According to the latest “Year in Search” report, Americans turned to Google in 2022 to find local answers that reflect some of this year’s largest national conversations about the economy, public health, and the midterm elections. The report is an annual review of the people, places, and things that piqued internet users’ interest and garnered the most attention online throughout the year.
The report, which was released earlier this month, gives sorted lists of popular search phrases for each category, including news, celebrities, movies, and picturesque destinations.
In the United States, the top five location-based queries in Google’s “near me” category are: gas prices near me, at-home COVID test near me, voting near me, early voting near me, and PCR test near me, in descending order. In addition to Easter egg hunts and local concerts, searches for COVID booster shots, n95 masks, and “where to vote” also rank among the top 10 terms in the same category.
According to Google, the majority of Americans searching for “near me” topics in 2022 were interested in gas prices, as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine contributed to an increase in the price of fuel in the United States. During the summer, prices at the pump throughout the nation reached an all-time high of $5.02 a gallon, prompting President Joe Biden to suggest a three-month federal gas tax holiday as a means to combat growing expenses.
According to the American Automobile Association, the average cost of gasoline in the United States fell below the price of a year ago in early December, when it was at $3.33 per gallon. A week ago, the national average had dropped below the price paid by Americans prior to the outbreak of the Ukraine conflict.
On Wednesday, November 2, 2022, a gasoline price board is displayed at a gas station in San Francisco, California. AP/Jeff Chiu
On Google’s list of trending “near me” searches in the United States in 2022, questions about at-home COVID-19 tests and PCR tests — the type given by medical professionals in doctor’s offices or health clinics — ranked second and fifth, respectively, while questions about booster shots ranked sixth.
As a result of the introduction of new variant strains such as Omicron and its subvariants, BA.5, and, more recently, BQ.1 and BQ.1.1, and as the Biden Administration took steps to expand access to COVID testing in medical facilities and at home, Americans experienced several waves of increased virus cases.
At the beginning of 2022, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration had just begun to allow new booster doses to supplement the original COVID-19 vaccines and provide enhanced protection against new strains. Throughout the year, both organizations disseminated new recommendations on when and who should receive a booster vaccination.
Questions about where to vote and where to vote early also ranked highly on Google’s list of search terms, which seems appropriate given that the midterm elections in November gave rise to a new slate of political leaders across the country and determined party control of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives. In the months running up to Election Day, news about the gubernatorial and congressional races around the nation dominated newspaper attention and social media debate.
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