What Google India's search data reveals

As India’s internet use has grown over the past two years, so too has the use of Search, and Google’s annual Year in Search report reveals some interesting trends for marketers to note. 

Why it matters

“As people become increasingly adept online, Search has become their ‘go-to’ for making sense of a hybrid world in which more and more services and solutions are also now online. Businesses will need to take a proactive role in responding to this consumer transition that’s well underway by providing seamless paths to purchase across online and otherwise” – Sapna Chadha, vice president, marketing, Google India & Southeast Asia.

Takeaways 

• India’s internet users are increasingly comfortable with online commerce: 2021 saw a 533% growth in search interest for ‘D2C brands’.
• There is also a growing concern about authenticity, with an 80% growth in searches for a ‘brand’s official store’. 
• More generally, people appear to be expanding their consideration set, as shown by a 41% increase in search interest in ‘which brand is good’.
• Green transport options are attracting interest: searches for ‘electric scooter’ rose 230%, and ‘cycling’ by 41%.
• They are more aware of the dangers of misinformation and fake news: there was an 80% increase in searches for ‘is it true … ’.
• YouTube searches for songs and videos in local languages doubled.

Sourced from Economic Times [Image: Pexels]