According to a “Year in Search 2021” article by Google, 2021 search numbers increased dramatically in certain areas due to the pandemic. The pandemic was a huge Debbie Downer but that being said let’s look on the positive side of things…not a positive Covid test of course. A few topics include health, job resignations, and community work.
Google stated that there was over a 40% increase in search for vitamins, skincare, and fitness apps. Consumers are trying to take care of themselves more than ever, incorporating wellness into products would be an ideal move for brands moving forward. Time to step it up and get flexible inside and outside the office! An active lifestyle increase makes sense with everyone being cooped up at home for long periods of time. That being said, employers would possibly benefit from spicing things up with an office gym or even a longer lunchtime for employees to hit the gym or take a walk.
Leading to the next topic of job resignations, which increased in search by 60% and job interviews by 80%. This goes to show that people were unhappy with current career choices possibly due to the fact that a majority of employees became comfortable with the flexibility of working from home. How can you prevent this you ask? Employers should definitely look into keeping an open mind, giving options for both working from home and in the office. Personalization and privacy are also important for the office, seeing as people are used to being alone in their own homes. Maybe even allowing the doggos to visit work from time to time (who doesn’t love dogs?!) can help create a comfortable and relaxed environment for employees.
Also, rolling into the next topic of search is community. Getting people to come back into the office is a great way to enforce the idea of coming together as a group. The pandemic, unfortunately, showed everyone what it was like to be apart physically so creative actions were being taken to feel a sense of togetherness in other ways. Google stated that volunteering and donations went up in search by 100%. Incorporating small opportunities like volunteering once a month with the office, or creating a donation or fundraising event for local charities is a great way to show that your business is active in the community.
2021 showed a positive search increase in a lot of areas, as people were ready to get back out and about with new goals in mind. Following these search trends can help your business stay on top of what is to come in 2022 and thrive!