Google's annual 'Year in Search' report is now out. The listing, according to the company, provides insight on the hottest events in news, entertainment, sports and other
topics that users searched for on Google.
It reflects the spirit of the year and the events that were significant. Here are the top five 'how-tos' and other top search topics that people in India looked for the most
in 2021.
How to apply for COVID Vaccine
It's no surprise that the search question 'how to apply for Covid vaccine' is at the top of the list for the year 2021. The period of February 26 to March 5 and April 25
to May 1 saw an increase in searches.
How to download vaccination certificate
During the year, the second most common Google search query was also vaccine-related. And no wonder why. Hello rapidly mutating Covid!
The question received the most searches throughout the months of May, June, and July.
How to Increase Oxygen Levels
The search question - How to Increase Oxygen Level – is third on the list. Google received most of these searches during the last week of April and early May. It was the peak period
of the second coronavirus wave in India, when hospitals were overcrowded and facilities lacked oxygen supplies.
How to link PAN to AADHAAR
The linking of Aadhaar and PAN is now compulsory for Income Tax filing. So, like in previous years, the search query - How to link PAN with AADHAAR – dominated Google searches
in the last week of March (end of the 2021 financial year).
How to make Oxygen at Home
One of the most absurd but yet common searches, how to make oxygen at home, made its way to the top five "how to" searches. Thanks to the second wave of pandemic in which several
people died due to a shortage of oxygen.
Top searches
Cricket, once again, dominated the search trend in 2021, with the Indian Premier League, CoWIN, and the ICC T20 World Cup atop the overall list of Google searches.
The Euro Cup and the Tokyo Olympics ranked fourth and fifth on the list, respectively. Other significant searches in the top ten list included the Covid vaccination, Free Fire redemption
code, Neeraj Chopra, Aryan Khan, and Copa America.
Top trends in Sports, Bollywood celebrities section
Another hot search topic was the performance of Indian athletes at the Olympics in Tokyo. Search queries included Neeraj Chopra, who won India's first Olympic medal in athletics.
Aryan Khan, Tesla CEO Elon Musk, and page three superstars such as Vicky Kaushal, Shehnaaz Gill, and Raj Kundra also got featured in the list.
Cinema
The year 2021 also saw a surge in interest in regional films. Jai Bhim, a Tamil hit, topped the Movies chart, followed by Bollywood films Shershaah, Radhe, and Bell Bottom. Hollywood
films such as Godzilla vs. Kong and Eternals rounded out the list of the year's top popular movies.
‘Near me’ searches
This year's 'near me' searches focused primarily on pandemic-related services.
People had searched for vaccines centres, Covid tests, Covid hospitals, oxygen cylinders and CT scans as the country moved into the second wave of covid pandemic.
People also searched for food deliveries, tiffin services, and takeout restaurants during strict lockdown rules.