google-india-search-trends-2014-salman khan-sunny leone

2013 vs. 2014 – What does the changing pattern in Google Search Trends indicate?

Google gets over 38,000 search queries per minute. Annually, billions of searches originate from India, what can one learn from the top charts comprised based on what 300 million online Indian searched?

Here are the essentials of 2014: Most ‘Trending’ search terms, Most ‘Searched’ term, and Most searched ‘People’ compared with the trends of 2013.

google-india-search trends-2013-vs-2014

 

A quick glance tell us that IRCTC is the most searched term for both 2014 & 2013, What does this mean? A ‘search’ can be classified into 3 categories, they are ‘know’ (look for information), ‘do’ (an action, like download) and ‘go’ (visit a URL). Since IRCTC is household name, its safe to assume that people searched with ‘go’ intent to visit the URL; but were comfortable searching for it and then clicking the link from Google’s search results than typing the URL directly. Same goes for SBI Online and HDFC Netbanking, Perhaps no one wants to type in a wrong URL and pay a price by being victim of phishing! So, these brands are definitely on top of Indian minds, its just URLs that are not.

For a marketer, this also means that people are now transacting online and increasingly using online banking, this is a huge and positive change that indicates the reduced level of skepticism in opening up their wallets online.

Its good to see Flipkart and Snapdeal on top, this year has been great for Indian ecommerce industry. While Flipkart & OLX made it to the top list last year too, its Snapdeal that’s new.

In terms of most trending keywords, Election beats everything, thanks to a involved nation. FIFA triumphed over IPL.

The debut of a high ranking iPhone6 indicates how obsessed we are with new gadgets or is it its large screen? last year we had Samsung S4 in top searched phone category, while for this year it is a humble Moto G that has topped the chart.

Sunny Leone reigns supremacy as the most searched person. Poonam Pandey has moved up a rung in the popular people ladder, voyeurism wont fade, so does the maxim ‘skin sells’

Its entertainment, entertainment, entertainment

With 4 movies and 7 film stars across the lists, Lets cite Vidya Balan’s from Dirty Picture here. Its entertainment all the way and it gets accentuated on the internet pretty deeply. If you compare the Indian trends to Worldwide trends, then Jennifer Lawrence, Kim Kardashian & Julie Gayet are the top 3 people searched for. The web is what you make of it, for many people, its for entertaining them, whether through cat pictures or film starts, the theme remains.

What can we infer from ‘Google Translate‘ being on the top chart? Lets not disregard the fact that in India, English is not the only language. Because someone has access to internet doesnt mean they are comfortable in English. (vernacular newspaper have an estimated reach of 438 million Vs. 40 million reach of English newspaper). It is also interesting to note that Govt of India is likely to collaborate with Google for integrating Indian Languages Virtual Keyboard on Android soon. Brands that can embrace this will have significant amount of new customers coming their way.

Virat Kohli is the only sports person in the list (phew), and Honey Singh is no longer searched for (sigh).

SSC is out of list, maybe people now want job in startups?

And finally, our PM, NaMo makes his mark twice across the lists, once in trending & once in people; but only to trail behind Sunny.

Lets hope for a a great 2015!