In our continuing series of examining Google Search Trends to gain insights into the top keywords queried in the USA, we present our findings for December 2019.
Every day, we capture the top three keyword phrases in terms of search volume as reported by Google Trends (US Only). Each term has an estimated query volume attached to it, which we also record. The number scale tops out at 10,000,000+ with a lower limit of 200,000+. After the conclusion of the month, we look at the phrases we collected along with their volumes to get an understanding of what drove queries for the month.
‘Tis The Season For Holidays and Impeachment
December had a large number of queries that reached the 10+ million mark. The majority of the phrases were relevant to the time of year, particularly about the end of the year. Here are the top queried phrases of the month:
- Impeachment – Dec. 18th – 10 Million+ queries
- Winter season – Dec. 21st – 10 Million+ queries
- Holiday season – Dec. 23rd – 10 Million+ queries
- New Year’s Eve – Dec. 30th – 10 Million+ queries
- New Year’s Day Dec. 31st – 10 Million+ queries
With the exception of the query about the president’s impeachment, all of the phrases above were initiated by Google Doodles. It’s interesting to think about the possibilities for a brand or company to get into the search results that these Doodles trigger. Since these are Doodles that Google produces every year, is there a strategy to get a piece of content that’s relevant to the season into Google’s news carousel?
The other 10 million+ queries were as follows:
- Camille Claudel – Dec. 7th – 10 Million+ queries
- Juice WRLD – Dec. 8th – 10 Million+ queries
- Clemson vs Ohio State – Dec. 27th – 10 Million+ queries
Like the majority of the aforementioned queries, Camille Claudel was the subject of a Google Doodle. As for the other two queries, both were driven by current events. The passing of American rapper, singer, and songwriter Juice WRLD drove users to query his name, while the college football game between Clemson and Ohio State became a top keyword phrase in December.
The Search for the Perfect Gift Continues
Shopping around the holidays drove queries in December. Like we saw in November 2019, brand names became keywords for people looking for deals. Since Thanksgiving happened late this year, Cyber Monday occurred on the first Monday of December. Take a look at some of the phrases that made the top 3 queries:
- Cyber Monday 2019 – Dec. 1st – 5 Million+ queries
- Target Cyber Monday – Dec. 1st – 1 Million+ queries
- Best Cyber Monday deals – Dec. 2nd – 500,000+ queries
- Santa Tracker – Dec. 23rd – 5 Million+ queries
- Dollar General – Dec. 24th – 1 Million+ queries
- McDonald’s – Dec. 24th – 1 Million+ queries
- Walmart hours Christmas eve – Dec. 24th – 500,000+ queries
- Bath and Body Works – Dec. 26th – 500,000+ queries
At the beginning of the month, Cyber Monday drove people to search for gifts that had a discounted price or special incentive. As the days neared Christmas, people’s desire to know where Santa was in the world inspired searches for an online tracker of his every move. Meanwhile, a good portion of the population could be seen searching for a quick bite to eat on Christmas Eve as they worked up an appetite shopping for last minute gifts and stocking stuffers.
Sports Related Phrases Still Rule
Of the 93 phrases we collected in December, 45 of them were sports-related. The subject of Gridiron Football – both collegiate and professional – makes up most of the queries, but it’s worth noting that queries related to the other football also made the list in December:
- Monterrey vs Liverpool – Dec. 17th – 500,000+ queries
- Premier League – Dec. 26th – 500,000+ queries
It’s important to note that December wasn’t the only month where European soccer terms broke through to the top 3 queries of the day as reported by Google Trends for the US. We still believe these types of queries are driven by people who are checking the score of the game, but it’s interesting to see that the interest is high for a sport being played across the ocean.
Other Top Queries By Category
As we record queries, we categorize them by subject matter. Here are some of the top phrases by category:
Entertainment
December saw Star Wars at the center of the searchable universe with both the film and the TV series making up some of the top phrases in Entertainment:
- Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker – Dec. 17th – 1 Million+ queries
- Mandalorian – Dec. 27th – 1 Million+ queries
Technology
One December 4th, Spotify wrapped up the year –and the entire decade, for that matter – by launching data related to each user’s listening habits over the past ten years.
- Spotify Wrapped – Dec. 4th – 2 Million+ queries
We thought the timing of this release was strategic since there is so much attention given to shopping and the holidays. For Spotify to roll out their Wrapped insights after Cyber Monday and before New Year’s, they were able to maximize the attention they got for it.
Politics
With the exception of Kamala Harris dropping out of the presidential race, the rest of the political queries in December were related to the impeachment hearings, including the phrase “impeachment” that happened two weeks before the vote occurred:
- Kamala Harris – Dec. 3rd – 1 Million+ queries
- Jonathan Turley – Dec. 4th – 1 Million+ queries
- Nancy Pelosi – Dec. 4th – 200,000+ queries
- Impeachment – Dec. 4th – 500,000+ queries
Gaming
The subject of gaming gets queries and we have seen them show up as popular queries from month to month. Generally, a new game release triggers the query. This past month in particular, the Game Awards occurred and won themselves two spots of the top 3 queries on December 12th.
- Xbox Series X – Dec. 12th – 1 Million+ queries
- Game Awards 2019 – Dec. 12th – 500,000+ queries
As we wrap up another year and kickstart a brand new decade, we look forward to seeing what the trending queries are for the future.
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