The year is quickly winding down, which in the world of search means that it’s time to review the year’s overall trends. On Monday Yahoo became the first search engine of the year to release their report on the Top Trends in Search, as told through the billions of searches in 2007 at Yahoo! throughout the world.
Looking through the hot search trends of the year is always interesting, and often very revealing of our culture, as well as some of the year’s major events. Typical findings include various celebrities who have passed away through the year, political situations and scandals, technological advancements and breakthroughs, sports bloppers, and more.
In 2007, according to Yahoo, the Top Trends in Search “reflects the world’s fascination with crossroads and breakthroughs”. This year wasn’t just about celebrities. Instead, as revealed in the world’s searches, people sought to find out about the latest new gadgets, world events, food and product safety, and environmental issues.
If you can judge the year based on the top searches, 2007 will be remembered most for the execution of Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, Al Gore and his campaign to reduce global warming, Britney Spears’ multiple meltdowns, China-made food and toy recalls, YouTube mania, the unveiling of the iPhone, the year that HBO’s Sopranos TV series ended, and the final Harry Potter book was released.
Without further ado, here are Yahoo’s Top Trends in Search for 2007:
News Stories – top 10 news stories
1. Saddam Hussein
2. Iran
3. Iraq
4. President George W. Bush
5. Oil and Gas prices
6. Barack Obama
7. Hillary Rodham Clinton
8. San Diego Fires
9. Afghanistan
10. Virginia Tech
Grass is Always Greener – top 10 environmental searches
1. Recycling
2. Global Warming
3. Freecycle
4. Earth
5. Pollution
6. Al Gore
7. Environmental Protection Agency
8. Live Earth
9. Hybrid Cars
10. Solar Energy
Celebrity Downslides – top 10 troubled stars
1. Britney Spears
2. Paris Hilton
3. Anna Nicole Smith
4. Vanessa Anne Hudgens
5. Nicole Richie
6. Amy Winehouse
7. Rosie O’Donnell
8. Tara Conner
9. Michael Vick
10. Owen Wilson
The Year of I, You and Wii – top 10 in tech
1. YouTube
2. Wikipedia
3. Facebook
4. iTunes
5. iPod
6. iPhone
7. Nintendo Wii
8. Xbox
9. Sony PlayStation 3
10. Guitar Hero
Tag, You’re It – top 10 on del.icio.us
1. Design
2. HDTV
3. Games
4. Music
5. Web 2.0
6. Video
7. Ubuntu
8. Travel
9. Photography
10. Mac
Recalling the Recall – top 10 consumer call-backs
1. Pet Food Recall
2. Fisher Price
3. Thomas the Tank Engine
4. Dog Food Recall
5. Menu Foods
6. E. coli
7. Food Poisoning
8. Toy Recall
9. Peanut Butter recall
10. Topps
Elementary Deductions – top 10 searches on Yahoo! Kids
1. Games
2. Animals
3. Dinosaurs
4. Math
5. Hannah Montana
6. Solar System
7. George Washington
8. Halloween
9. Sally Ride
10. Global Warming
Hits, Runs and Errors – top 10 sports news
1. NASCAR
2. Maria Sharapova
3. Boston Red Sox
4. David Beckham
5. Serena Williams
6. Chicago Bears
7. Christiano Ronaldo
8. Super Bowl
9. Ronaldinho
10. Ashley Force
Final Farewells – top 10 send-offs
1. Harry Potter
2. Anna Nicole Smith
3. The Sopranos
4. Rosie O’Donnell
5. Gilmore Girls
6. The OC
7. Barbaro
8. Richard Jeni
9. Iwao Takamoto
10. Captain America
