Research
2009 Year-End Google Zeitgeist
Another year has come and gone, and as always, we’re taking a moment to look back at the happenings of 2009—the people, events and memories that made this year unique. Each year, we examine the billions of queries that people around the world have typed into Google search to discover the zeitgeist—the spirit of the times. As we welcome the new year, we hope you enjoy this glimpse at the past.
Michael Jackson
Fastest Rising (Global)
- michael jackson
- tuenti
- sanalika
- new moon
- lady gaga
- windows 7
- dantri.com.vn
- torpedo gratis
Fastest Rising in Entertainment (Global)
- michael jackson
- transformers
- eminem
- naruto shippuden
- beyonce
- peliculas id
- paranormal activity
- anime online
- natasha richardson
- poker face lyrics
Fastest Rising in Food & Drink (Global)
- acai berry
- picnic
- ??????
- tesco direct
- senseo
- peanut butter recall
- nespresso commande
- habibs delivery
- mocktail
- masterchef australia
Fastest Falling (Global)
- beijing 2008
- euro 2008
- heath ledger
- barack obama
- amy winehouse
- kraloyun
- dailymotion
- bebo
- wii
- emule
Fastest Rising in Sports (Global)
- real madrid
- us open
- ufc
- sahadan
- livescore
- pacquiao vs cotto
- wbc ??
- pga tour leaderboard
- confederations cup
- l’equipe football
Methodology
To compile the 2009 Year-End Zeitgeist, we studied the aggregation of billions of queries people typed into Google search this year. We use data from multiple sources, including Insights for Search, Google Trends and internal data tools. We also filter out spam and repeat queries to build out lists that best reflect “the spirit of the times.” All of the search queries we studied are anonymous—no personal information was used.
U.S. Overview
This year started off on a roll and never stopped. From bills in Washington D.C. to blow-ups on TV, there was no shortage of events to captivate our attention. We hope you enjoy this look back to what was on the minds of Americans throughout 2009. Unless otherwise noted, these queries were the most popular searches on Google in the U.S. in 2009.
Fastest Rising By Quarter
Whether it’s a fresh season of a TV show or a new policy out of Washington, something new is always entering the national spotlight.
This graph captures the fastest rising query for each quarter of 2009, visualized over the entire year. To find the fastest rising query for each quarter, we looked at the most popular searches conducted every three months and ranked them based on how much their popularity increased compared to the previous quarter. Note how some queries maintain a moderate level of search volume over an extended period of time, whereas others peak sharply and suddenly.
Google.com – Fastest Rising
- michael jackson
- hulu
- hi5
- glee
- paranormal activity
- natasha richardson
- farrah fawcett
- lady gaga
Google News – Fastest Rising
- swine flu
- susan boyle
- jon and kate
- adam lambert
- rihanna (chris brown)
- new moon
- inauguration
- michael jackson
- nadya suleman
- missing link found
Google Maps – Fastest Rising
- mount everest
- laguna seca
- in-n-out
- grand canyon
- eiffel tower
- white house
- great wolf lodge
- wild animal safari
- voodoo doughnuts
- path station
Google.com – Fastest Falling
- john mccain
- olympics
- heath ledger
- barack obama
- sarah palin
- circuit city
- ron paul
- iron man
- spore
- wii fit
Google Image Search – Fastest Rising
- lady gaga
- new moon
- michael jackson
- megan fox
- selena gomez
- rihanna
- taylor swift
- bella swan
- alice cullen
- jacob black
Google Mobile Search – Fastest Rising
- michael jackson
- imdb
- cta bus tracker
- bebo
- nba scores
- univision.com
- steve mcnair
- espn.com
In the News
It was a big year for policy buffs, starting with the inauguration of a new president, followed quickly by major issues including the economy, health care and environmental concerns. And sometimes, we were glued to stories we couldn’t have anticipated. Here are some of the most popular queries—hot off the press. Unless otherwise noted, these queries were most popular in the U.S. in 2009.
Disasters
A variety of calamitous events struck worldwide this year, spurring major search interest—including plane crashes in the Hudson River and Buffalo, earthquakes in Italy and Los Angeles, fires in California and a tsunami in American Samoa.
It’s the Economy
- crisis
- cash for clunkers
- iceland
- california
- recession
- obama
- unemployment rate
- green
- great depression
- inflation
All Eyes on the Senate
- kennedy
- nelson
- boxer
- feinstein
- reid
- byrd
- dodd
- schumer
- grassley
- warner
Bailout Nation
- aig
- tarp
- gm
- auto
- bill
- government
- mortgage
- bank
- obama
- ford
Headline News*
- swine flu
- inauguration
- rush limbaugh
- rod blagojevich
- henry louis gates
- h1b
- california budget
- al franken
- sonia sotomayor
- mark sanford
*These stories dominated the news cycle.
Health and Wellness*
- obama
- hr 3200
- universal health care
- aarp
- rush limbaugh
- heritage foundation
- glenn beck
- public option
- ama
- medicare
*Top queries related to searches for [health care reform].
Keeping it Green*
- solar energy
- renewable energy
- green jobs
- green building
- wind energy
- energy star
- going green
- solar panels
- leed
- diy
*Top queries related to searches for [green energy].
Their 15 Minutes*
- bernie madoff
- mark sanford
- rod blagojevich
- john edwards
- silvio berlusconi
- r allen stanford
- tom daschle
- john ensign
- bill richardson
- charles rangel
*These public figures made headlines this year—but may have wished they didn’t.
Stranger than Fiction*
- nayda suleman
- jaycee lee dugard
- chimp attack
- somali pirates
- balloon boy
*Some news events that captured our imagination seemed unreal—but they really did happen. These queries were some of the fastest rising in Google News.
Around the Home
Home is where the heart is, especially in a shaky economic year. Take comfort from this glimpse at how we collectively spent domestic time. Here are some of the most popular queries related to everyday living. Unless otherwise noted, these queries were most popular in the U.S. in 2009.
Games, Games, Games!
The September release of The Beatles’ Rock Band game caused a huge spike in queries for the popular series, eclipsing two (slightly) more traditional sources of gaming fun.
Exercise
- p90x exercise program
- hula hoop exercise
- exercise ball
- gazelle
- wii games
- bowflex
- zumba
- pilates
- yoga
- pole dancing
Diets
- south beach
- atkins
- acai berry
- mediterranean
- cabbage soup
- hcg
- flat belly diet
- low carb
- special k
- lemonade
Infomercials
- p90x
- shamwow
- cricut
- magic bullet
- snuggie
- instyler
- slap chop
- hawaii chair
- chalean extreme
- ab circle pro
Made by Hand*
- halloween costumes
- baby food
- dog food
- christmas gifts
- playdough
- laundry detergent
- face masks
- wine
- instruments
- soap
*Top queries related to searches for [handmade].
Recipes
- chili
- meatloaf
- cheesecake
- banana bread
- pancake
- salsa
- hummus
- lasagna
- apple pie
- meatball
How To…
- how to kiss
- how to draw
- how to knit
- how to crochet
- how to flirt
- how to meditate
- how to hack
- how to sing
- how to dance
- how to fight
2008 Year End Google Zeitgeist Results – Most Popular Search Terms for 2008
Fastest Rising (Global)
- sarah palin
- beijing 2008
- facebook login
- tuenti
- heath ledger
- obama
- nasza klasa
- wer kennt wen
- euro 2008
- jonas brothers
2008 Year End Google Zeitgeist for USA
After a whirlwind year of election news, economy woes, and the lead-up to the showstopping Summer Games in Beijing, we’re looking back to see what was on the minds of Americans through it all. One thing’s for sure: it was a wild ride.
“Fastest rising” means we looked at the most popular searches conducted for 11 months of 2008 (we compile this list by early December) and ranked them based on how much their frequency increased compared to 2007.
Google.com – Fastest Rising (U.S.)
- obama
- att
- iphone
- youtube
- fox news
- palin
- beijing 2008
- david cook
- surf the channel
Google News – Fastest Rising (U.S.)
- sarah palin
- american idol
- mccain
- olympics
- ike (hurricane)
Google Image Search – Fastest Rising (U.S.)
- sarah palin
- obama
- twilight
- miley cyrus
- joker
Google Book Search – Fastest Rising (U.S.)
- breaking dawn
- twilight
- lora leigh
- vampire kisses
- new moon
Google Translate – Fastest Rising (U.S.)
- you
- what
- thank you
- please
- love
Methodology
In compiling the 2008 Year-End Zeitgeist, our search team studied the aggregation of billions of search queries people typed in to the Google search box. Except where noted, all of these search terms are most popular for 2008. All of the search queries we studied are anonymous — no personal information was used.
Top of Mind
All of these searches had the largest volume on Google.com in the U.S.
Layaway Makes a Comeback
It’s the Economy …
- financial crisis
- depression
- bailout
- mortgage crisis
- wall street
- oil
- stock market
- subprime
- credit crisis
- housing crisis
Fond Farewells
- heath ledger
- bernie mac
- tim russert
- isaac hayes
- george carlin
- brad renfro
- randy pausch
- paul newman
- boyd coddington
- michael crichton
Who is…
- who is obama
- who is mccain
- who is palin
- who is lil wayne
- who is miley cyrus
- who is dolla
- who is jonas brothers
- who is chris brown
- who is biden
- who is martin luther
What is…
- what is love
- what is life
- what is java
- what is sap
- what is rss
- what is scientology
- what is autism
- what is lupus
- what is 3g
- what is art
How to…
- how to draw
- how to kiss
- how to write
- how to cook
- how to tie
- how to hack
- how to run
- how to cite
- how to paint
- how to spell
