Google’s ‘Year in Search’ Reveals the Strangest Things We Googled in 2024

By Nick Hall - News

Published: 10 Dec 2024|Last Updated: 11 Dec 2024

Readtime: 7 min

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As 2024 draws to a close, it’s time we look back at the year that was. For some, the last 12 months have been fraught with cost of living challenges, rising rental prices and a whatever the Grimace Shake was, but for others, 2024 has been a period of discovery. Thankfully, our good friends at Google have had our backs the whole time. The tech giant recently released its own version of Spotify Wrapped dubbed ‘Year in Search,’ highlighting what kept us glued to our phones and frantically searching all year long. Very demure, Google. Very mindful.

Google’s 2024 Year in Search list is based on top-trending searches in Australia, tracking what had the highest spikes in traffic compared to last year. Unsurprisingly, this year was dominated by two international events that only come every four years. Both the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and the U.S. Presidential Election proved to be major search draw-cards for Google, with Australians eager to watch, understand and stare in disbelief at the events unfolding on the other side of the globe.

Specifically, it was the Trump vs Harris battle for leadership over the United States that topped the search figures this year, with ‘US election’ coming in as the most searched phrase for Australians. Subsequent searches for Donald Trump, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris all performed strongly, demonstrating a surging interest in U.S. political coverage.

While you could argue our fascination with the election campaign was driven by the absurdity of the debate, for many Australians, the results were pivotal to future plans. With the incumbent President already outlining plans for international tariffs and regulations, the change in government may have significant implications for Australian businesses, so it’s little wonder we all tuned in.

2024 Google Year in Search - Top Trending Search in Australia — 2024 Google Year in Search – Top Trending Search in Australia | Image: Supplied

Speaking of tuning in, the Paris 2024 Olympics dictated our sporting watch-lists and it was the term ‘Olympic medal tally’ that represented the second-most searched for phrase of the year. It didn’t stop there, either, with Australian breakdancer Raygun skyrocketing from relative obscurity to international fame courtesy of a bizarre performance on the Olympic stage. She was the third in Australia’s most-searched-for people this year, alongside fellow athletes Sam Kerr, Jess Fox, Saya Sakakibara, Arisa Trew, and Ariarne Titmus.

As for the top trending Australian personality on search this year, that esteemed honour went to Eras Tour star Taylor Swift, who pipped incumbent President Trump to the post. With Swift’s global tour hitting Australia this year, local fans rushed to Google to find tickets, read about tour dates and even learn “How to make Taylor Swift friendship bracelets”.

2024 Google Year in Search - Top Trending Definition Search in Australia — 2024 Google Year in Search – Top Trending Definition Search in Australia

Oh, and apparently, we’re not so keen on Meta’s new AI functionality. Searches for ‘How to turn off Meta AI’ trended this year, indicating that while new technology is exciting, it can also be frightfully annoying. Outside of that, the How To series featured similar themes, with searches for ‘How to watch Olympics Australia’, ‘How to watch Tyson vs Paul‘ and ‘How to watch Euros in Australia’ all trending in 2024.

The good news is that we are trying to get out and meet people, with searches suggesting Aussies are looking to improve their conversation skills, aesthetics and vocabulary. ‘How to talk to women’ trended this year, along with ‘How to mew’; an explainer into the unique and slightly vain technique of flattening out your tongue against the roof of the mouth to reduce your double chin and improve your appearance on camera.

2024 Google Year in Search - Top Trending Recipe Search in Australia — 2024 Google Year in Search – Top Trending Recipe Search in Australia | Image: Supplied

Tragically, 2024 saw the passing of several notable figures, but none resonated quite as deeply as Liam Payne. The former One Direction star’s unexpected passing led this year’s search trends for loss, alongside television presenter and medical practitioner Michael Mosley, Harry Potter legend Maggie Smith and Star Wars actor James Earl Jones. Meanwhile, the entertainment world witnessed its own share of trends. The Jacob Elordi thriller Saltburn dominated movie searches, securing its place as the most searched-for movie of the year. It was followed by the breakout Netflix smash series Baby Reindeer and the Blake Lively PR train-wreck that was It Ends With Us.

If you’re interested in finding more about what else filled our searches this year, here’s a look at Google’s 2024 Year in Search report for Australia: