Google recently launched a new feature that’s part of Google Trends called Top Charts. As the name suggests, Top Charts is used to view a snapshot of the top searches across a plethora of topics ranging from actors and animals to books and business people.
The service is an extension of Google’s annual Zeitgeist which is simply a list of the top global searches for a given year. These reports are typically released in mid-December but with Top Charts, you'll no longer have to wait and see what the world is searching for. Top Charts will update on a monthly basis, we’re told.
Search data dates all the way back to 2004 despite the fact that the service just launched. It uses data from Google’s Knowledge Graph which ties keyword searches to real life things. As Google explains it, when you look at a chart for a specific topic or thing – like the Golden State Warriors – you’re actually seeing rankings based on multiple search terms that are all related to the same topic.
Top Charts, like every other algorithm, isn’t perfect and there’s likely to be abnormalities that spring up from time to time. As CNET suggests, Google could have trouble with certain homophones like Pit Bull (the rapper) and pit bull (a type of dog).
In related news, the search giant also launched a full screen visual that shows current trending searches. The colorful display showcases a constantly changing array of search topics in all languages in a format that looks somewhat like an animated screensaver.
