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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 February 2023.

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+ (sometimes 100,000+). 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.

The Shortest Month

Although there are only 28 days in February, the month is packed with annual, exciting topics to search. With the holidays of Groundhog Day and Valentine’s Day as two of the month’s anchors, this year the celebration of Mardi Gras occurred in February. Of course the biggest “holiday” is Super Bowl Sunday.  We have some great insights on that spectacle in this report.

Other big topics that drove searches were the Chinese balloons, the Grammy Awards, the earthquakes in Turkey, multiple video games releases, the State of the Union address, and a food related query. 

Lastly, the NBA had their All Star game and a few major trades had people Googling some player names.  Also, a rival search engine made our list of top queried phrases in February 2023.  Here are all our thoughts of the month that was in Google’s Daily Search Trends.

Those February Holidays

In the dead of winter, it’s nice to have some things to celebrate.  Let’s see how popular the holidays of February are this year.

  • Groundhog Day 2023 - 2/1/2023 - 5,000,000+ queries
  • Valentine's Day - 2/13/2023 - 10,000,000+ queries
  • Mardi Gras - 2/21/2023 - 200,000+ queries

As you can see from this chart, queries for Groundhog Day hit a 5 year high last month.  

Interest in the holiday may have been aided by the news story about the death of Fred La Marmotte passed away hours before he was supposed to look for his shadow.

Valentine’s Day was aided by a Google Doodle but its popularity has not recovered from the pandemic yet.  The 5 year search interest peak occurred in 2020.  On the flip side, Mardi Gras made the daily top 3 this year and has regained pre-pandemic query volume.

 

The World of Entertainment

February had a good number of movie and TV show releases, a couple of award shows, and a concert tour announcement.

  • Beyonce Renaissance Tour - 2/1/2023 - 1,000,000+ queries

Yes, Queen Bey is going on tour this year and the Instagram announcement was made on the 1st.  Later on in the month, other musical artists were celebrated at the Grammys.

 

  • Grammys 2023 - 2/4/2023 - 5,000,000+ queries
  • Harry Styles - 2/5/2023 - 1,000,000+ queries

Harry Styles performed at the show and won the Album of the Year award.  The Screen Actors Guild Awards show happened on the 26th and people searched to learn more.

  • SAG Awards 2023 - 2/26/2023 - 500,000+ queries

A couple of new movies that were released in February made the top 3 of Google’s Daily Trends:

  • Ant-Man Quantumania - 2/16/2023 - 200,000+ queries
  • Cocaine Bear - 2/24/2023 - 500,000+ queries

The latest Marvel Cinematic Universe movie was released on the 17th and the Elizabeth Banks directed film was released on the 24th.

Finally, there were three TV shows that were interesting enough to drive people to query Google to find more information.

  • Last of Us - 2/19/2023 - 200,000+ queries
  • Outer Banks - 2/22/2023 - 500,000+ queries
  • We Have a Ghost - 2/24/2023 - 200,000+ queries

Episode 6 of The Last of Us show was compelling.  No spoilers here.  Season 3 of the Netflix show “Outer Banks” was made available for streaming on the 23rd.  Also on Netflix, the show “We Have a Ghost”  was released on the 24th.

Spy Balloons

Over the first week of February, there were Chinese spy balloons floating over the USA.  Here’s how the ordeal unfolded on Google’s Daily Trends.

  • China spy balloon - 2/2/2023 - 1,000,000+ queries
  • Chinese balloon - 2/2/2023 - 1,000,000+ queries
  • Chinese spy balloon - 2/2/2023 - 500,000+ queries
  • Chinese spy balloons - 2/3/2023 - 500,000+ queries
  • Chinese balloon - 2/4/2023 - 2,000,000+ queries
  • Alaska - 2/10/2023 - 200,000+ queries

The last phrase, “Alaska” was connected to news that a high-altitude object was shot down by the US military.

 

A Big Month For Video Game Releases

From time to time, Gaming topics make our report.  February 2023 was an outlier as we saw three big game launches garner enough search interest to pierce the daily top 3. 

  • Hogwarts Legacy - 2/6/2023 - 1,000,000+ queries
  • Atomic Heart - 2/20/2023 - 200,000+ queries
  • Sons of the Forest - 2/23/2023 - 200,000+ queries

The team at AMP wonders if we will see more game titles in our future reports.

Earthquake in Turkey

The devastating earthquakes in Turkey drove users to Google in search of more details.

  • Turkey earthquake - 2/5/2023 - 2,000,000+ queries
  • Turkey earthquake - 2/21/2023 - 200,000+ queries

On February 6th local time, there were two major earthquakes that caused major structure damage and tens of thousands of casualties.  Then, just over 2 weeks later, there was another quake that was thankfully less intense but still made people want to learn more.

It Ain’t Too Sweet

We usually get excited about food-related queries, but not so much with this one.

  • Erythritol - 2/27/2023 - 200,000+ queries

The sugar substitute was reported to be linked to higher heart attack and stroke risks.  

State of The Union

The State of the Union address was a popular topic that span a couple of days last month.

  • State of the Union - 2/6/2023 - 1,000,000+ queries
  • State of the Union 2023 - 2/6/2023 - 500,000+ queries
  • State of the Union 2023 - 2/7/2023 - 500,000+ queries

The next week, Nikki Haley announced her presidential bid.

  • Nikki Haley - 2/14/2023 - 500,000+ queries

Sports Queries Not Related To The Super Bowl

Sports are quite interesting.  Topics related to sports are always in the Daily Trends.  February has the biggest American sporting event of the year but there were other topics that drove searches that were not Super Bowl related.

  • Tom Brady - 2/1/2023 - 2,000,000+ queries

Tom Brady announced his retirement again but it is for real this time, we think.

The NBA is halfway through its season so that means it is time for trades and the All Star Game.  Some star players and the teams conducting the trade were searched for last month.

  • Kyrie Irving - 2/3/2023 - 1,000,000+ queries
  • Kyrie Irving trade - 2/4/2023 - 200,000+ queries
  • Kyrie Irving - 2/5/2023 - 2,000,000+ queries
  • Lakers - 2/7/2023 - 2,000,000+ queries
  • Russell Westbrook - 2/7/2023 - 2,000,000+ queries
  • Kevin Durant - 2/8/2023 - 2,000,000+ queries
  • Utah Jazz - 2/8/2023 - 200,000+ queries
  • Kyrie Irving - 2/9/2023 - 200,000+ queries
  • Russell Westbrook - 2/20/2023 - 200,000+ queries
  • Clippers - 2/24/2023 - 500,000+ queries

Russell Westbrook was moved from the Lakers to the Jazz and then finally to the Clippers.  The All Star game was popular this year with Mac McClung making a name for himself.

  • Mac McClung - 2/17/2023 - 1,000,000+ queries
  • NBA All-Star Game - 2/17/2023 - 200,000+ queries

The young G League player won the 2023 slam dunk contest and became a search sensation.

The Big Game

The most impressive topic of February 2023 from a search volume perspective is the Super Bowl.  In an era where our consumption of entertainment is scattered and diversified, the NFL’s championship game still draws a mass audience on a yearly basis.

Here are the top three most queried phrases from the day before the game.

  • Super Bowl - 2/11/2023 - 10,000,000+ queries
  • Super Bowl 2023 time - 2/11/2023 - 2,000,000+ queries
  • What time is the Super Bowl - 2/11/2023 - 2,000,000+ queries

We took a screenshot of the top 4 keyword phrases.  Clearly the time the game starts is an important factor for a lot of people.  The AMP Agency team thinks this insight could be used for a marketing campaign that revolves around the preparation for the game.  Maybe you could build a tool that helps you schedule when chicken wings should go in the oven so they are ready for game time.

The queries on Super Bowl Sunday are all about the entertainment.

  • Rihanna - 2/12/2023 - 10,000,000+ queries
  • Chris Stapleton - 2/12/2023 - 2,000,000+ queries

Rihanna performed the half-time show and Chris Stapleton sang the National Anthem.

Bing

To close out, Google’s daily trends registered queries for another search engine last month.

  • Bing - 2/8/2023 - 200,000+ queries

On the 8th, Microsoft announced they were rolling out a new version of Bing search. This new version would have a component powered by OpenAI's GTP artificial intelligence. The full service can be found in the Edge browser. 

Interesting times lie ahead for search with the introduction of AI.  We shall be here to observe and report as it unfolds.

Thanks for reading. If you liked this article, we utilize search trends data for all of our clients and we invite you to learn more about our SEO services.

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  • 3 min read
  • September 14, 2023

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 July 2023. 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+ (sometimes 100,000+). 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. Search Is Sizzling In July Actually, the total search volumes for the phrases we collected in July 2023 were lower compared to June so sizzling may be an exaggeration. We can’t say for certain why the reported search volumes were lower. There could have been a change in the way Google Trends was reporting query volume. The team likes to think that the people are out and about and not looking at their phones as much. Oh sure. Looking across the keywords, we had several celebrity deaths that made up the most searched topics of the month. The 4th of July holiday and the guy who seems undeniably connected to it made our report. We have an understanding at what movies, TV, and music were popular last month along with how much big jackpots of money captivated the search audience. Carlee Russell was someone people wanted to know more about and there was a lot of interest in the sport of soccer. Lastly, changes at Twitter and the launch of Threads had us excited to share more from the category of social media. Here’s what we have for you in this report! We Say Goodbye Sadly, the queries with the most volume from the past month were driven by celebrity deaths: Tony Bennett - 7/21/2023 - 2,000,000+ queries Sinead O'Connor - 7/26/2023 - 5,000,000+ queries On the last day of the month, two other entertainers passed away. Angus Cloud - 7/31/2023 - 5,000,000+ queries Paul Reubens - 7/31/2023 - 2,000,000+ queries We tend not to report on the query related to celebrity deaths but last month, two of these phrases were the only ones to be reported as having over 5 million queries for the day. The Fourth Fireworks, parades, and Joey Chestnut. These are the things that come to mind when we think about the Fourth of July holiday. You may not agree with the last item in the series, but the competitive eater has made our report over the past 3 years! Joey Chestnut - 7/2/2023 - 100,000+ queries Independence Day - 7/3/2023 - 200,000+ queries Fourth of July - 7/3/2023 - 2,000,000+ queries Joey Chestnut - 7/4/2023 - 500,000+ queries Take a look at the rising search popularity of his name in this Google Trends graph! Like it or not, Joey Chestnut is becoming a regular feature for the holiday. Summer Entertainment There were a few movie titles in our list from July 2023: Sound of Freedom - 7/3/2023 - 200,000+ queries Wonka - 7/11/2023 - 100,000+ queries Barbie movie - 7/20/2023 - 2,000,000+ queries The Sound of Freedom was released in theaters on July 4 and the Wonka film trailer dropped on the 11th. What seems to be the movie of the summer if not the year, Barbie hit the big screens on July 21st. Here are the queries that made our list that are related to TV shows. Emmy nominations 2023 - 7/12/2023 - 200,000+ queries The Summer I Turned Pretty - 7/13/2023 - 200,000+ queries Golden Bachelor - 7/17/2023 - 100,000+ queries Lastly, Travis Scott released an album on the 28th and people wanted to know more: Utopia Travis Scott - 7/27/2023 - 200,000+ queries Dreams of Free Money It seems like once or twice a year we get a large lottery jackpot that stirs up search interest. In July, we had two: Powerball - 7/8/2023 - 200,000+ queries Mega Millions - 7/8/2023 - 200,000+ queries Powerball - 7/11/2023 - 500,000+ queries Powerball - 7/15/2023 - 500,000+ queries Powerball numbers - 7/18/2023 - 500,000+ queries Powerball - 7/18/2023 - 1,000,000+ queries Powerball - 7/18/2023 - 2,000,000+ queries As you can see, the Powerball lottery game was very popular in July. Even though Mega Millions saw one entry in July when no one won the $427 million prize, The Powerball jackpot hit 1 billion dollars on the 18th and there was one winner for the drawing on the 20th. The Curious Case of Carlee Russell Carlee Russell’s name was reported on news outlets as someone who was kidnapped. Carlee Russell - 7/14/2023 - 500,000+ queries Carlee Russell found - 7/15/2023 - 1,000,000+ queries Carlee Russell - 7/19/2023 - 1,000,000+ queries The Alabama woman admitted later that she staged her own kidnapping and turned herself in and was charged with making false reports. Some Keywords Related To Politics Here are the phrases that made Google’s Daily Trends top 3 last month. Cocaine found in White House - 7/4/2023 - 100,000+ queries Student loan forgiveness - 7/14/2023 - 200,000+ queries Mitch McConnell - 7/26/2023 - 1,000,000+ queries Besides all the holiday festivities, people wanted to know about the cocaine found at the White House. We guess we’ll never know. On the 14th, the Biden Administration announced it would forgive the loans for 804,000 borrowers and on the 26th, Kentucky Senator Mitch McConnell had an episode where he stopped talking while being interviewed by reporters and was escorted from the podium where he was speaking. Soccer Keywords We are going to call it soccer in this report, but the sport better known as football around the world drove many people to search last month. The USMNT was involved in the CONCACAF Gold Cup tournament. Here are some queries that were related to it that made our collection. USA vs Trinidad and Tobago - 7/2/2023 - 100,000+ queries Mexico vs Costa Rica - 7/6/2023 - 200,000+ queries USA vs Panama - 7/12/2023 - 200,000+ queries The USWNT played in the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup and search interest in that team and their matches was strong and they also made the list. Women's World Cup - 7/19/2023 - 500,000+ queries USWNT - 7/20/2023 - 100,000+ queries U.S. Women's Soccer - 7/21/2023 - 200,000+ queries USA vs Netherlands - 7/26/2023 - 200,000+ queries Women's World Cup - 7/27/2023 - 200,000+ queries It figures that after a world famous player joins your club that suddenly the team name is getting queried every time you play. Inter Miami - 7/21/2023 - 1,000,000+ queries Inter Miami - 7/25/2023 - 500,000+ queries We’ll keep an eye on how many times this team makes our list for the rest of the year. Major League Baseball There is another major league playing games in the summer. MLB had their All-Star game in July but searchers mostly cared about the Home Run Derby. Home Run Derby 2023 - 7/9/2023 - 200,000+ queries Home Run Derby - 7/10/2023 - 500,000+ queries The trade deadline for the league actually occurred on the first of August but people still wanted to see the flurry of trades. MLB Trade Deadline - 7/31/2023 - 200,000+ queries Sorry Mets fans. Interest In Other Sports Too Queries related to big events in Tennis and Boxing made our list. Carlos Alcaraz - 7/14/2023 - 200,000+ queries Wimbledon - 7/16/2023 - 1,000,000+ queries The Wimbledon tournament was played in July 2023 and Carlos Alcaraz was the Men’s Singles winner. Spence vs Crawford - 7/28/2023 - 200,000+ queries Crawford vs Spence - 7/28/2023 - 200,000+ queries Errol Spence Jr vs Terence Crawford - 7/29/2023 - 200,000+ queries The boxing match between Errol Spence Jr. and Terrence Crawford was fought on the 29th. As you can see, there were many ways to search for this bout. On the 29th, Crawford defeated Spence via TKO. Prime Day Amazon had their big deal day for Prime members as they typically do in July. Amazon Prime Day - 7/10/2023 - 1,000,000+ queries The search volume is almost back to pre-pandemic levels but not quite where it was in July 2019: ‘ Twitter, Threads, and X We finish up this edition of our search trends report with all the big happenings with social media platforms. Here’s a timeline of all the things searchers wanted to know more about with the changes at Twitter (X) and Meta: Rate limit exceeded Twitter - 7/1/2023 - 200,000+ queries Threads - 7/5/2023 - 1,000,000+ queries Twitter rebrand - 7/23/2023 - 200,000+ queries For some reason, there were limits put in place for the number of tweets users could view in a day, with different limits for verified and unverified accounts. Meta launched Threads on the 5th, much to the surprise of social media managers everywhere. We shall see how this new platform evolves as we have been viewing Twitter’s many changes over the course of 2023, which includes its rebrand to X. Update all of your social icons! Thanks for reading. If you liked this article, we utilize search trends data for all of our clients and we invite you to learn more about our SEO services.

When you’re first starting out on social media, you may be heeding advice to “just show up” on each platform. Great advice, nonetheless, but there’s an opportunity to diversify your content and give it a more native fit for each social media platform. Establishing distinct channel strategies ensures that you’re engaging most effectively with that channel’s audience. Consumers use different apps for different reasons.Your audience on Instagram is completely different from your audience on Twitter or TikTok. More importantly, media dimensions, character limits, and the overall strategy and objective vary depending on what social media platform you’re using. Content can be repurposed to ensure it communicates the brands' message across different platforms,however, it should always be tweaked to fit the social channel’s needs and to increase engagement. Let’s take a look at a few popular platforms and how to optimize your content on each one. Instagram Instagram is a staple when a brand is trying to showcase their visual DNA. Most brands only have about 3 seconds to capture consumers’ attention, so they’ll want to get a good understanding of what you’re about from just a photo. No matter the industry, people will be coming to your brand’s Instagram profile to see what the products or services offered look like and take a peek at the aesthetics offered inside as well. Instagram is a visual storytelling app. Feed posts allow you to show the bigger picture, while story posts are where your consumers can see every step along the journey. Through story interactions, reels, and direct messages, there’s also a wide-open opportunity to develop a community surrounding your brand. X (previously Twitter) A community manager’s dream (or nightmare), X (previously Twitter) allows you to speak directly to your audience—and they’re likely to respond! X gives your brand an avenue to speak on what speaks to them, interact with consumers, and easily repost relevant content, all great ways to lean into your brand's personality. Most brands allow the witty, not-so-serious side of themselves to live on X, leaning into gifs, memes, and trends that float across the text-first platform. You could use this platform to engage jokingly with your competitors, start conversations about the products or services you offer and have a little fun. TikTok TikTok is a great platform to push your brand creativity and have your content reach new audiences using unique trends. For your brand, TikTok is a creative playground. With trending sounds, filters, and templates, there are so many ways to present your brand in a way you may never have before. The platform’s motto, "Make TikToks not Ads," is a great guardrail for developing content. Consumers on TikTok learn about hidden gem products, new recipes, or product hacks. Optimal content on this app is very immersive, so you have an opportunity to find more information and insights about your consumers. LinkedIn LinkedIn is a great place to show off some thought leadership and anything interesting you’re doing in your industry. Think of LinkedIn as your brand’s professional landing, a place to network and mingle in a more formal setting. Brands could use this to showcase their values, employee spotlights, and business achievements. This could spark an interest in future customers, employees, or investors. So, before jumping into a new social media platform, (like Threads), develop a channel strategy. If the app is primarily visual, take some time to solidify pictures and videos that will add value to your page and engage your audience, like relevant infographics or shots of real people enjoying your brand. For more text-first apps, take advantage of the opportunity to let your words do the work by starting engaging conversations with your consumers or answering FAQ. Most importantly, get to know your consumers! Understand how your audience behaves and engages on each specific channel so you can tailor your content to fit right in.