'Olympics' the most searched for keyword term of 2012 according to Yahoo
Olympics 2012 made the summer one to remember, and topped the leader board in the most searched for term of the year, according to the Yahoo! UK Year Review.
The results show the top ten most searched for social trends, news stories and people that caught the imagination of the UK, over the course of the year.
Olympics 2012 was the most popular yahoo desktop and mobile search. New models, such as the Kindle Fire, and the phenomenon of the E L James Fifty Shades of Grey chick-lit book, gave Kindle a place in the top ten of everything list.
The new IPads and the IPhone 5 thrilled gadget lovers and ensured Apple stayed in the favourites, whilst the endless press coverage of Kate Middleton also placed her on the list.
Football clubs Liverpool, Manchester United and Arsenal, and Formula 1 and Eastenders made up the rest of the top ten of everything list.
Andy Murray's victory in the US Open no doubt contributed to him being number two in the most searched for sports people, second to Olympic gold medallist Jessica Ennis.
This year saw Kate Middleton and X Factor's Tulisa Contostavlos appearing at number one and two as the most searched for celebrity, pushing Cheryl Cole into the number three. Prince Harry's actions in Las Vegas threw him into the public eye, even more than usual, giving him a spot in the top ten celebrities too.
Nick Petche, senior news editor for Yahoo, said: “2012 was clearly the year of sport, with Brits swept up by the excitement of the London Olympics online.
“Gadget geeks searching for the latest iPhone and iPad saw technology searches hit the news headlines as well as our most searched list overall. However the newcomer to the search charts was Kindle - no doubt fuelled by its latest incarnation which introduces a full colour HD screen and video. It was also helped by the fascination around ebooks, particularly the bestseller Fifty Shades of Grey.
"It’s also no surprise to see Kate Middleton making the top 10 – while those photos did increase her search ratings, her popularity has grown exponentially this year and I think we’ll only see this continue looking ahead to 2013,” he continued.
The review also found that the most common questions were ‘how to make money’, ‘who unfollowed me’, and ‘how to lose weight’. The April Jones case and the Paralympics made the top ten news stories list, alongside the Olympics and the new gadgets.