The top trending Google search term in 2020 in the United States was "stimulus check," according to recent research from SEMrush.
The report was based on data obtained using SEMrush's Keyword Overview tool. The researchers looked at the most popular terms this year in terms of search volume, as well as which terms saw the greatest increases in year-over-year search volume. Not safe for work (NSFW) terms were excluded.
"Stimulus check" underwent the biggest percentage increase in search volume (+2.3M%) in 2020. It was followed by video game title "Valorant" and the politics-related term "delegate count."
New search terms
Among new search terms (those typed into the Google search bar for the first time in 2020), the top trending keywords in the United States were the census-related "my2020census.gov" and "what is the 2020 census."
Top searches of 2020
The top Google searches overall in 2020 in the United States reflect how people often use the platform as a tool to navigate to their favorite websites. These terms include "Facebook," "YouTube," and "Amazon."
Popular categories and terms
The analysis found that within key categories the most searched for terms in 2020 in the United States were:
- News sources: Fox News, CNN, ESPN;
- Retailers: Amazon, Walmart, Ebay;
- Platforms: Amazon Prime, Netflix, Hulu;
- Food chains: Domino’s, Pizza Hut, McDonald’s.
Among the top 100 most searched for terms, 13% related to translation, 11% to social networks, 10% to entertainment, 10% to shopping, and 10% to weather.
About the research: The report was based on data obtained using SEMrush's Keyword Overview tool. The researchers looked at the most popular terms this year in terms of search volume, as well as which terms saw the greatest increases in year-over-year search volume. Not safe for work (NSFW) terms were excluded.
