Google’s 2025 Top Trending Searches Revealed

Google’s recently unveiled 2025 Year in Search list offers a fascinating snapshot of our collective curiosity, but it’s crucial to understand what this data represents. This annual recap doesn’t rank the most-searched terms overall; instead, it highlights the queries that saw the fastest growth in popularity compared to the previous year. This focus on velocity over volume provides a clear signal about the evolving nature of search behavior and where future opportunities lie for creators and marketers.

The strategic importance of this shift is significant. By choosing to spotlight these fast-rising queries, Google emphasizes a critical dynamic in modern search. While foundational, evergreen content remains valuable, the most substantial opportunities for visibility and engagement are increasingly found in emerging, real-time topics. The biggest wins in SEO and content strategy will likely come from identifying and acting on new trends before they become mainstream, a space where traditional keyword tools often lag. Success depends on anticipating what people will ask about next, not just optimizing for what they already are.

So, what captured the world’s attention in 2025? The lists of top trending queries reveal a blend of pop culture, politics, technology, and global events.

In the United States, the top ten trending searches included figures like commentator Charlie Kirk and musician d4vd, alongside specific entities such as the iPhone 17, the proposed “One Big Beautiful Bill” Act, and the AI model DeepSeek. Entertainment was well-represented with searches for “KPop Demon Hunters” and the collectible Labubu, while international sports (FIFA Club World Cup) and economic terms (Tariffs) rounded out the list.

Globally, the trending queries showed a strong emphasis on international cricket matches (India vs England, India vs Australia), the Asia Cup, and geopolitical relations between Pakistan and India. Google’s Gemini AI and the iPhone 17 also made the global list, alongside figures like Charlie Kirk.

Breaking down the trends by category offers even more granular insight. In News, searches related to Charlie Kirk and the “One Big Beautiful Bill” Act trended highly. The entertainment categories were dominated by upcoming movies like “Anora” and “KPop Demon Hunters”, TV shows such as “Monster: The Ed Gein Story”, and actors including Pedro Pascal. In sports, athletes Terence Crawford and Shedeur Sanders drove searches, while teams like Paris Saint-Germain F.C. were top of mind.

Notable trends also appeared in more niche, interactive search categories. The “Hum to Search” feature saw popularity with the track “Golden” by HUNTR/X. For podcasts, “The Charlie Kirk Show” and “New Heights” were trending. Even local search intent was evident, with iconic bookstores like Livraria Lello in Portugal and Powell’s City of Books in the U.S. trending on Google Maps, alongside major transit hubs such as Kyoto Station in Japan.

Additional U.S.-specific trends highlighted the quirky and specific nature of search. People looked up an AI action figure, sought recipes for a complex hot honey cottage cheese sweet potato beef bowl, planned trips to Boston, and even queried the meaning behind the phrase “67” used by younger generations.

The fundamental takeaway is clear for anyone creating content online. To build a meaningful audience and secure search visibility, a proactive approach is essential. The goal is to identify and publish on emerging queries before they reach their peak popularity, capturing traffic when competition is minimal. While foundational content provides stability, the breakthrough moments often come from engaging with the new and the now, effectively meeting users at the very beginning of their quest for information.

(Source: Search Engine Land)