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 October 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.
Google Doodles Drive The Top Queried Terms
The two terms with the most volume last month were showcased as Google Doodles.
- Joseph Antoine Ferdinand Plateau – Oct. 13th – 10 Million+ queries
- Sylvia Plath – Oct. 26th – 10 Million+ queries
Both of these Doodles were created to celebrate each of these historical figures' birthdays, but the queries were collected as the top queried keyword for the day prior to their actual birthday. For example, even though “Sylvia Plath” was the top keyword for October 26th, her birthday is the 27th. We're not sure how Google is calculating the timing of these queries. If these numbers are generated by the US audience, it doesn't make sense why they do not correlate with the day the Doodle was posted.
Sports Queries Dominate October
Of the 93 keyword phrases that we collected for the month of October, 55 of them were related to sports. The majority of the terms were related to Major League Baseball (21) and the NFL (20).
The phrase “World Series” got the most queries for the month on October 30th with 5 Million+. This date coincided with Game 7 of the series.
Many of the queries related to sports were team names:
10/3/2019 – Seahawks – 2,000,000+
10/5/2019 – Cowboys – 2,000,000+
10/6/2019 – Chiefs – 2,000,000+
10/7/2019 – 49ers – 2,000,000+
10/9/2019 – Dodgers – 2,000,000+
10/9/2019 – Braves – 2,000,000+
10/10/2019 – Patriots – 2,000,000+
10/13/2019 – Seahawks – 2,000,000+
10/14/2019 – Packers – 2,000,000+
10/15/2019 – Yankees – 2,000,000+
10/21/2019 – Patriots – 2,000,000+
10/22/2019 – Astros – 2,000,000+
10/27/2019 – Packers – 2,000,000+
10/27/2019 – Patriots – 2,000,000+
AMP theorizes these queries were driven by users who wanted to know the score of the game that the team is playing based on the dates attached to these queries. Teams with large fan bases make the top three phrases where other teams do not.
A Few Movie Keywords Made The Cut
Google Search trends can be used as a predictor of successful opening weekend of a film or how large the buzz is around a certain picture. Two queries made the list in October:
10/3/2019 – Joker – 1,000,000+
10/21/2019 – Star Wars trailer- 1,000,000+
Joker had a record breaking weekend at the box office. The interest of the Star Wars trailer is high, but it does not compare to the volume of queries associated with the keywords for the previous sequel trilogy films.
Looking at Google Search Trends data over the past five years, the interest related to the latest Star Wars trailer is lower than it was for the films that were released in 2015 and 2017. This may be an indication that the upcoming film may not make as much.
Interest In New Tech
Apple and Google had a few of their new products make the list in October:
10/28/2019 – AirPods pro – 1,000,000+
10/15/2019 – Pixel 4 – 500,000+
Clearly, fans of Apple are excited about the earbuds. It's interesting that the new Google flagship phone didn't drive as many queries as the iPhone 11. Will Google make a Doodle of its new phone? Probably not.
Every Day is a Holiday
Did you know that October 3rd was National Boyfriend Day? Me neither – but it drove over a million queries. We have been looking at the popularity of these non-traditional holidays over time. Here's how National Boyfriend Day has been trending over the last 5 years:
Looking at the peaks over the last 5 years, this holiday drove more search interest back in 2018 than 2019. Along with the big spikes that correspond with the actual date of the holiday, there is a complementary one that occurs a couple of months prior. The smaller spike is triggered by another holiday – National Girlfriend Day. It happens on August 1.
We compared these phrases to see what the volumes looked like side by side:
When we look at this view over the last 12 months, it is clear that these two holidays are intertwined. I wonder what discussions take place when National Girlfriend Day happens. Do boyfriends search for their day to see when they will get repaid for celebrating the holiday for their girlfriend? Is the lower spike of “national girlfriend day” during the timeframe of October 3rd indicative of boyfriends' lack of planning for next year? There are just so many questions.
New Holidays = New Opportunity
All joking aside, these non-traditional holidays have been appearing throughout the year. AMP Agency has been looking into these types of phrases to understand if they are gaining in popularity. If we can get ahead of these trends, it can be fruitful for our clients as it makes sense for them to own or run promotions that coincide with some of these holidays.
Now that October has wrapped up, we're excited to see what trends November brings. See you next month!
