Experian Hitwise has just announced the top 50 search terms that have sent search engine traffic to news and media sites from January to November 2011.
Making it to the very top of the list is Casey Anthony, a 22 year old American who was tried for the murder of her two year old daughter, and walked away with a not-guilty verdict. The trial also appears on the list at number two and 47.
While the Casey Anthony trial is the ultimate car crash of a story that the US, and the world, couldn’t take its eyes off of, the top 10 terms include an interesting mix of Hollywood train wrecks, reality TV exploits, and one fairy tale wedding. Charlie Sheen, Kim Kardashian, American Idol, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Kate Middleton and Dancing with the Stars all make it into the top 10 list.
The term ‘Casey Anthony’ was the top search sending traffic to News & Media sites in 2011: http://ow.ly/i/oyMq
— Experian Hitwise (@Hitwise_US) December 28, 2011
The only search term that isn’t somehow related to the superficial world of Hollywood in the top 10 is Hurricane Irene.
It’s a pleasant surprise to find that Justin Bieber fans don’t have the same clout on search engines that they do when it comes to Twitter’s trending topics, with the teen idol slipping in at number 12.
The only tech-related term that appears on the list is the nonexistent iPhone 5 coming in at number 16.
Ironically, there are barely any political or current affairs items on the list. The most popular search terms include Osama Bin Laden, coming in at several spots, while Libya is the only country to appear on the list at number 38.
While Hollywood and its celebrities clearly dominate the list, there was a little bit of concern over whether or not the world was going to come to an end on May 21, with the search term taking both the 33rd and 46th spot.
Did you think that Casey Anthony would be one of the most searched terms leading to media sites in 2011? Let us know in the comments.
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