For India, It’s Entertainment First In 2013, Says Google

Only a few days ago, we brought you this year’s most popular buzzwords on Facebook. But you must have been wondering till now what the most popular search terms are on Google this year and finally, here is the list. Just like Facebook, Google has a global search list, as well as country-specific ones and we have decided to delve deep into the Indian psyche.

Google announces the Internet Zeitgeist (German for ‘the spirit of the times’) after scanning more than a trillion search queries it receives every year. Zeitgeist offers a unique perspective on the year’s major events and hottest trends, based on Google searches conducted in India and across the globe.

Going by the top charts published by Google Zeitgeist 2013, Bollywood, celebs and cricket top the search lists here in India – whether you like it or no. And speaking about Bollywood, Shah Rukh Khan still rules all hearts and search queries. Chennai Express, a romantic action-comedy starring King Khan and the sultry Deepika Padukone, tops the Zeitgeist ‘top trending’ list (search topics with the biggest increase in search volume since the previous period) this year. But then, the movie went on to become the highest grossing Bollywood film worldwide, surpassing 3 Idiots, and we are not really surprised. Other movies among the top trending are blockbusters such as Aashiqui 2, Krrish 3 and Ram-Leela. Unfortunately, there’s no place for Dhoom 3 (or Aamir, for that matter) among them.

But what about the most-searched-for Bollywood actor and actress? Hold your breath – you have Salman and Katrina there. SRK is second in that list and so is Deepika. But once again, the ‘people’ list may leave you gasping. Here, adult movie star Sunny Leone has pushed Sallu to the second spot. That’s some fire power – we must agree.

Yet what has surprised most is the resurgence of the Indian Premier League in the ‘top trending’ list. Despite the hue and cry over alleged corruption practices, the IPL has broken records in terms of online searches for latest scores and results.

And that brings us back to the Little Master, often compared with the legendary Don Bradman. Sachin has recently bid adieu to Test cricket (he stopped playing ODIs and T20 earlier) and tops the most searched list for sportspersons, followed by Milkha Singh (because of the movie Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, it seems) and MS Dhoni. Badminton ace Saina Nehwal and cricket great Rahul Dravid’s retirement are also among the most searched news events and that gladdens our heart.

If you are still wondering where Madiba (Nelson Mandela) is in these lists, we have to disappoint you. He topped Google’s global list but didn’t find an audience in India, it seems. Instead, recently deceased American actor Paul William Walker IV has found the eighth position in ‘top trending’ – one place down from the popular TV reality show Bigg Boss 7.

But it has not been fun and frolic all the way. ‘Change’ and ‘tragedy’ have impacted our searches and the top news moments have captured our attention. Do you want proof? The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), the organisation behind the Aadhar concept, GATE 2014 (it shows higher education is still top priority in the country) and the tragic death of actor Zia Khan are among the top trending topics.

The announcement of Narendra Modi as BJP’s Prime Ministerial candidate and the proposed sale of BlackBerry, once the market leader in mobile devices, are among the top-searched news in India this year, in addition to Karnataka poll results, Vijay Mallya & Kingfisher debacle, Arushi Talwar case and the state of Indian economy.

Interestingly, e-commerce has emerged as a significant search topic in the year 2013, with Flipkart and Olx.com topping the chart for most searched shopping sites. Gaming has also emerged as a popular category for the first time, as a critical mass of people searched for games online. Local entertainment, too, has been popularly searched on mobile this year. The top three searches on mobile are restaurants, bars and movies, followed by coffee, cricket score and fast food. As for smartphones, Samsung Galaxy S4 is leading the gang, followed by Nokia Lumia 520 and Micromax Canvas 2.

So what has changed in search? A lot, going by the 2013 trends. The results this year present a huge difference compared to last year’s Zeitgeist, which mostly reflected utilitarian searches based on personal requirements like booking tickets, shopping and other information purposes.

“From a search trends perspective, 2013 was clearly the year of entertainment. Shah Rukh’s Lungi Dance from Chennai Express, the Bollywood romantic drama Aashiqui 2, national heart-throbs Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif, Telugu actor Kajal and her counterpart, the young rebel star Prabhas and singer Honey Singh ruled the year, and drove millions of Indians to the web. Online shopping, banking and e-commerce also continued their upward trend – a clear testimony to Indians embracing online transactions,” said Rajan Anandan, vice-president and managing director (sales and operations), Google India.

Top trending topics in India
1. Chennai Express
2. IPL 2013
3. Aashiqui 2
4. UIDAI
5. GATE 2014
6. Krrish 3
7. Bigg Boss 7
8. Paul Walker
9. Jiah Khan
10. Ram Leela

With input from Agencies