The terms people search on Google and questions they ask the almighty search engine says a lot about the key issues of the day, so it’s not surprising that “coronavirus” was at the top of Google’s “Year in Search 2020” for Canadians.
However, what may give pause is the fact that wasn’t the most frequently searched term. What took that spot was foreign politics. No doubt we can thank the ever-controversial president Trump for that.
In 2020, Canadians searched “US Election” more than any other terms.
Followed by, and in order, “coronavirus,” and “Kobe Bryant.” “Zoom,” “Raptors” and “CERB (Canada Emergency Response Benefit).”
2020 was the year Canadians have many burning questions in their minds, with “why are people buying toilet paper” being the top one of most asked questions.
Baidu is China’s search engine because Google is banned in the country. Like Google, the company also puts out a list of the most popular search terms and phrases in China this year, which might give you some clues of what people in China are interested in and what they care.
“The pandemic” came out top of Baidu’s most searched terms this year, followed by other keywords such as “face mask.” Even the phrase “return to China” was popular, as some Chinese students studying abroad were hoping to return to China after COVID-19 started spreading across the world.
While stuck at home, most people in China were also thinking of different ways to kill time, with keywords like “live streaming Ecommerce,” “online courses,” and “haircuts at home” have been trending throughout the year.
Here is a list of the most searched items of the year in Canada, according to Google Trends.
Searches:
1: US election
2: Coronavirus
3: Kobe Bryant
4: Zoom
5: Raptors
2020 was the year we asked “why?” Here is a list of most frequently asked questions in Canada:
1: Why are people buying toilet paper?
2: Why was George Floyd stopped?
3: Why is it called COVID-19?
4: Why did Kobe have two numbers?
5: Why is Nevada taking so long?
Here is a list of the most searched terms of the year in China, according to Baidu.
1: The pandemic
2: Moderately prosperous
3: Face masks
4: China’s Mars Exploration
5: Return to China
Baidu also put out a list summarizing the lifestyle of the year in China:
1: Face mask
2: Livestreaming E-Commerce
3: Work from home
4: Online courses
5: Refuse bushmeat
