and—oddly—the NBA.

Rounding out the top 10 were Zoom, Coronavirus symptoms, Kobe Bryant, Weather tomorrow, Fires near me, Coronavirus Victoria, and Trump vs Biden.

Furthermore, as Google notes, it turns out Australians found some new interests in terminology.

Search shows we were looking to understand medical, scientific and political terminology—as we looked up the definitions of COVID, pandemic, lockdown and stimulus package.

As people joined and watched the Black Lives Matter protests, we wanted to know what BIPOC stood for. And as ‘Karen’ memes filled feeds, Aussies wanted to get across this new—and hopefully short-lived—slang term.

However, it’s important to note that the terms are not necessarily the most searched for in 2020, but rather the list reflects those that saw the largest spikes in interest over the course of 2020, as a Google spokesperson clarified to B&T. 

To dive into Australia’s search interests, check out the full trending lists for 2020:

Overall Searches

1. US election
2. Coronavirus
3. NBA
4. Zoom
5. Coronavirus symptoms
6. Kobe Bryant
7. Weather tomorrow
8. Fires near me
9. Coronavirus Victoria
10. Trump vs Biden.

News topics

1. US election
2. Coronavirus
3. Fires near me
4. Coronavirus Victoria
5. Toilet paper
6. NSW fires
7. Qantas share price
8. Air quality Melbourne
9. Beirut explosion
10. NSW coronavirus.

Australian public figures

1. Dani Laidley
2. Celeste Barber
3. Gladys Berejiklian
4. George Pell
5. Quaden Bayles
6. Pete Evans
7. Nicola Gobbo
8. Peter Dutton
9. Richard Pusey
10. Ben Cousins.

Global public figures

1. Joe Biden
2. Kim Jong Un
3. Boris Johnson
4. Kamala Harris
5. Tom Hanks
6. Kanye West
7. Joe Exotic
8. Donald Trump
9. Prince Harry
10. Carole Baskin.

Loss

1. Kobe Bryant
2. Naya Rivera
3. Chadwick Boseman
4. George Floyd
5. Sean Connery
6. Caroline Flack
7. Kelly Preston
8. Kenny Rogers
9. Sushant Singh Rajput
10. Shane Tuck.

Sport

1. NBA
2. EPL
3. State of Origin 2020
4. Champions League
5. IPL
6. French Open
7. ATP Cup
8. Australia vs New Zealand
9. Tennis Australian Open
10. AFL scores.

Recipe

1. Hand sanitizer
2. Sourdough bread
3. Beef Stroganoff
4. Spaghetti Bolognese
5. Donut
6. Crumpet
7. Macaron
8. Anzac cookie
9. Banana bread
10. Dalgona coffee.

How to….?

1. How to make hand sanitizer
2. How to make a face mask
3. How to use Zoom
4. How to get tested for coronavirus
5. How to make bread
6. How to make self raising flour
7. How to apply for Centrelink
8. How to buy shares
9. How to apply for JobKeeper
10. How to make whipped coffee.

DIY

1. DIY hand sanitiser
2. DIY face mask pattern
3. DIY neck hammock
4. DIY ventilator
5. DIY foot scrub
6. DIY fire pit area
7. DIY toilet paper
8. DIY pottery kit
9. DIY antibacterial wipes
10. DIY scrunchie holder.

Definitions

1. COVID
2. Pandemic
3. Branch stacking
4. Stimulus package
5. Stand down
6. Portmanteau
7. BIPOC
8. Barre
9. Lockdown

Goods and giving

1. Where to buy face masks
2. Buy toilet paper online
3. Buy from the bush
4. Buy Ps5
5. Buy Aussie now
6. Where to buy hand sanitizer
7. Buy isopropyl alcohol
8. Buy a bale
9. Buy Xbox Series X
10. Buy dumbbells.

‘Can I….?’

1. Where can I buy toilet paper
2. Where can I buy hand sanitiser
3. Where can I get tested for coronavirus
4. Can I access my super
5. How many people can I have in my house
6. When can I access my super
7. Can I go fishing in NSW
8. How much can I borrow home loan
9. . How far can I travel in QLD
10. Can I leave Australia.

Featured image source: iStock/Boogich