The Year in Search: A 2008 Review
What were people searching for in 2008? The search engines know.
What were people searching for in 2008? The search engines know.
The year’s end marks a time to reflect on events over the past 12 months. Several search engines compiled the top searches in several categories for 2008, offering a glimpse into what was top of mind for searchers. Recaps from Google Zeitgeist; Yahoo Buzz; AOL’s hot searches; top search terms at Ask.com; and Lycos highlight the trends that came and went over the course of the year.
Top Google Searches, 2008 | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Fastest Rising (Global) | Fastest Rising (U.S.) | |||||
1 | sarah palin | 1 | obama | |||
2 | bejing 2008 | 2 | ||||
3 | facebook login | 3 | att | |||
4 | tuenti | 4 | iphone | |||
5 | heath ledger | 5 | youtube | |||
6 | obama | 6 | fox news | |||
7 | nasza klasa | 7 | palin | |||
8 | wer kennt wen | 8 | beijing 2008 | |||
9 | euro 2008 | 9 | david cook | |||
10 | jonas brothers | 10 | surf the channel | |||
Top of Mind: It’s the Economy | Politics: Campaign Buzzwords | |||||
1 | financial crisis | 1 | joe the plumber | |||
2 | depression | 2 | jeremiah wright | |||
3 | bailout | 3 | maverick | |||
4 | mortgage crisis | 4 | william ayers | |||
5 | wall street | 5 | bridge to nowhere | |||
6 | oil | 6 | lipstick pig | |||
7 | stock market | 7 | yes we can | |||
8 | subprime | 8 | that one | |||
9 | credit crisis | 9 | rashid khalidi | |||
10 | housing crisis | 10 | hockey mom | |||
Source: Google, 2008 |
Top Yahoo Searches, 2008 | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Top 10 Overall Searches | Top 10 Economic Searches | |||||
1 | Britney Spears | 1 | IRS Stimulus Checks | |||
2 | WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) | 2 | Oil Prices | |||
3 | Barak Obama | 3 | Gold Prices | |||
4 | Miley Cyrus | 4 | Gas Prices | |||
5 | RuneScape | 5 | Dow Jones | |||
6 | Jessica Alba | 6 | Sallie Mae | |||
7 | Naruto | 7 | Stock Market | |||
8 | Lindsay Lohan | 8 | AIG | |||
9 | Angelina Jolie | 9 | Foreclosures | |||
10 | American Idol | 10 | Debt Consolidation | |||
Top 10 Politician Searches | Top 10 Searched Influential Women | |||||
1 | Barack Obama | 1 | Angelina Jolie | |||
2 | Sarah Palin | 2 | Sarah Palin | |||
3 | John McCain | 3 | Oprah | |||
4 | Hillary Clinton | 4 | Hillary Clinton | |||
5 | George Bush | 5 | Gina Carano | |||
6 | Ron Paul | 6 | Tina Fey | |||
7 | John Edwards | 7 | Michelle Obama | |||
8 | Mike Huckabee | 8 | Katie Couric | |||
9 | Arnold Schwarzenegger | 9 | Barbara Walters | |||
10 | Mitt Romney | 10 | Dana Torres | |||
Source: Yahoo, 2008 |
Top AOL Searches, 2008 | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Top 10 Financial Faux Pas | Top 10 General Searches | |||||
1 | Wachovia | 1 | Dictionary | |||
2 | Washington Mutual | 2 | Weather | |||
3 | Merrill Lynch | 3 | Games | |||
4 | AIG | 4 | Maps | |||
5 | Morgan Stanley | 5 | Lyrics | |||
6 | Lehman Brothers | 6 | University | |||
7 | Freddie Mac | 7 | Movies | |||
8 | Bear Stearns | 8 | Calendar | |||
9 | Fannie Mae | 9 | Zip Codes | |||
10 | Goldman Sachs | 10 | Horoscopes | |||
Top 10 Mobile Searches | Top 10 Brands | |||||
1 | MySpace | 1 | Apple | |||
2 | AIM | 2 | Coach | |||
3 | iPhone | 3 | Dell | |||
4 | MocoSpace | 4 | Sony | |||
5 | 5 | Nike | ||||
6 | Craigslist | 6 | Avon | |||
7 | Weather | 7 | Ed Hardy | |||
8 | Free Ringtones | 8 | Louis Vuitton | |||
9 | MapQuest | 9 | Samsung | |||
10 | Match.com | 10 | HP | |||
Note: Mobile searches are from AOL Mobile Search. Source: AOL, 2008 |
Top Lycos Searches, 2008 | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Top 10 Search Terms | Top 10 News Stories | |||||
1 | Poker | 1 | Economic Collapse/Bailout | |||
2 | Paris Hilton | 2 | Presidential Election ’08 | |||
3 | YouTube | 3 | Death of Heath Ledger | |||
4 | Golf | 4 | Clay Aiken Comes Out/Becomes Dad | |||
5 | Sarah Palin | 5 | Death of Paul Newman | |||
6 | Britney Spears | 6 | Jennifer Hudson Family Murder | |||
7 | Clay Aiken | 7 | Eliot Spitzer Scandal | |||
8 | Pamela Anderson | 8 | Travis Barker Plane Crash | |||
9 | 9 | Sichuan Earthquake | ||||
10 | Holly Madison | 10 | War in Iraq | |||
Top 10 Fads | Top Three Blog Sites | |||||
1 | Poker | 1 | Perez Hilton | |||
2 | YouTube | 2 | Drudge Report | |||
3 | 3 | Huffington Post | ||||
4 | DIY Home Improvement | |||||
5 | Digital TV | |||||
6 | Weight Watchers | |||||
7 | Craigslist | |||||
8 | RuneScape | |||||
9 | Webkinz | |||||
10 | The Sims | |||||
Source: Lycos, 2008 |