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Follow UsGoogle is now the virtual gatekeeper of the web. What people are searching on the web through Google, hence is a good indicator of what is in vogue, what is on top of the mind, and what is zeitgeist. Google has started releasing the list globally and region-wise for the last few years. This year too, it has recently come out with the list for 2011.
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Not only does it provide who and what occupy our collective mindspace, it also brings out a time-tested trait of the Indians. That is how diverse their choices could be. So, if Anna Hazare, the anti-corruption crusader, was the fastest rising search phrase among personalities, he was followed at the second spot by someone who could not be more poles apart. Poonam Pandey, a small-time model who hit the headline by announcing that she would run naked if the Indian cricket team won the World Cup, followed Anna in the rising popularity list. The third in the list was someone yet again very different from the two: the legendary Steve Jobs, whom we lost in October.
But do not get surprised by the lack of Bollywood personalities. This is only the fastest rising people in terms of Google search. In terms of overall popularity, Katrina Kaif continued to top, while Anna followed her, with Salman Khan and Poonam Pandey following them.
Mapping the Indian Internet User Psyche
The behavior of 125 mn Indian internet users is no less than a replica of the world where people love, laugh, shout, scream, opine, and moan. Their inadvertent and sometimes thoughtful reactions for various events and happenings in 2011 show their dependence on the internet.
In the Google searches, Katrina Kaif continued to reign as the queen of Bollywood and is the most searched celebrity on the net for the 4th year in a row, followed by the heartthrob Salman Khan at #3. New entrant in the list is Anushka Sharma, slated to be Bollywoods new glam sensation. Not to lag behind, in top searched movies for 2011, the Khans seem to have topped the list where Salman Khan stole the #1 position for Bodyguard from Shahrukh Khan for his Ra.One, that came on #2.
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Likewise, in the top searched events/news list, IPL was the #1 choice while World Cup 2011 was #2. According to the fastest rising people list, anti-corruption activist Anna Hazare became the fastest rising person in that list, followed by Poonam Pandey, who became the center of public cynosure with her running naked statement. Also, the interests of the Indian internet users took a cosmopolitan makeover as they are also influenced by international events and personalities. In 2011, from local politics in India and looking for information on Lokpal bill and Aadhar cards, to looking for news on the Japan earthquake and Osama Bin Ladens death, people turned to Google to learn more about what was happening in India and around the world.
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Google Zeitgeist 2011, truly makes India come alive, giving us insights into Indias development as a nation. 2011 saw Indian Internet becoming mainstreamover 70% of search happened in non-metros, a lot of internet usage moved to mobiles and we hit the 125 mn users mark. And for the first time, the online world mirrored the sentiments of the aam aadmi, with Indians logging on to the net to share opinions, voice concerns, apart from searching for entertainment, edutainment, and jobs, says Lalitesh Katragadda, country head, India products, Google (as quoted in the Google press release).
Trends of the Time on the Roll
Fashion and trends, that became vague in 2011, did also have heavy rounds over the internet as the Google search data showcases some fascinating cultural fads and trends that took over India in 2011. In a country where cricket is a religion, it came as no surprise to see the Indian net buzzing with excitement with the historic World Cup win, IPL, and Sachin Tendulkars batting prowess. Along with, Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS) was one of the fastest rising searches, showing high interest in online applications for government employment. The Indian railways continued to be a popular search term, with Indians getting online to book tickets and searching for train timings and other railways-related information./dq/media/post_attachments/ec30f3ed8facdfeeaf95f978ae8c980263adf945ae71718ac0971715f5e2065c.jpg "publive-image")
Like the rest of the world, India searched for international heroes, with searches for technology pioneer Steve Jobs rising following his resignation in August and spiking dramatically following his death in October. Justin Bieber also features in the top searched people lists for his music, love life, and hairstyles.
Consumer technology remained hot and the social web continued to give a strong showing as Indians logged on to stay connected with family and friends and wanted more from their mobile phones by searching for Way2SMS.
Top Searched People
- Katrina Kaif
- Anna Hazare
- Salman Khan
- Poonam Pandey
- Justin Bieber
- Aishwarya Rai
- Sachin Tendulkar
- Kareena Kapoor
- Steve Jobs
- Priyanka Chopra
Fastest Rising Searches
- IBPS
- Google+
- World Cup 2011
- Bodyguard
- Ra.One
- Anna Hazare
- IPL 2011
- Poonam Pandey
Fastest Rising People
- Anna Hazare
- Poonam Pandey
- Steve Jobs
- Anushka Sharma
- Salman Khan
- Justin Bieber
- Kajal Agarwal
- Katrina Kaif
- Vijay Mallya
- Aishwarya Rai
Top Searches
- YouTube
- Gmail
- Yahoomail
- Yahoo!
- IRCTC
- Rediffmail
- Indian Railways
- Way2SMS
Top Searched Movies
- Bodyguard
- Ra.One
- Harry Potter
- Delhi Belly
- Singham
- Ready
- Mankatha
- Transformers 3
- Dookudu
- Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara