Google Year in Search 2017: What America and the World Searched For

As 2017 draws to a close, Google has once again released its Year in Search, the annual ranking of the queries that trended most on its search engine over the past 12 months. What were Americans most curious about? Which stories dominated searches around the globe? Here’s a quick rundown.

Where would we be without Google, always ready to answer our most random questions? In 2017, once again, people turned to it for breaking news, celebrity gossip, DIY projects, and plenty more. So what were the big trends of the year? Let’s go category by category.

Hurricane Irma Topped the Charts in the U.S. and Worldwide

The No. 1 trending search of 2017 was Hurricane Irma, both in the United States and globally, a reminder that search is often the first place people go when news directly affects them. In the U.S. ranking, Matt Lauer, whose firing from NBC made headlines in late November, also landed among the top trending searches.

The Top “How To” Searches: Slime Is Back

Apparently slime made a big comeback in 2017: “how to make slime” was the top trending “how to” search in the U.S., with kids and parents alike looking for recipes. Money was on people’s minds too, as many Americans searched for how to buy bitcoin while the cryptocurrency hit record highs.

What the Rest of the World Searched For

Some topics captured attention just about everywhere. The song Despacito, the series Stranger Things, the Wimbledon tennis championships, American actress Meghan Markle (Prince Harry’s fiancée), and Apple’s new iPhone 8 and iPhone X all ranked among the most searched terms worldwide in 2017.

Why These Rankings Matter for Your Business

Year-end rankings are fun to browse, but they also show how quickly search interest spikes around news, products, and seasonal needs. Tools like Google Trends let you spot those spikes in your own industry and plan content before demand peaks.

What will 2018 bring? Only time will tell, but our look at SEO trends for 2018 offers a few clues, and our review of Google’s 2017 algorithm updates covers what changed on the search side.

Référenceur is a French-speaking digital marketing agency from Belgium and Luxembourg, and we help U.S. businesses turn search trends into traffic, working remotely through video calls, shared screens, and monthly reporting. Want to know which searches matter most for your business? Get a free assessment of your organic search potential.