2002 Year-End Google Zeitgeist

[Marcia]

The Google Friends newsletter just arrived. Not much new to us here, but they announced the year-end Google Zeitgeist, which has some interesting figures:

Google Zeitgeist, Year-end 2002 [google.com]

They've got country specific stats, but what's most interesting for those involved with internet marketing is what it reveals for the top retailers.

[salson]

No mention to Froogle.

[weisinator]

Number 7 declining search phrase: "All your base are belong to us", lol

[Hagstrom]

..and number 1 declining is "Nostradamus"!

Didn't he predict that the world would end in 1999? Well Nosey - the last LOL is on you.

[Marcia]

I was very interested in the retailers, what seemed to be the most popular consumer goods.

[edited by: Marcia at 10:08 am (utc) on Dec. 13, 2002]

[jackofalltrades]

I like these kind of stats...i gives u an idea of how web savvy people are getting.

Have you ever seen the top 500 search phrases on wordtracker?

It really is unbelievable that some of the top searched phrases are URLs (eg www.hotmail.com is a commonly searched phrase). It goes to show that some people still dont understand how to surf (ie how to enter the domain directly, not via the search engine).

My 2c! :)

JOAT

[troels nybo nielsen]

> Didn't he predict that the world would end in 1999?

You're right: He didn't. ;)

[creative craig]

Nice to see an English man at the top of the Athletes section :)

[caine]

Some interesting searches, and patterns over 2002.

[dazz]

The January 'Weight Watchers' figures are a classic! :)

[Digimon]

I can't believe it. Las Ketchup are one of the most raising search terms in google.... Can anybody understand that the two biggest spanish aportations to pop music are these three girls whom anybody can understand and the Iglesias (Julio and Enrique) family?

I'm spanish and I would like to be musically kown by something more than Enrique Iglesias and Las Ketchup...
(I know this is completly off-topic but I had to say it.

[turk182]

Interesting enough.

I can only say one thing: why Las Ketchup?

I hate them! Only one thing could have been worse: Operación Triunfo.

There a lot of more interesting things in Spain.

[jimbeetle]

Didja' notice:

United Kingdom includes categories for "Top Women" & "Top Men"

France: "Top Celebrities"

Japan: "Top Women" & "Top Men"

Our German Friends: "Top Auto Manufacturers"

Hmmm?

[Enigma]

lol jimbeetle

[qball0213]

Jackofalltrades,
I noticed a coworker the other day, his homepage was set to yahoo, and he type in google and clicked search and then clicked on the google link to go do his search. Now, I know he should just set his homepage to google, but he probably has other reasons to have it come up to yahoo. Now, the number of steps probably took a little longer, but his movements were probably less than firing up a browser and typing in www.google.com. Don't know if this applies to many people, but I am sure it does, think of all the aol users and msn users and how they would have to access google to search on it.

[Fairla]

My parents have been online for several years now, and they still don't understand how to go directly to a website. They think you have to start at a search engine. I've tried and tried to explain to them that it's not necessary to visit a search engine first when you know exactly where you're going, but they're just very comfortable asking Jeeves for guidance.

Heck, they don't even understand that they have browsers, although, again, I've tried to explain...

They are fairly young (in their 50s) and quite intelligent. So I imagine this way of using search engines is very common in the general public.

[FoodPlaces]

qball0213,

If memory serves (from reading a number of things
on Search Engine Stats online) that is what MS
does with their search... any incomplete web
URL (for instance, just typing "google" or
"domain.com" for a web address that is really
"www.domain.com" invokes a websearch on their
search engine, artificially kicking up their
ranking...

Dunno if they are still doing it... was about
6 months ago I saw the article.

[jimbeetle]

They are fairly young (in their 50s) and quite intelligent.

Thank you, Fairla. Thank you.

[Plucky]

as a marketeer I wonder what percentage of total searches are done with an intent to buy (or at least conducting research that will affect their purchasing decision)

I would guess it less than 10% maybe less than 5%

any thoughts?

[vitaplease]

Wired [wired.com] has a write-up on Google's Zeitgeist and Lycos' Web's Most Wanted.

Looks like someone with a job as Aaron Schatz, could have early trend-watch information that others would be willing to pay heavily for.

[Liane]

The world is in trouble when the top inquiries for TV series are:

1. The Simpsons
2. Big Brother
3. The Osbournes
4. South Park
5. Spongebob
6. Anna Nicole Smith
7. The Sopranos
8. American Idol
9. Popstars
10. Eastenders

I don't watch it, but I've had many people say that the Sopranos is a great show. As for the rest ... well, Oh Lord! I'm surprised Survivor and The Bachelor didn't make the list. They seem to be in the same genre of "quality" programming.

What is a Spongebob anyway? I keep hearing this word/name ... but no clue!

Interesting statistics Marcia ... thanks for the post!a

[weisinator]

What is a Spongebob anyway? I keep hearing this word/name ... but no clue!

I would be better off had I not watched it. Too wierd for me.

This is coming from a guy who watches Beavis and Butthead, Ren and Stimpy, Crank Yankers, and South Park religiously.

[Fairla]

Jimbeetle, I've got to say that my parents are fairly young if I am to convince myself that I am still very young.

The Simpsons is really a very smart show. And I am a big fan of Eastenders. But Spongebob and Anna Nicole Smith both scare me.

[percentages]

BBC America are about to drop Eastenders due to lack of viewing audience. Perhaps I should send them this link to keep the Mrs happy;)

I have to admit life will not be the same without that crowd of gloomy, depressed, ugly souls brightening up a Saturday afternoon!

There is nothing in life that can make you feel as happy as listening to 3 hours of semi-suicidal actors whining on about life in London while generating a few optimized pages of HTML.

Okaaaaay call me sad:) but they are cheaper than a shrink!

[tedster]

Re: Nostradamus

There was a widely circulated email/story that Nostradamus had predicted the terrorist acts of Sept 11. It was faked information, but it generated a surge of interest and searches for Nostradamus.

It was bound to fade away this year - the surprise was how heavy it was in 2001.