IndustryThe Year in Search: A 2008 Review

The Year in Search: A 2008 Review

What were people searching for in 2008? The search engines know.

The year’s end marks a time to reflect on events over the past 12 months. Several search engines compiled the top searches in several categories for 2008, offering a glimpse into what was top of mind for searchers. Recaps from Google Zeitgeist; Yahoo Buzz; AOL’s hot searches; top search terms at Ask.com; and Lycos highlight the trends that came and went over the course of the year.

Top Google Searches, 2008
Fastest Rising (Global) Fastest Rising (U.S.)
1 sarah palin 1 obama
2 bejing 2008 2 facebook
3 facebook login 3 att
4 tuenti 4 iphone
5 heath ledger 5 youtube
6 obama 6 fox news
7 nasza klasa 7 palin
8 wer kennt wen 8 beijing 2008
9 euro 2008 9 david cook
10 jonas brothers 10 surf the channel
Top of Mind: It’s the Economy Politics: Campaign Buzzwords
1 financial crisis 1 joe the plumber
2 depression 2 jeremiah wright
3 bailout 3 maverick
4 mortgage crisis 4 william ayers
5 wall street 5 bridge to nowhere
6 oil 6 lipstick pig
7 stock market 7 yes we can
8 subprime 8 that one
9 credit crisis 9 rashid khalidi
10 housing crisis 10 hockey mom
Source: Google, 2008

Top Yahoo Searches, 2008
Top 10 Overall Searches Top 10 Economic Searches
1 Britney Spears 1 IRS Stimulus Checks
2 WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) 2 Oil Prices
3 Barak Obama 3 Gold Prices
4 Miley Cyrus 4 Gas Prices
5 RuneScape 5 Dow Jones
6 Jessica Alba 6 Sallie Mae
7 Naruto 7 Stock Market
8 Lindsay Lohan 8 AIG
9 Angelina Jolie 9 Foreclosures
10 American Idol 10 Debt Consolidation
Top 10 Politician Searches Top 10 Searched Influential Women
1 Barack Obama 1 Angelina Jolie
2 Sarah Palin 2 Sarah Palin
3 John McCain 3 Oprah
4 Hillary Clinton 4 Hillary Clinton
5 George Bush 5 Gina Carano
6 Ron Paul 6 Tina Fey
7 John Edwards 7 Michelle Obama
8 Mike Huckabee 8 Katie Couric
9 Arnold Schwarzenegger 9 Barbara Walters
10 Mitt Romney 10 Dana Torres
Source: Yahoo, 2008

Top AOL Searches, 2008
Top 10 Financial Faux Pas Top 10 General Searches
1 Wachovia 1 Dictionary
2 Washington Mutual 2 Weather
3 Merrill Lynch 3 Games
4 AIG 4 Maps
5 Morgan Stanley 5 Lyrics
6 Lehman Brothers 6 University
7 Freddie Mac 7 Movies
8 Bear Stearns 8 Calendar
9 Fannie Mae 9 Zip Codes
10 Goldman Sachs 10 Horoscopes
Top 10 Mobile Searches Top 10 Brands
1 MySpace 1 Apple
2 AIM 2 Coach
3 iPhone 3 Dell
4 MocoSpace 4 Sony
5 Facebook 5 Nike
6 Craigslist 6 Avon
7 Weather 7 Ed Hardy
8 Free Ringtones 8 Louis Vuitton
9 MapQuest 9 Samsung
10 Match.com 10 HP
Note: Mobile searches are from AOL Mobile Search.
Source: AOL, 2008

Top Lycos Searches, 2008
Top 10 Search Terms Top 10 News Stories
1 Poker 1 Economic Collapse/Bailout
2 Paris Hilton 2 Presidential Election ’08
3 YouTube 3 Death of Heath Ledger
4 Golf 4 Clay Aiken Comes Out/Becomes Dad
5 Sarah Palin 5 Death of Paul Newman
6 Britney Spears 6 Jennifer Hudson Family Murder
7 Clay Aiken 7 Eliot Spitzer Scandal
8 Pamela Anderson 8 Travis Barker Plane Crash
9 Facebook 9 Sichuan Earthquake
10 Holly Madison 10 War in Iraq
Top 10 Fads Top Three Blog Sites
1 Poker 1 Perez Hilton
2 YouTube 2 Drudge Report
3 Facebook 3 Huffington Post
4 DIY Home Improvement
5 Digital TV
6 Weight Watchers
7 Craigslist
8 RuneScape
9 Webkinz
10 The Sims
Source: Lycos, 2008

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