Just about everyone reading this probably uses Google to find the things they need on the web. And if you do, then you helped shaped Google’s list of the most searched terms for 2020.
Some of the most popular search terms might surprise you. Some are completely obvious. Either way, it’s always interesting to take a look back on the year that’s about to end to see what interested the internet browsing community as a whole. That is precisely what Google has done with its 2020 Year in Search.
The Top 10 Google Searches of 2020
- Coronavirus
- Election results
- Kobe Bryant
- Zoom
- IPL
- India vs New Zealand
- Coronavirus update
- Coronavirus symptoms
- Joe Biden
- Google Classroom
As you might expect, the internet wanted to know more about the Coronavirus as it made its way around the world. Between looking up the virus itself, symptoms of the virus, and news on it, three of the top 10 searches related to the global pandemic.
The next most significant topic is the election, which occupied two of the top 10 spots. Sitting at number two is election results, which makes sense since the results were slow to trickle out. Number nine belonged to the incoming President of the United States Joe Biden.
Sports took some of the spotlight as well, with the tragic passing of Kobe Bryant coming in third in terms of search volume. India vs New Zealand was also overwhelmingly popular in the search world.
Other Interesting Takeaways
Outside of the top global search results, you can also narrow it down to specific countries and categories. For example, in the US, election results were more popular than Coronavirus. Coronavirus was the most searched term in the UK, with the US election coming in second place. It’s fascinating to see what was the priority in different parts of the world.
In times of uncertainty, people seek understanding and meaning. 2020 was a year of deep questioning, as the world searched “why” more than ever, according to Google Trends. Explore more trends from the year at https://t.co/JdD6lj4ru9#YearInSearch pic.twitter.com/wAfuARB3u9
— Google (@Google) December 9, 2020
One search leader that I found particularly surprising was Ryan Newman in the number one spot for athletes. After digging a little deeper, I learned that he survived a devastating crash during the Daytona 500, and fans were frantically checking on his health status. You never know what you might discover.
See What You Can Learn
You can even use Google’s 2020 search trends to learn about foods and drinks. For example, the most searched recipe worldwide in 2020 was Dalgona coffee, which I’ve never heard of before today. Now that I know what it is, I want to try one!
Jump into Google’s look back at 2020 and see what you can discover. Maybe you’d like to know who the most popular actor in Egypt was. Or perhaps you’re curious about which TV shows people were most curious about on a global level. There’s a lot to discover in 2020, and it just might help you take your mind off, well, 2020.