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A Year in Uganda Search: Google’s Top Searches of 2010

Facebook and Bukedde search queries top 2010 lists in Uganda Facebook, one of Uganda’s most popular online social networks, has emerged as the leading search entry of the year 2010, with Ugandans continuing to seek the most convenient means to keep in touch with friends and family. Facebook also tops the list of fastest rising web searches for 2010, according to Google Zeitgeist, a tool that provides insight into Internet trends.YouTube comes in at a close second – an unsurprising entry, considering how many Ugandan videos are online these days.

byPC Tech

December 13, 2010

Based on the aggregation of billions of search queries people typed into Google this year, Zeitgeist captures the spirit of 2010.

Google Zeitgeist reveals that there were very few YouTube searches by Ugandans between 2004 and 2008,as compared to the last two years. In 2009 the trends showed a major about- turn, with searches rising fast and reaching record highs in 2010.

At present, there’s plenty of Ugandan content on the popular website, with videos ranging from tragic situations like the 09 July bombings in Kampala, to anecdotal TV clips like the one of the drunk witness of a beer truck accident, whose incoherent testimony lent hilarity to an otherwise serious situation.

Facebook also features on the list of popular search terms this year. Email services, yahoo mail and Gmail, also make an appearance, re-emphasizing our need to keep an ear to the ground and maintain regular communication. Jobs claim ninth position on the list, an entry that hints at the fact that more and more Ugandans are getting into the habit of job hunting online, for both international and local jobs

A surprising yet pleasant revelation was that the Bukedde newspaper, a popular Uganda daily is the fastest rising news search. The entry suggests that the web is becoming a more comfortable place for local language speakers, as what they need can easily be found online. This shows that the efforts to adapt the web to suit the Ugandan audience’s needs are proving successful.

The list also reveals that the New Vision newspaper is among the fastest rising news searches for this year, followed by the Red pepper and the Daily Monitor. The three dailies, in an effort to reach their readers better, launched online versions which make it easier for everyone, even those in the diaspora, to access home news on a daily basis.

In addition to telling us what people are curious about in Uganda, Google Zeitgeist tools also offer insight into which topics were of interest across the globe. Top search terms from over fifty countries appear on our Google Zeitgeist webpage, http://www.google.com/intl/en/press/zeitgeist2010/ , from political candidate searches in the United States, to electronic brand searches in Europe.

This year’s global fastest rising searches show interest across social networks like Chatroulette, a network that pairs random strangers from wherever for random conversations, followed by searches into technology and popular artists.

Global fastest rising queries, 2010

1. Chatroulette

2. Ipad

3. Justin Bieber

4. Nicki Minaj

5. Friv

6. Myxer

7. Kate Perry

8. Twitter

9. gamezer

10. facebook

To see more information about Google Zeitgeist across the globe, take a look at http://www.google.com/intl/en/press/zeitgeist2010/