Google Canada’s #YearInSearch: 2017

In 2017, Canadians searched “How” questions more than ever. In March, we asked How to make slime...and in April we asked “How to take slime out of the carpet?” We came together to witness a celestial natural wonder and asked How do you make solar eclipse glasses? ...And the following day (some of us) asked: Why do my eyes hurt?

Today, we’re launching Google Canada’s 17th annual Year in Search, taking a look back at the newsmakers, defining moments and, yes, those burning questions that captured our attention as global citizens, neighbours and fans.

From What does Despacito mean? (adverb: To move slowly) to figuring out whether the Instant Pot, invented in Ottawa, is everything it’s crocked up to be, our relationship with the Search bar is more intimate and more immediate than ever before - in fact, searches for “near me” reached an all time high in 2017. The Year in Search is Google’s annual analysis of trillions of searches performed globally throughout the year. The results include everything from top trending people, sports, music, politics, news and more.

Canadians came together in 2017 searching to learn, to grow and to understand. We asked tough questions like How do wildfires start?; What Kind of cancer did Gord Downie have?; and Why are flags at half mast? And we searched for protests and movements like Why are women marching? and #metoo. Canadians remembered past icons and searched for futures ones like Meghan Markle and Denis Shapavalov.

It was a year of quirks (how long is a giraffe pregnant), firsts (Canada’s first visible minority elected as a federal party leader) and Wonder. So, before we turn the collective page on 2017, take a moment to look back at the year that was through the lens of Google’s Year in Search.

See you in 2018… and, until then, Search on!