Here’s What We Searched For On Google This Year

By Pamela Connellan
on 28 December 2022

Google has just released Australia’s Year in Search lists revealing what we’ve been searching for in 2022. As the year draws to a close, we can look back at what sparked our inspiration, making us wonder and type into our search bar….

Looking back, 2022 was a year of change and new beginnings – we had a new government, a new monarch and a new phase of the pandemic. As Aussies grappled with extreme weather and world events, we looked for answers and to make sense of the world. We showed our care for Ukraine, followed the floods and questioned the price of lettuce.

Ash Barty
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – JANUARY 25: Ashleigh Barty of Australia plays a backhand in her Women’s Singles Quarterfinals match against Jessica Pegula of United States during day nine of the 2022 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 25, 2022 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images)

And while we faced some tough times, we found fascination and fun through games, sport, craft and cooking. We cheered on Ash Barty, craved dahl, made pom poms… and searched for Wordle more than anything else.

Google Searches
Here are the Top Five searches Australians made on Google in 2022.

Check out the full trending Search data for Australia in 2022:

Overall searches

  1. Wordle
  2. Australian Open
  3. World Cup
  4. Shane Warne
  5. Ukraine
  6. Novak Djokovic
  7. Ashes
  8. Ash Barty
  9. Olivia Newton John
  10. Betty White

And here’s a snapshot of five themes that defined the past year of Search in Australia:

Search for La Nina

Floods, disasters and crises

As many communities in Australia navigated devastating floods, our searches show we were seeking clarity and looking for an end in sight. Australia was the top country in the world searching for ‘floods,’ ‘La Niña’ and ‘when will the rain stop’ in 2022 – plus search interest for mould reached record levels. We felt the ripple effect of the Tonga volcano eruption and tsunami warnings. We wanted to know ‘why is Russia invading Ukraine?’. As we navigate the rising cost of living, we questioned why petrol, flights and lettuce are so expensive, while closely following the crash of crypto.

Keeping ourselves (and our canines) healthy

As we adjusted to new stages of the pandemic, our health consciousness came through in Search. While Monkeypox and Japanese encephalitis were new causes of concern, COVID-19 related topics remained top of mind in our searches. We were full of questions, asking ‘can you get COVID twice?,’ ‘how long does COVID last?’ and we were curious to know ‘can dogs get COVID?’.

Our menus are a mixed bag

Our culinary cravings went global as we looked up recipes for dahl, drunken chicken and fish tacos. We whipped up Ezy-Sauce, while the quintessentially Aussie jaffle remained a fan favourite. We continued trying to master the classics like mashed potato and egg salad, with the more adventurous among us wondering how to cook tripe and bunya nuts.

Searches on Google
These are the Top Five searches for recipes on Google in Australia in 2022.

We’re a crafty bunch

Aussies were passionate about paper art in 2022, looking to make everything from paper poppers and paper cranes, to paper flowers and paper mache. We got playful with pom poms, sentimental with friendship bracelets and showed our green thumbs by searching how to make terrariums at home.

Keeping score

From following the Australian Open, watching the World Cup to celebrating Dylan Alcott as Australian of the Year, we remain a nation of true blue sports fans. Tennis caused quite a racket as Djokovic, Nadal and Medvedev topped the global figures list, while Ash Barty broke records and became the top trending Australian individual in 2022. And our support for women in sport didn’t stop there, as AFL Women’s joined the top 10 trending sports for the first time. 

Here are the top news events we searched for:

  1. Ukraine
  2. Election results
  3. Omicron symptoms
  4. Monkeypox
  5. Tonga
  6. Tsunami warning
  7. Novavax Australia
  8. Cassius Turvey
  9. Covid update Perth
  10. Japanese encephalitis

And here are the search trends related to rain and floods:

  • Rain, flood, La Niña and mould have been searched at record levels in Australia in 2022.
  • Australia was the top country in the world searching for floods and La Niña in 2022.
  • The question ‘When will the rain stop?’ has been searched more than ever in Australia in 2022 and Australia was the top country in the world searching for the question this year.
  • Search interest in floods in Australia has increased +200% compared to last year and search interest in La Niña has increased +80%.

And here are the Top 10 travel-related questions in Australia this year: 

  1. Can unvaccinated people travel?
  2. Can Australian travel to Bali?
  3. Where can Australians travel?
  4. Why are flights so expensive?
  5. How early to arrive for domestic flights?
  6. Can Australians travel to Japan?
  7. Is it safe to travel to Europe?
  8. Why are flights being cancelled?
  9. Where to get PCR test for travel?
  10. Where can unvaccinated people travel?

For more from Women Love Tech on Google, visit here.

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