At the end of the day we are all human. Most of us are in search of a better life or are doing our best to enjoy the one we already have. Holidays here and there, going to the movies or to watch matches, music festivals etc! Seeing 2016 is coming to a close, I wondered globally what captivated our minds and kept us hooked in 2015 and on that note how 2016 will wrap up. As usual Google has the answer! According to Google Trends, some interesting global searches sum up the mood in 2015. Naturally the top searches related to breaking news; it was a very political year; we dug deep and challenged the norms; science developed further; sports events brought us together; tv shows & music made us happy, movies & technology gave us hope; celebrities dominated and there were losses too. In all of this we asked Google a lot of questions!

Google – Global Year In Search 2015

Data is said to be a game changer because the numbers don’t lie. Whether its big data or small data, its going to have an impact on your business. So what does Irish search data actually say we got up to and most importantly what does that really say about us? A deep dive into the Irish search trends shows what kept Irish people fascinated at local level.

Google – Ireland Year in Search 2015
When you put the global trends aside and look deeper at local trends, a more practical picture is revealed! For example among the top 2015 searches in Ireland, people were searching for ‘How to use the new Snapchat’, they wanted to know all about Conor McGregor, loved Ed Sheeran & Adele and of course the Rugby World Cup 2015. It would seem the Eurovision is still a popular event, Operation Transformation 2015 got people hooked and inspired while some were not sure when Easter or Halloween was! Politically speaking, many were curious about Charlie Haughey‘s shenanigans and Paris was topical too with searches on Je Suis Charlie & who/ what is Isis trending.

In the very least, the above search trends mean Irish people are more engaged with local content which is likely to impact their day to day living. This doesn’t mean the global trends don’t filter down. They certainly do and there is an interest to understand some of the topics/ issues that might impact us too.

Google – Ireland Q4 2015 in Search 
It would also appear Irish people live in the now and plan well for the near future, which is comforting to know. Another deep dive into Q4 trends from 2015 elaborates the importance of local even further. Below are the key monthly trends for Q4 2015 and the insights relating to them which should help you make your Christmas marketing plans more solid.

OCTOBER 2015
Trends • October was all about the European Championship Qualifiers. A third of the top searches done in October related to the European Championship qualifiers, with the 11th of October searches reaching a peak when Ireland lost 1-2 to Poland. Interestingly another third of the searches related to retailers such as Amazon, Donedeal, Littlewoods, Ebay, Argos etc. A quick look at the year’s Google search trends around these key retail terms, you can see a clear build up to Christmas starting from as early as August or before for some.
Insights • Relevance and leveraging real time events is key. For example the use of social media to engage with consumers in the build up to and during the football matches could mean increased positive impact. However its also important to keep an eye out for growing trends. Given the time of the year, the growth in retail searches indicated a clear interest in shopping.

NOVEMBER 2015
Trends • By November, retail related searches had grown from 30% and now accounted for 56% of all trending searches. Other search terms that remained consistent were weather related or breaking news (remember BOI’s technical glitch which left thousands of customers unpaid for days/weeks?).
Insights • Irish online consumer spend is consistently growing and is expected to reach €12.7billion by 2020. The trends highlighted in 2015 will remain positive again this year. Prepare for an improved online experience for potential customers because you are not only competing with local retailers but this is an international battlefield!

DECEMBER 2015
Trends • December had a further 4% growth in retail related search terms, bringing the total to 60%. You would argue these results were probably skewed by the growing adoption of Black Friday & Cyber Monday shopping days but this wasn’t necessarily the case (see graph below). The consumers’ intent on shopping is clear.
Insights • Often in December you have little time left to meet your targets and round up the year on a high note so every move counts. Most brands will heavily invest their marketing efforts into November and start of December only. While this strategy makes sense, the data shows that consumers are still in shopping mode right throughout December or at least they are in search of bargains. So dare to be different and not move with the currents. Be tactical with your investment as it could result in an even stronger performance. Invest in a channel mix which would be set to strategically mop up the ‘low hanging’ revenue. Data is a game changer, if your game is the same as it was 2 years ago you are missing a trick!

December 2015 excluding Cyber Monday

*Interest Over Time – numbers represent search interest relative to the highest point on the chart for the given region and time. A value of 100 is the peak popularity for the term. A value of 50 means that the term is half as popular. Likewise a score of 0 means the term was less than 1% as popular as the peak.

Sources:

Google Trends

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