Google's Year in Search 2021 Was Led by Sports and 'Squid Games,' But Other Trending Topics Might Surprise You
The world searched for "how to start a business" more than "how to get a job" this year.
By Amanda Breen •
Google just released its Year in Search for 2021, and it includes some predictable topics in the top slots. Sports took up the top five overall with searches like "Australia vs India" (No. 1) and "NBA" (No. 4). And it comes as no surprise that in the TV shows category, global hit Squid Games, the Korean-language Netflix drama viewed more than 111 million times, ranked first.
In the news category, "Afghanistan" was the No. 1 search, and "Covid Vaccine" ranked third. "AMC Stock" and "Dogecoin" also made the top five.
Alec Baldwin, who recently made headlines for his part in the fatal shooting of Halyna Hutchins on the set of Rust, and Kyle Rittenhouse, who fatally shot two protestors and wounded a third in August 2020, were the top two most-searched people this year.
In the actors category, people were most likely to search for Alec Baldwin or Pete Davidson. Davidson has been trending since news of his relationship with Kim Kardashian broke. Aryan Khan, Gina Carano and Armie Hammer rounded out the top five.
Related: Google Plans to Stop Targeting Ads Based on Your Browsing
Christian Eriksen, Tiger Woods and Simone Biles were the top three most-searched athletes.
Google searchers were also hungry this year, and their tastes were varied. Birria tacos, nasi goreng, feta pasta, charcuterie board and shogayaki took the top five most-searched spots, while potato soup and overnight oats also found their way into the top 10.
Beyond the world of news and entertainment, people also showed significant interest in bettering their professional and financial situations. People across the globe searched for "how to start a business" more than "how to get a job" this year, and "how to ask for a raise" was the top-searched "how to" ask in the U.S. this year.
In keeping with that increased interest in financial freedom, people in the U.S. searched "what are the odds of winning the mega millions" more than "what are the odds of being struck by lightning" this year.
Related: How Google Uses People Analytics to Create a Great Workplace
