COVID-19 has changed every aspect of our daily lives.
Faced with a situation like this, the only way to survive is to understand the environment and the needs of your customers. Which means you need data.
We recently published our own data on worldwide panic searching. But to help shed light on what matters to people every day, Google has shared its exclusive data with us on UK user insights.
This data shows how people are solving immediate problems and adapting to their new day-to-day lives. In addition, we’ll also cover new emerging behaviours and patterns that are happening because of the pandemic.
Google Trends data is represented on a 0-100 scale. It doesn’t show the volume of searches, but the interest in the term. A figure of 100% shows peak popularity in the term.
Immediate needs
Firstly, one of the biggest immediate needs users saw this week was a demand for digital banking services.
As Google trend data shows, in one day (29-30 March) interest grew from 31% to 100%.
Possible explanations for this could be a need to access their normal banking services while branches are closed during the lockdown. Alternatively, this increase could be from people searching for online financial help, particularly as more than 9 million people in the UK are expected to be furloughed during the pandemic.
Another essential need uncovered by Google was for continuing education: interest for free course searches hit 100% popularity on the 1st of April 2020.
This could be searching for more ways to continue homeschool education as schools are closed across the UK, or even to upskill furloughed workers in their extra time.
Day-to-day life
With a lot more free time, it seems like the home improvement trend doesn’t seem to be dying anytime soon. YouTube search interest for ‘DIY room decor’ has been undergoing extreme spikes from 0% interest to 100%.
There are a lot more restless nights across the UK as well, with increased search interest for ‘medication for sleep’. On the 27th of March, search interest was at 0%, before rising to 100% on the 30th of March.
Emerging behaviours
Some good news here: the pandemic has taken the usual offline shoppers online. However, facing uncertain times and a loss to earnings, we’re not as forthcoming to pay the full amount.
Google search interest for ‘discount code’ has steadily increased across the UK as users hunt out the best deals available to them. And if you’re interested in SAAS software, we’ve rounded up over 110 of the best deals out there for you already. You’re welcome.
The nation also adopted a green thumb with increased search interest for both plants online and seeds for sale. It’s a great way to pass time, enjoy the outside and ensure that your supply of fresh vegetables and herbs can keep coming in.
YouTube searches and consumption of content was also up, as people were searching for entertainment, inspiration and tutorials across the platform. If you generate content on YouTube, there’s no better time to take advantage.
A lot of users didn’t know what they wanted either, with a big boost in YouTube searches for the term ‘do when you’re bored’.
Every week
Every week we’ll be providing you with more insightful industry stats so you can keep on top of the trends affecting you and your business.
Be sure to keep an eye on our Twitter to stay right up to date – twitter.com/adzooma
