Understanding internet health search patterns: An early exploration into the usefulness of Google Trends

Abstract

Google, the leading internet search engine company, offers a feature known as Google Trends. This feature uses the search term data from Google's search engine to graphically display the search volume history for any term since January 2004. While Google considers the Google Trends service to still be in its early stages of development, and to still contain a number of inaccuracies, the information it provides is compelling and may offer insight into the search behaviours of online health information seekers. Initial exploration into search volumes associated with health-related search terms in the USA reveal stable or gradually declining search volume trends with annual and weekly search pattern cycles. Other findings from this initial investigation of health search terms include the disassociation between the incidence of cancer conditions and search volumes for search terms related to those conditions, a considerable influence by celebrity and media on health-related search term search volumes, and similarities in general search volume trends and patterns between search volumes for health-related terms in the USA and in other countries. The Google Trends service as it now exists and these initial findings are discussed here and recommendations outlining how the service may be improved so that it becomes a useful tool for healthcare professionals are offered.