Top SA Google searches for 2011

Google reveals the top search terms over the last year, including the most popular celebrity and top newsmakers

December 15, 2011

Google today (15 December) announced its annual Zeitgeist, a look at 2011 through the collective eyes of the world on the web.

Google’s unique perspective on the year’s major events and hottest trends based on searches conducted in South Africa.

WhatsApp Messenger – a cross-platform mobile messaging app for iPhone, BlackBerry, Android and Nokia – tops the list of fastest rising searches in South Africa for 2011.

The Rugby World Cup follows at number 2 with the Royal Wedding claiming third position.

The late Amy Winehouse, in fifth place, gets beaten by Facebook, ranked fourth on the list.

Songbird, Adele, takes spot number 6, followed by deceased Libyan dictator Gaddafi, and the iPhone 5, appearing in seventh and eighth position respectively.

SA’s new low-cost airline, Velvet Sky (launched in March this year) appears second last on the list with Apple boss, Steve Jobs, who passed away at the beginning of October claiming the number 10 spot.

Top newsmaker? You guessed it: Julius Malema, the recently suspended President of the ANC Youth League. From marches to landmark speeches, a hospital trip and a hate speech ruling, Julius appeared in many South African and international headlines in 2011.

The top celeb is none other then reality star, Kim Kardashian. She is joined by Beyoncé, Britney, Rihanna, Megan Fox, and Angelina Jolie amongst other Hollywood sweethearts.

The most popular questions South Africans were asking include ‘what is Facebook’ and ‘what is love’ alongside ‘what is life’.

In addition, most searchers are singing along to Lady Gaga’s controversial track, ‘Judas’, according to the top song lyric searches for 2011.

Other popular songs include ‘Super Bass’ by Nicki Minaj and ‘Man Down’ performed by Rihanna. For sports enthusiasts, Super Ruby and Wimbledon generated the most interest, while for TV buffs the winner of Survivor: Tocantins sparked the most searches.

In terms of the top global searches, American pop singer and YouTube star, Rebecca Black, is the top fastest rising search. The video of her single, Friday, went viral in March 2011, acquiring millions of views in just a few days.

Google’s newly launched social network, Google+, takes second place on the list.

Adele, whose album 21 has been nominated for a ‘Best Album’ Grammy, makes another appearance, this time in seventh place, while Steve Jobs ironically outranks the device he introduced this year, the iPad 2.