Google has just published it’s Zeitgeist for 2012. The annual Zeitgeist – from the German for “spirit of the times” – is exactly that – an overview of Google’s users, based on the most popular search terms in different categories.Of particular note are the trending topics – the top trending topic for Spain was, perhaps not surprisingly, Bankia (the failed Spanish bank), whereby in the UK this was Euro 2012. The US on the other hand was trending with Whitney Houston, whereas in the United Arab Emirates it was Gangnam Style.
The searches paint a broad brush strokes impression of the country, the concerns and interests and rather than shines a spotlight, gives an overall glow of a country’s sentiment. But there are some interesting insights. In the “How to” section for Spain, “How to make a cup cake” is at number 4, whereas in the UK, “How to knit” and “How to crochet” are at numbers 4 and 5! Sadly for lovers in the UK, “How to kiss” is at number 2.
So what can we learn?
There are some insights which can be translated into actionables. The top “How to” in Spain is about Twitter, as is the top searched app. So if you are looking at developing your Spanish market, you should certainly catch that wave. In the UK you might want to start stocking wool in your hobby shop – or, perhaps more interesting – start running kissing classes at your local community centre!
Take a look at the Google Zeitgeist here: http://www.google.com/zeitgeist/2012/#the-world
