Inside Search
The official Google Search blog
A search insights lesson for back-to-school
September 15, 2011
(Cross-posted on the
Official Google Blog
)
Time to sharpen those pencils: now that the back-to-school season is winding down and students are back at their desks, we thought we’d take a look at some popular searches from the last few weeks. Students across the U.S. are hitting the books—although, as we found, not all their back-to-school searches are academically inclined. Overall, search interest in [back to school] is up about 10 percent from last year.
After a three-month hiatus, everyone wants to make a great impression on the first day of school. Searches related to starting fresh—like [
kids shoes
], [
kids haircuts
] and [
healthy school lunches
]—jump during the back-to-school season. People are also eager to sport just the right look—searches for [
first day of school outfit
] have increased 20 percent since the 2010 season. A well-stocked locker is also top of mind for many at the start of the school year. Search interest for back-to-school staples like pencils, notebooks and backpacks routinely peaks during the season, as kids compare colors, styles and designs online. But tech-savvy students are seeking new essentials for the classroom. Searches for [tablet] exceeded searches for [backpack] for the first time in a July-September period. And with [
etextbook
] searches up 50 percent from September 2010, look for ereaders to slip into more backpacks in the future.
Crossing items off the back-to-school list is rewarding, but it’s a lot more satisfying when there’s a bargain involved. This year is no exception with shoppers scanning for deals before heading to stores. Searches for [back to school coupons] and [back to school sales] increased 10 and 25 percent, and searches for [
printable coupons
] jumped 45 percent from last year’s season.
College-bound freshmen seem to be looking for ways to take charge of their finances. Searches for [
bank account
] and [
open bank account
] peak in August, and were up about 20 percent from last year’s back-to-school season. Searches for [student credit card] are also highest during this time of year, along with searches for the means to pay a credit card bill: [campus jobs]. In recent years, securing a steady source of income has trumped on-the-spot spending. While searches for [student credit card] have decreased 30 percent since 2004, searches for [campus jobs] have steadily increased, up 50 percent in the same period.
Finally, we’ll leave you with a few back-to-school essentials that might not have made your list. To avoid using the modern version of the old “my dog ate my homework” excuse, protect your computer with a [
laptop lock
]—searches regularly spike in in August. If you’ve been thinking about picking up an instrument, now’s the time to
jump on
the bandwagon (pun intended), as searches for [flute], [cello], [violin] and [clarinet] jump every September. And for your mother’s sake (and your roommate’s), find a good [
laundry service
] on campus. Search interest peaks in September, though the clothes-washing learning curve lasts the entire year.
Posted by Julie Krueger, Industry Director, Retail
Labels
flight search
images
knowledge graph
local
mobile
quick answers
Search Blog
search quality
search stories
search tips
trends
universal search
webmasters
Archive
2016
Sep
Aug
Jul
Jun
May
Apr
Mar
Feb
Jan
2015
Dec
Nov
Oct
Sep
Jul
Jun
May
Apr
Mar
Feb
Jan
2014
Dec
Nov
Oct
Aug
Jul
Jun
Apr
Mar
Feb
Jan
2013
Dec
Nov
Sep
Aug
Jul
May
Apr
Mar
Feb
Jan
2012
Dec
Nov
Oct
Sep
Aug
Jul
Jun
May
Apr
Mar
Feb
Jan
2011
Dec
Nov
Oct
Sep
Aug
Jul
Jun
May
Feed
Google
on
Follow @google
Follow
Give us feedback in our
Product Forums
.
Follow