Once Google filtered out all of the questionable, offensive and not-safe-for-work search terms, looks like the people Googling on Google were in fact searching for the names of various social and 2.0 offerings:
1. bebo
2. myspace
3. world cup
4. metacafe
5. radioblog
6. wikipedia
7. video
8. rebelde
9. mininova
10. wiki
Now, compare these with the top searches from Yahoo for 2006:
1 Britney Spears
2 WWE
3 Shakira
4 Jessica Simpson
5 Paris Hilton
6 American Idol
7 Beyonce Knowles
8 Chris Brown
9 Pamela Anderson
10 Lindsay Lohan
The top search results are entirely different.
Matter of fact, none of them are the same. Perhaps the Google Zeitgeist terms are more global, and Yahoo’s are US-centric, but I think this comparison goes to show what is on the mind of Googlers when they search, and Yahoo!’s when they search.
Google is still associated with research, universities and information while Yahoo is more entertainment, buzz and day to day life oriented.
For the full rundown from Google, visit the 2006 Year-End Google Zeitgeist.
For the interactive Yahoo review, visit Yahoo’s Top Searches of 2006.
