‘Round these parts, we’re always big fans of Google’s Zeitgeist, since it provides an intriguing view of the world through the lens of web searches.
Some of the top results for 2009 are to be expected. Michael Jackson dominated Google the same way he dominated other forms of media this year, while other top searches can probably be explained by parents trying to figure out what the hell their kids mean when they say they’re tweeting about New Moon.
However, there are two lists that are especially notable for us as marketers. The first is a list of the fastest rising food & drink searches from around the globe, reprinted below:
- acai berry
- picnic
- クックパッド [Cookpad, a Japanese recipe sharing site]
- tesco direct
- senseo
- peanut butter recall
- nespresso commande
- habibs delivery
- mocktail
- masterchef australia
The second, and perhaps more interesting, list is the city-by-city breakdown available here. For regional marketers, it’s a great example of the way that priorities vary by region. Even a cursory review of the information shows that Chicagoans regularly seek public transit and public safety info, folks in Atlanta are especially concerned with school districts, while San Francisco residents are searching for more info on arts and entertainment. Obviously, there are implications here for better-targeted search engine marketing, but marketers should also consider what these lists mean for local messaging and addressing diverse local concerns.
