It is essential that advertisers know who their audience is, where their audience is and what their audience’s interests are.

Thankfully, Google Search Trends is here to help. When examining this year’s top trends in search, we can begin to understand our target audience’s needs and wants a little better.

We’ve broken down the three groups of people represented in these trends, but please note that there is also a lot of overlap between them.

What do Google’s 2022 Search Trends tell us about consumers?

Let’s find out!

The hustlers

With a dramatic increase in energy prices this year and a steep rise in the cost of living, many of us are experiencing anxiety around money.

This is revealed in search trends, with an increase of over 500% for searches containing the term "energy bills" in the UK.

With this in mind, all brands should be looking to show their target audience that they are trustworthy and can deliver worthwhile service/products. Many brands will also see success during this time by implementing discounts and sales, enabling them to attract more customers.

For brands in the financial space, especially those involved in finance management, this means creating content that delivers value to your target audience by addressing some of their concerns.

The jetsetters

As more of us become more comfortable with traveling, it is no surprise that many of us are actively searching for potential holidays. In fact, not only are consumers searching for a vacation, they’re searching for bigger vacations, sooner. Window-shopping for holidays is at an all-time high.

Trends in travel-related search even fluctuate depending on which day of the week it is, as search terms including “flight” increase each week on Sundays by around 10% compared with other days of the week.

Brands in the transport / hospitality industry can use these trends to entice new customers with content and ads that demonstrate how their target audience can get a real taste of the escapism they seek by choosing them.

Another important tip for brands in the travel industry to consider is being as reactive as possible. As consumer search trends in this area change so much depending on the day, time and worldwide events, it is essential that brands looking to remain at the forefront of consumer’s minds are aware of their target audience’s changing interests at all times.

The party animals

The pandemic has made many of us much more appreciative of those close to us.

Even though many of us have adjusted to the new normal, many still live with the effects of the pandemic, and many more are looking to make up for lost time by making every moment with their loved one’s count.

It is no surprise then that recent search trends reflect this, with the UK seeing a search interest increase for “bottomless brunch” and “dresses for wedding guests” of 955% and 390% respectively.

In fact, Google has seen a global shift as consumers actively seek out opportunities to socialize out of the home with their friends and family, with a 240% increase in searches for “dove mangiare” (or “where to eat”) in Italy.

For advertisers, this means considering how you can show your audience that your brand holds the key to them achieving the ultimate post-pandemic OOH experience.

If you’re looking to reach new audiences with digital or OOH ads, get in touch with one of our OOH and digital advertising experts at One Day Agency.

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