Google Trends Search Popularity And Buyer Trends For H1 2022

Being a successful SEO means being aware of what’s happening right now in the world and understanding how that impacts search. Retail companies also need to be tapped into these trends and rising popular search terms and develop a strategy according to these in order to maximise their business.

Our Senior SEO Manager Kara Thurkettle is no stranger to this, being required to constantly have her finger on the pulse of what’s popular or trending. She’s pulled together a list of buyer trends for 2022 based on Google Trends and keyword search popularity.

Rise in Interest for Sustainable Clothing Products

These days consumers are more conscious about their buying habits and are willing to pay a premium for a sustainable brand and sustainable products.

IBM’s February 2022 survey of 16,000 global consumers found that more than half (51%) of respondents say environmental sustainability is more important to them today than it was 12 months ago, so it’s clear there’s an ongoing shift in environmental sentiment for the average buyer.

This is reflected in a rise in search popularity for products such as “sustainable cotton clothes” (worldwide) – which was 86.47% more popular in H1 2022 than H1 2021 according to Google Trends.

Rise in Demand for Mental Health-Related Toys

Demand for mental health services continues to increase across the globe. Not only did the pandemic serve as a catalyst for bringing mental health awareness to the forefront, but it has also put pressure on health services around the globe, with new cases of mental health conditions on the rise as a result of the stress caused by the pandemic.

WHO even reported in an article in March 2022 that the global prevalence of depression and anxiety increased by 25% during the first year of the pandemic – and this has only continued to progress.

Since the availability of wellbeing services hasn’t kept up with the demand for help, users are heading to search engines like Google for things such as “mental health toys” (worldwide) – which was 66.02% more popular in H1 2022 than H1 2021 according to Google Trends.

Amplification for Movie, TV & Pop Culture Related Gift Items

Brands who utilise the movie, TV and pop culture events calendar throughout the year to inform product development and marketing strategy will and are outperforming brands who do not.

One of the more prominent case studies on this was by data analytics specialists at The NPD Group, who reported a correlation between Netflix’s “Barbie Dreamhouse Adventures” and sales of the Barbie Dreamhouse.

We are anticipating a similar trend with Stranger Things-inspired gift items with “Stranger Things gifts” (worldwide) being 64.73% more popular in H1 2022 than H1 2021 according to Google Trends – with the recent launch of the new season.

Enhanced Popularity of Energy-Efficient Products

Natural gas and coal contribute largely to the production of electricity globally. Supply chain issues caused by the war in Ukraine have caused natural gas and coal prices to surge – which have been further exacerbated by low renewable and nuclear power production in various countries around the globe.

This has meant that not only are routine grid maintenance and upgrades more expensive but electricity providers, who are normally able to secure electricity months in advance at fixed rates for customers, are unable to do this to the same extent as before, as written about by both the New York Times and Bloomberg.

The result: inflated electricity prices. So what is the solution for consumers? Use and purchase more energy-efficient products. This is reflected in a rise in search popularity for “energy efficient washing machine” (worldwide) being 53.38% more popular in H1 2022 than H1 2021 according to Google Trends – a trend we predict will become more impactful in the next few months.

Being knowledgeable about current events, emerging trends and shifting public sentiment is a secret superpower when working in SEO. Use it to develop your strategy, work closely with your clients and quickly adapt, and you’ll see the results.

Are you looking to kickstart your local SEO strategy? Get in touch with our team.