055 Glenne trending

What I Did on Summer Vacation OR
My Crush on Google Trends

Hello, dear readers! 

You have found out a lot about us this past year: that Trish and her dog are always out and about and Frances is often trekking somewhere with her family.  I, however, stay home in the summertime. I don’t like heat, humidity, sand, mosquitoes, or tourists. 

What I have done this summer is spend far, far, far too much time on the internet. My husband posits that I care more about what Google says than what he says. Never! How rude! 

Although, I will quietly say that Google is often more varied and up-to-the-minute. So now that public schools are re-opening, I guess I will have some withdrawal!

I am hooked on Google Trends. Pick a subject. Any subject. Go to Google.com/trends and start playing around. Oh, my! It is news, entertainment, sports, finance, pop culture, etc., etc., etc. The trends are compiled from a wide assortment of sources – all 90 (YES,90) of Time, Inc.* magazine selections, newspapers, media sites, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube, popular bloggers, and regular news sources like ABC, NBC, and Fox.

*(Parenthetically, you may be interested to know that the new CEO of Time.Inc, appointed last fall, is Joe Ripp whose dog goes to the office with him each day. As you can see I am on the internet a ridiculous amount of time. BUT, I do water the new holly bushes (5 minutes each) – read an article, move the hose, throw the ball to Mad Max--our wonder dog--and get back on the internet.)

My “guilty pleasure” (along with chocolate) is watching reality shows on TV. Want the scoop on these shows? Just search for RealitySteve.com - real name Steve Carbonne, a linen importer (family business) and one time sports reporter, and frequently in litigation with these shows’ networks. I am just entranced to find out how often his predictions are correct. I found him through GoogleTrends. 

The algorithms used for trending are fascinating. I wish I knew how to write these. Under GoogleTrends, one can also go to www.Google.com/trends/correlate. “Correlate” is almost like writing your own algorithm.  Yes, you can compare apples and oranges or compare a trend by state, by country, or date. Compare two well-known names in the same industry or two universities or stocks. 

Check out the Republican candidates.  Late night talk show hosts REALLY want Trump to stay in the race (can’t imagine why, can you?) 

One caveat: if you are interested in serious news, be careful which of Google’s sources you examine.  

So much of our exposure is “pop culture” versus “hard news.” Really – do we care that Kylie Kardashian’s new pet bunny is named Bruce? 

But, I am interested in the Arizona dust storm, what’s happening with gun regulation, and poor Cecil, the lion. I don’t much like the “talking heads” on TV (and Nancy Grace’s voice is just annoying to my ears). 

Therefore, I still feel it necessary to read some of Time.Inc’s magazines as well as The New York Times, The Week, the New Yorker, New York Magazine, and Vanity Fair (I love Editor Graydon Carter’s mind). 

Here is an example of GoogleTrends’ list: 

So should it rain or you want to stay out of the humidity, join me in learning who’s who and what’s what with GoogleTrends. (Gosh, do think Google would pay me for this blog?)

 

Happy searching!                                                                     Glenne