Google Reveals Top Searches of 2020 via @MattGSouthern

Google’s annual list of top trending search terms shows what the world turned to Google for during one of the most historic years on record.

“2020 was the year we asked “why?”” – Google states in the introduction to its report.

People asked “why?” more than ever before as they searched Google for answers to all types of questions, which you’ll see in the following section.

Users broke records for the number of times “what day is it?” was searched for in a year. Searches for recipes also hit a record high.

Above all, coronavirus is the subject at the top of everyone’s minds. Many of the top searches reflect how people are adapting to the new normals of daily life.

Google’s report looks at trending topics across search, news, people, how-to’s, virtual activities, and more. The data can be viewed worldwide or filtered by 70 different countries.

Here you’ll find highlights from the top trending searches lists in the USA and worldwide.

Top Trending Google Searches in USA

First let’s look at the overall top searches in USA. To no surprise, coronavirus 3 out of the top 5 spots.

Overall Top Searches

Election resultsCoronavirusKobe BryantCoronavirus updateCoronavirus symptoms

Next let’s look at the types of information people are seeking. Google is getting more granular this year by breaking up its ‘how-to’ search data into different categories.

There’s now categories for beauty how-to’s, how to donate, how to make, how to help, and how to style.

Taking a look at the “how to make” category you can see how people are looking for ways to stay safe by making materials at home.

Top “How to Make” Searches

How to make hand sanitizerHow to make a face mask with fabricHow to make whipped coffeeHow to make a mask with a bandanaHow to make a mask without sewing

The top beauty how-to’s also illustrate how people are adapting to doing more things at home. And there’s a not insignificant amount of people searching for how to wash their hands.

Top Beauty How-To Searches

How to cut men’s hair at homeHow to plop hairHow to color your hair at homeHow to wash your handsHow to style curtain bangs

Teaching people how to do things at home, especially things they previously would have gone out for, feels like a strong category to create content around at the moment.

Google introduced another new category of top searches this year for “virtual” terms. As all in-person activities go virtual, this is what people are searching for most.

Top “Virtual” Searches

Virtual field tripsVirtual museum toursVirtual Kentucky DerbyVirtual learningVirtual NBA fans

A look at the top searches in the “… during coronavirus” category shows that people were looking for ways to gain financially from the pandemic. Others were looking for new ways to do ordinary things, and others were simply looking to get jobs.

Top “… during coronavirus” Searches

Best stocks to buy during coronavirusDating during coronavirusDentist open during coronavirusUnemployment during coronavirusJobs hiring during coronavirus

Lastly, let’s look at the aforementioned “why” category, which saw record search volume this year.

Top “Why?” Searches

Why were chainsaws inventedWhy is there a coin shortageWhy was George Floyd arrestedWhy is Nevada taking so longWhy is TikTok getting banned

Top Trending Google Searches Worldwide

There’s many fewer categories of data available for the global searches segment. Here’s a look at some of the more interesting ones.

Top Overall Searches

CoronavirusElection resultsKobe BryantZoomIPL

Top Concert Searches

Together At Home concertFire Fight Australia concertGarth Brooks drive in concertTravis Scott Fortnite concertBTS online concert

Top Recipe Searches

Dalgona coffeeEkmekSourdough breadPizzaLahmacun

Top Movie Searches

Parasite1917Black Panther365 DniContagion

See the full set of data here.

Is there anything more 2020 than presenting the data in story format? Because Google’s gone and done that as well.

More search highlights from 2020 can also be seen in the video below.