At SiteSeer, we spend a lot of time thinking about data: how it’s collected, how it changes, and what it can reveal when you step back and look at the bigger picture. As we say goodbye to 2025, we thought it’d be fun to step outside our usual datasets and take a look at some public data!
Each December, Google releases its Year in Search report, highlighting the queries that saw the biggest year-over-year spikes in interest. It’s not a ranking of the most searched terms overall, but rather a snapshot of what surged suddenly compared to the year before. These spikes often reflect moments when curiosity peaks, driven by news cycles, cultural moments, product launches, and the occasional unexpected trend.
What kinds of topics captured attention in 2025? And what do those bursts of curiosity say about how people discover trends, products, and experiences? Here’s a closer look at some of the search patterns that stood out this year.
What Year in Search 2025 Captures
First, what is Google’s Year in Search? It’s built around change over time. Searches make the list because interest rose sharply compared to 2024, not because they were searched constantly all year long. The result is a mix of trends, breakout moments, and timely events that dominated attention (even if briefly).
One theme that surfaced clearly in 2025 was how people asked questions. Google reported strong growth in conversational searches, with phrases like “Tell me about…” rising by roughly 70 percent and “How do I…” searches reaching an all-time high. Instead of short keywords, users increasingly typed full questions that reflected curiosity and exploration.
Searches That Stood Out in 2025
Looking at the U.S. trending search list, a few familiar categories consistently drove spikes in interest:
- Entertainment and streaming continued to shape search behavior. The Netflix series KPop Demon Hunters emerged as one of the most searched titles of the year, reinforcing how quickly a show can capture attention and dominate conversation.
- Viral consumer products also made their way onto the list. Labubu, a collectible plush toy, saw a surge in searches as it spread across social media and pop culture circles.
- Technology searches followed anticipation cycles. Interest in the iPhone 17 climbed as people searched for release details, features, and comparisons.
- Sports and global events are still drivers of attention (no surprise there). The FIFA Club World Cup generated notable search interest tied to match schedules, teams, and host locations.
- Political and legislative topics rounded out the list, with specific figures and bills spiking during major news moments.
These trends show how attention in 2025 bounced between entertainment, products, technology, and real-time events throughout the year.
Curiosity, Questions, and Context
One of the more interesting shifts in the data was the rise of searches focused on explanation rather than discovery alone. People weren’t just searching for what something was. They were asking how it worked, why it mattered to them, or what to expect next.
We all see it: search is evolving. In 2025, AI-powered features (like ChatGPT) continued to change how people ask questions and look for information, making search feel more like an ongoing conversation than a one-off query.
Instead of scrolling through links, people are looking for clear answers and helpful context, which is why longer, more natural-language searches have become more common.
That pattern showed up across categories:
- Product-related searches often spiked after a viral moment or new launch.
- Entertainment searches went beyond just titles, with people asking about plots, release dates, and behind-the-scenes details.
- Event-driven searches focused on timing, location, and what it all meant, rather than just headlines.
This kind of curiosity mirrors how people often move from awareness to consideration, gathering context before deciding what to engage with next.
Where Search Trends Overlap with Physical Places
Year in Search focuses on digital behavior, but many of the trends intersect naturally with real-world activity:
- Product and tech searches often coincide with in-store interest, comparison shopping, and regional demand differences.
- Entertainment-driven trends can influence where people spend time, whether through retail tie-ins, pop-ups, or themed experiences.
- Major events, especially sports and large cultural moments, can shape short-term travel patterns and local foot traffic.
Search data doesn’t replace traditional market analysis, but it does offer a useful signal of when attention starts to form. Sometimes that’s before it shows up in spending or visitation data.
Turning Trends Into Action
If you’re looking to make smarter site selection decisions or better understand how foot traffic, consumer behavior, and local trends intersect with your business strategy, contact SiteSeer. We’d love to share more about how our powerful platform can help guide your next moves.
