Every year Google publishes some of the most popular searches of the year and 2022 was no exception. Called “Year in Search”, the 2022 dashboard shows not only the most searched searches in general, but also breaks down those searches into types such as news, people, actors, athletes, sports matches, movies, deaths, recipes, songs and TV shows. It is possible to filter them so that one can see the results globally or for a specific country, such as the United States or the United Kingdom.
The word ‘Wordle’ was the most trending search worldwide, according to Google. The game became an Internet sensation shortly after its launch. It is a quiz where users must guess the word of the day without any optional clues and with the sole purpose of determining a certain number of letters in just five tries.
Another of the most popular searches was ‘Queen Elizabeth‘, who passed away on September 8th at the age of 96. Following an announcement about her delicate health condition, Queen Elizabeth II passed away peacefully at Balmoral Castle, according to the Royal Family on social media.
As for celebrities, Johnny Depp topped the list of searches after the end of his controversial and highly covered lawsuit against his ex-wife Amber Heard. Likewise with Will Smith, who provoked millions of clicks after the controversial slap he gave Chris Rock during the 94th Academy Awards live stream, who made fun of his wife Jada Pinkett Smith’s baldness.
Tennis icon Serena Williams appeared as the number two most-searched athlete in the US, after the announcement of her retirement. According to the BBC, the media has been extensively covering Williams’ final moments during her last US Open. Other searches included ‘Ukraine’; ‘Election Results’, after the mid-term elections in the United States; ‘Monkeypox’, due the spread of the virus in many parts of the world.
Most googled words in 2022 worldwide
- Wordle
- India vs. England
- Ukraine
- Queen Elizabeth
- India vs SA
- World Cup
- India vs West Indies
- iPhone 14
- Jeffrey Dahmer
- Indian Premier
In 2021, the top Google searches in the US showed an increased interest in alternative assets like cryptocurrencies and NFTs, as well as economic insecurity, as proved by questions on stimulus checks. The NBA, which also ranked on the global list, topped the US trending search list. Finally, the popular Korean TV series Squid Game that dominated the US streaming rankings was also on the list.
