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 September 2021.
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.
A Return To The Typical For September 2021
After a weird August 2021, last month's queries looked more like the ones to which we are accustomed. There were a few phrases that were queried over 10 million times. Deadly weather events weren't a top search topic – thank goodness – and the return of the NFL brought back many of the top team names back into the daily top 3.
September did have its unique qualities too. We noticed some intriguing reporting on some Google Doodle clicks – phrases that were in the top 3 one day and then gone the next. Also, the sad story of Gabby Petito can't be ignored as her name appeared in our capture 6 times last month. Lastly, coffee had a moment in September as a national day held in its honor was searched a bunch on the 28th. With that, let's get into the top searched phrases of September 2021.
The Curious Clicks of Google Doodles
When Google changes the logo on its homepage with what they call a Google Doodle, people click. When people click, it leads them to search results. When they are led to search results, it's counted as a query. Here are three queries that we counted because they were attached to a Google Doodle;
- Christopher Reeve – 9/24/2021 – 10,000,000+ queries
- Google – 9/27/2021 – 10,000,000+ queries
- Rodolfo ‘Corky’ Gonzales – 9/30/2021 – 2,000,000+ queries
Two of last month's Doodle were published to celebrate the lives of people of note, the actor Christopher Reeve and political activist Rodolfo Gonzales. The other Doodle, noted by the query “Google” was posted to celebrate the company's 23rd birthday.
One thing we noted as a team was the reporting of Google Doodle clicks on September 5th. Since we check the daily search trends from Google Trends every day, we saw that it was initially reported that Google's 2021 Labor Day Doodle had driven over 10 million clicks. It appeared as a query for “Labor Day” on Monday.
But since we know there is an adjustment period for these results, we recorded the top 3 queries for Sunday on Tuesday and found the Labor Day query was no longer there.
We didn't know what to make of it. Since there were no Google Doodle-related queries in August, we wondered if Google Trends was changing how it reported Doodle clicks. If there was a change, it was temporary as we saw more Doodle clicks and the queries related to those clicks late last month.
The Non-Doodled Holidays
Putting the cryptic Labor Day Doodle query aside, here are the holiday related terms that people searched for the most in September:
- Rosh Hashanah – 9/5/2021 – 500,000+ queries
- Labor Day meaning – 9/6/2021 – 200,000+ queries
- 9/11 – 9/10/2021 – 1,000,000+ queries
- Yom Kippur – 9/15/2021 – 500,000+ queries
- National Coffee Day 2021 – 9/28/2021 – 200,000+ queries
“Labor Day meaning” did make the top 3, interestingly enough. We interpret this query and the number associated with it are connected to a genuine interest of learning more about the holiday. The Jewish holidays of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur both occurred in September this year as did the 20th anniversary of the September 11th attacks. Lastly, and we love to see this type of “holiday” query appear in the daily top 3, National Coffee Day 2021 had a resurgence as compared to the last 4 years.
The peak for this holiday may have happened in 2015 but it's clear that more of us were searching for a way to celebrate coffee this year.
The Films and TV Shows We Watched
To gauge the popularity of video entertainment, AMP Agency takes note of the search volume behind movie and television show titles.
The film industry has taken a hit and we are not sure if going to the movies will ever come back to the way it was but here are the films that drove the most search volume in September.
- Shang-Chi – 9/2/2021 – 1,000,000+ queries
- Matrix 4 – 9/9/2021 – 500,000+ queries
- Malignant – 9/10/2021 – 500,000+ queries
- Cry Macho – 9/17/2021 – 500,000+ queries
- Venom – 9/30/2021 – 1,000,000+ queries
With the exception of Matrix 4 (that film's trailer dropped on the 9th), all of these films were released last month.
- Dancing With the Stars 2021 – 9/8/2021 – 200,000+ queries
- Ted Lasso – 9/19/2021 – 2,000,000+ queries
- Dancing with the Stars – 9/20/2021 – 500,000+ queries
For TV shows, people still love Dancing With The Stars as it began its 30th season. The cast announcement and its premier episode drove people to search. Interestingly enough, Ted Lasso is the only query related to the Emmy Awards that were held on the 19th. That show won 7 awards and may have picked up a few more viewers after the Emmys.
September 2021 News Events
For these monthly analyses, we typically do not report on queries related to celebrity deaths or other tragedies unless the search volume dictates that it can't be ignored. Queries related to Gabby Petito's disappearance and death made the daily top 3 of 6 days in September.
- Gabby Petito – 9/15/2021 – 1,000,000+ queries
- Gabby Petito found – 9/16/2021 – 500,000+ queries
- Gabby Petito found – 9/17/2021 – 1,000,000+ queries
- Gabby Petito found – 9/18/2021 – 500,000+ queries
- Gabby Petito – 9/19/2021 – 10,000,000+ queries
- Gabby Petito Autopsy – 9/21/2021 – 500,000+ queries
The other big news story that drove millions of queries was related to the California recall election.
- Californa recall election – 9/13/2021 – 2,000,000+ queries
- California recall election – 9/14/2021 – 5,000,000+ queries
It's interesting to see the number of queries increased the day after the election as people wanted to learn of the results.
Gaming
Keywords related to video games make the top 3 rarely so we thought it was a treat to see three phrases last month.
- Deltarune – 9/16/2021 – 100,000+ queries
- Nintendo Direct – 9/22/2021 – 200,000+ queries
- New World – 9/27/2021 – 200,000+ queries
The second chapter of the Deltarune game was released on the 16th and New World was released by Amazon Games on the 28th. Nintendo Direct announced all the games updates for their Switch console that are rolling out this winter.
Just the Top Sports Keywords
Of the 90 phrases we collected in September, 37 were related to sports. Since there were so many, let's just keep it to the keywords that were queried 2 million times or more:
- Dallas Cowboys – 9/9/2021 – 5,000,000+ queries
- Georgia football – 9/4/2021 – 2,000,000+ queries
- Parkers – 9/12/2021 – 2,000,000+ queries
- Cleveland Browns – 9/12/2021 – 2,000,000+ queries
- NFL – 9/12/2021 – 2,000,000+ queries
- Raiders – 9/13/2021 – 2,000,000+ queries
- Thursday Night Football – 9/16/2021 – 2,000,000+ queries
- Ravens – 9/19/2021 – 2,000,000+ queries
- Packers – 9/20/2021 – 2,000,000+ queries
- Christian McCaffrey – 9/23/2021 – 2,000,000+ queries
- UFC – 9/25/2021 – 2,000,000+ queries
- Dallas Cowboys – 9/26/2021 – 2,000,000+ queries
- Packers – 9/26/2021 – 2,000,000+ queries
- Chiefs – 9/26/2021 – 2,000,000+ queries
- Bengals – 9/30/2021 – 2,000,000+ queries
Yes, gridiron football is back and the stadiums are filled with people. You can see the NFL dominate the number of sports keywords in this list. The Dallas Cowboys and the Green Bay Packers seem to be winning the popularity contest so far this season.
Apple News
A new iPhone? Oh, you know people want to know more about that. The iPhone 13 series was unveiled on the 14th and the latest iOS version was released on the 20th.
- iPhone 13 – 9/14/2021 – 2,000,000+ queries
- iOS 15 – 9/20/2021 – 500,000+ queries
All in all, a good month for Apple. If they ever launch a search engine, they can celebrate their company's birthday with a doodle of their own.
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Until next month.
