Social Networks are the Top Google Searches in 2006

[tedster]

Social networks Bebo and MySpace were the two most searched for terms of 2006 using Google's search engine.

TOP TEN

1. Bebo
2. MySpace
3. World Cup
4. Metacafe
5. Radioblog
6. Wikipedia
7. Video
8. Rebelde
9. Mininova
10. Wiki

[news.bbc.co.uk...]

[decaff]

Likely to have to do with the fact that these type of site's generate a ton of interest through "other" channels (news)...and then people come looking for more information..and, of course, Google is the #1 search destination (much to the pain of certain people who would like to dethrone G .. ;-)

Also..these type of site generate so much internal traffic from their user bases...that it's possible if respective internal search engines don't satisfy .. the folks may pop out to Google for searches (not to mention if any of these web properties have integarted Google search into their sites...)...

Just some thoughts from a tired (under the weather) mind...today...

[ALbino]

As a side note, I'm seeing YouTube pages pop up at the top of the SERPs for some keywords. I'm not sure I like that...

[graywolf]

>I'm not sure I like that

Parasite SEO it's going to get bigger ...

[Ben5082]

It's strange how Google Trends shows completely different data for bebo and myspace.

[google.com...]

[weeks]

Isn't Bebo is number one in the UK, not the US or the world? (I'd never heard of it, but then I'm pretty clueless.)

[limitup]

Yeah that's bogus. I've never heard of Bebo. There's no way it was Google's #1 search term. Not possible ...

[rogerd]

Looking at the top searches, they appear to be all about navigation... only a few are actual search terms.

[night707]

I guess, Bebo had been unknown to many until that news. However, that site is high up at Alexa.

[priidik]

I think this data is for UK searches only.

[Fiver]

Bebo had been unknown to many until that news

likely UK data yes, My little brother visited from Ireland this summer, we cut a track - as you do when you get to visit your little brother and he has guitar chops - after which we put it online for the laugh.

I said, ok we'll make up a name and put up a myspace music account. He said, myspace? phhh, we have to be on bebo.

I looked at him funny, indicating my confusion.
He looked at me funny, indicating his newfound lack of respect for me.

Bebo has as much mental market share in Ireland at least, as myspace. And more respect it seems (though that bit wouldn't be so hard to pull off)

[moTi]

the stats are useless except for people in the uk or ireland. i assure you, outside the isles no one knows bebo, not even those kiddies who populate other networks in masses.
interesting sign of how much regional markets overestimate their global importance.

[roots]

[googleblog.blogspot.com ]

To come up with this list, we looked at several thousand of 2006's most popular searches, and ranked them based on how much their popularity increased compared to 2005. ("Bebo", for example, had very little traffic in 2005.)

A final note: there was some confusion over the use of descriptors like "most popular" and "fastest-gaining" in media reports about our Zeitgeist. We've edited the 2006 Year-End Zeitgeist description to be more accurate on this point: "we compared frequent queries this year against 2005 to see what sorts of things were top of mind."