Through the Google lens: Search trends May 22-28
From corruption charges rocking the football world to a 50-foot dinosaur, here’s a look at what everyone was searching this week:
Deadly storms in Texas
Widespread flooding caused by heavy rains in Texas and Oklahoma has left many dead, missing or unaccounted for, along with seriously damaged property and abandoned vehicles. With more severe weather predicted this weekend, cities across Texas topped the places searching for “storms,” with “How long does it take for streets to clear a flood?” and “where is it flooded in Houston” among the top storm-related questions.
Soccer scandal
Football’s governing body was in the search spotlight this week after the arrest of several FIFA officials in a dawn raid at a hotel in Zurich, Switzerland. There were more than half a million “FIFA” searches on Tuesday alone, with a top related question being the basic “What is FIFA?” (perhaps for those that call it “soccer”). Just as fans of “The Beautiful Game” span the globe, so do searches related to this week’s alleged ugliness. Costa Rica and Uruguay—home to two of the indicted officials—are among the top 10 countries searching for #FIFAarrests.
Hold on to your butts ... again
It’s a Jurassic World. We just live in it. Twenty-two years after the original “Jurassic Park” movie, the release of “Jurassic World” is set to wow audiences worldwide, and ticket pre-sales and general dino-excitement have caused a 100,000+ search spike, while the trailer has topped 60 million YouTube views. Search-wise, the U.S. and Australia are most excited about the blockbuster, which will pit star Chris Pratt against a 50-foot-tall dinosaur named Indominus Rex. We’ll have to wait until June for the showdown, but based on current search interest, our money's on Pratt.
Tip of the week
This weekend is Manhattanhenge, the moment when the setting sun aligns precisely with Manhattan’s street grid. Whether you’re in New York or not, you can find out when the sun will dip below the horizon with a simple “Ok Google, when does the sun set?” You’ll get an answer tailored for your location.
Abbi Tatton searched, a little indignantly, this week for "why do babies say 'dada' first?"
