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There is a lot of information to be learned by following the bread crumbs left by the consumers. Some of these “crumbs” come in the form of the top searches of 2017, which helps marketers to better understand the dynamics of search in 2018.
By taking a look at the top searches, we learn about the consumers’ needs, wants, and where their interests lie. We know that in 2017 they looked extensively for eclipse glasses, they wanted to know how to make “slime” for their kids, and they wanted to know how they could help the hurricane and flood victims.
We learned of new behavior as a result of looking at last year’s searches. It’s as if consumers have gained a new superpower in searching for so many topics. They have become more demanding, more curious and more impatient than they have ever been in the past. Moving into 2018, this information only reiterates the importance of being in front of consumers every minute of every day, on multiple screens.
People have been searching for years, trying to appease their curious natures. A clear snapshot of our culture’s highlights can be developed by analyzing the most popular searches. Here are a few examples of Google’s top searches of 2017:
How to…How to make slime_How to_ make solar glasses_How to_ watch the Mayweather vs. McGregor fight_How to_ buy Bitcoin
What is …What is net neutrality?_What is _Paris Climate Agreement?What is covfefe?What is DACA?
It’s not just WHAT they’re searching, but HOW they’re searching. Consumers are being way more specific these days, and yet they continue to expect information that is useful and relevant to their needs. As an example, searchers didn’t just search for “how to make slime,” but “how to make fluffy slime, butter slime, or slime without Borax!”
People automatically turn to search engines for practically all of their needs, such as what stores, restaurants, and events are in the area. These questions lead to the “near me” searches. In fact, some searchers don’t even bother to put “near me” in the search, they just expect technology to determine their location and provide results accordingly. This throws an interesting ingredient in the search-soup that marketers should be aware of.
Not only has search been a significant resource for finding specific information requested by consumers, it has also become an influential tool of unification. As an example, 2017 had a large number of disasters, and people didn’t just search to find out information about the hows and whys, they searched for ways that they could help those in need. Google saw people from all walks of life searching for information about how they could help the victims of these catastrophic events.
To validate this point, here are some of the prevalent searches that were conducted on Google:
- How to help Puerto Rico
- How to help Houston
- How to help Hurricane Harvey
- How to help Las Vegas
- How to help hurricane victims
- How to help Hurricane Irma
- How to help Mexico earthquake
- How to help Santa Rosa
- How to help Napa fire
It’s rather certain that 2018 will bring more evolution to the already-expanding consumer behavior. Their expectations will continue to rise, and they will ask more specific questions, expecting instantaneous answers that are relevant and to the point. It’s imperative for marketers who want to glean from this search evolution to rise to the occasion and assure that they are ready for the onslaught of needs.
