To avoid a top ten list possibly dominated by celebrity gossip, the search engine heavyweight has decided to take a different approach when examining the top trends of the year by trying to identify some interesting trends. Yahoo!'s engineers believed that they had identified seven top categories - many of which were unique to 2007. But don't worry if you're desperate to know which celebrity grabbed the most online attention this year, they have a top ten celebrity list too.
Overall, the tech list seems to offer few surprises: YouTube, Wikipedia and Facebook take the top three spots. Apple nabbed the next three spots with the iPod, iTunes and - of course - the iPhone, followed by games consoles Nintendo Wii, Xbox and Sony Playstation 3. However, the inclusion of Guitar Hero, a game that lets you feel like a rock star, in the tenth spot may raise a few eyebrows.
There were a few top searches that made a particularly large splash this year, such as, the top ten environmental searches, a list suggesting growing consumer concern about the effects of global warming. And, gratifyingly, a number of the top search terms were for ways in which individuals could actively make a difference, including recycling, hybrid cars and solar energy.
Searchers were also keen to find out about product recalls in 2007, with people interested in examining anything from official government reports to specific manufacturer recall lists. In a world where trust and consumer confidence can be shaken by product scares or recalls, the web offers a way for consumers to feel in control.
To take a peek at the activities of the web's biggest movers and shakers, Yahoo! also looked into the top ten del.icio.us searches. These were unsurprisingly tech based; however, it was revealed that searches also used del.icio.us to search for information on their hobbies and passions, such as gaming, photography or music.
One thing seems definite following a look at Yahoo!'s seach lists - that as the years roll on search becomes ever more a part of day-to-day life. From personal to global concerns, users rely on search engines to help them find the information they need when they want it.
Unsurprisingly, Google didn't get a mention as a top search term on Yahoo!. And while Google hasn't yet announced its complete list of hot trends for 2007, Marissa Mayer - Google's VP of Search and User Experience - did reveal its list of fastest rising US search terms on the Today Show on December 3rd, with the iPhone predictably placed at the top. How this will differ from the year-end Googel Zeitgeist for 2007 is still to be seen.
