Google usually does not reveal too much detail of its search traffic, but when it does, there may be some interesting implications of user behavior.
As part of its financial website, Google allows users to compare search traffic of aggregated industries against the developing price of stock. The search traffic is normalized to the value of 1.0 and the search volume that occurred on January 1, 2004. Don't expect any dramatic revelations or search numbers or even a search volume pertaining to a single company. However, the selection of 27 industries and related search terms may cause some speculation of a changing way how we acquire information.
For example, the data suggests that the search volume of traffic that targets computing topics has decreased by 52 percent since 2004. Of course, without knowing the details on how Google selects this traffic, it is rather adventurous and even silly to suggest that we do not search computing topics as much as we did eight years ago. Interests could be shifting and Google may not be able to capture the changes right away. Also, some of the graphs are somewhat misleading considering the nature of periodic seasonal search spikes.
Yet it is startling that there has been a persistent decline in this segment. Though, most other segments seem to be suffering as well; advertising is down, as are business and industrial, commercial lending, construction, durable goods, finance and investing, and furniture. The search areas that gained are especially credit cards, mobile devices, mortgage and rental. Google says that its search index can reflect consumer behavior and if we are looking at our economic environment, they may have a case here. We surely live in times that may encourage interest in credit cards, mobile devices, mortgages and rentals.
Nevertheless, the decrease in the computers and electronics segment may be surprising.
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Some examples.
People have learned to search more efficient resulting in fewer queries.
People have more pref sites they visit and rarely search for new as long as their favourites are adequate.
ect ect ect.
Blogs, social networks, newspapers, kittens, memes, 9gag jokes...
Blogs, social networks, newspapers, kittens, memes, 9gag jokes...
Some examples.
People have learned to search more efficient resulting in fewer queries.
People have more pref sites they visit and rarely search for new as long as their favourites are adequate.
ect ect ect.
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people don't learn.
Computers have also shifted from being something people built to something people buy. 10 years ago the Apple slogan "It just works" made perfect sense that for most people PCs just didn't work. They needed help putting a decent system together, install the needed drivers and so forth. Most of the shelf solutions back then were underpowered and/or half finished products. Today, practically any off the shelf computer system will do exactly what the constumer wants and hence our specialist section that follows the tech news to get the best of the newest for our system is a dying breed.
Now I can't really see if the graph shows percentages or total amount of searches but percentages should naturally be down as the user mass increases because of the above reason. If it's total number of searches that are down, that's worrying news for sites like this that depend on traffic on which the commercials revenue is based upon.
Also, for your typical hardware/software needs (Vendors, Online Help) users will have
accumulated a set of bookmarks/favorites.
Like THG, Newegg, Amazon etc.
So there is less need to search for these things over and over.
I'd imagine searches are now for more unusual topic; topic of the day, celeb of the day etc.
Additionally, many users don't have to deal with computers once they had their tablets and smartphones.
^ I agree
Also, becuase I can feel someone later down the road with "Oh people just use smartphones now! lolololol", consider this:
As with all consumer gadgets, you buy it to feel like part of the crowd. It's hip and cool and you're not cool unless you have one. Time to renew your contract, or you dropped it in the toilet, or walked into the corner of a table and broke the screen, or left it on the train... Here, buy the LATEST smartphone, only $150!!!! (with 2 year contract extension).
My desktop computer lasted me 6 years before it became 100% obsolete (it started to suck after 4 years, top of the line when built). Then I built a new one that'll probably last another 4-5 years (I hope) You don't need a new computer every year or so, EVEN LESS if you don't game.
EDIT: lol I took too long to post, there already is one