Google shares insights on the searches on Google Maps, a rare set of search data that can help local marketers.
Local Search Data for the Month January traditionally offers a look at the people’s New Year’s intentions, with searches for gyms, healthy restaurants, winter holidays, and various forms of self-improvement during this month.
This set of Google Maps search data, unique to January 2021, provides a look at what people do when they leave home during a time that travel is discouraged.
The data show that people do much the same as they do every year, with a different approach to this year.
Instead of searching for international travel destinations, people are looking for local travel. Instead of looking for the nearest gym, people are looking for home exercises.
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Here’s a deeper look at Google Maps search trends in January 2021.
Google Maps Popular Searches
Google’s trend search data in Maps compares December 2019-January 2020 with December 2020-January 2021 to determine which queries are this year (or lower).
Local trip
People are focusing more on local travel than on international travel this year.
Searches for lands outside your hometown have remained flat this January. This can be attributed to COVID-19 travel restrictions.
By comparison, in January 2020, Maps’ searches for international destinations increased by 65% compared to the previous month.
Search for local bed and breakfast increased by 20% in January 2021 compared to late 2020, which is a sign that people’s travel habits have moved closer to home instead of around the world.
Google notes that ski resorts tends “in a big way” on Maps. The search for ski resorts is more than twice as high as in January 2020. This is probably because skiing is a social activity.
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New Year’s resolutions
The search trends in January were historically representative of people’s New Year’s resolutions – such as drinking less, eating better and exercising more.
The query “Dry January” tends to rise in January as people promise to abstain from alcohol in the month following the holiday season.
It seems that far fewer people are taking on the dry January challenge, as searches for wine shops are liquor stores by 11% and 6% compared to December. Last January’s searches for both queries decreased by almost 40% compared to the previous month.
Eat healthy remains a priority in January, as the search for ‘healthy’ options increased by 46% at the beginning of the month compared to December.
However, Google notes that people’s appetite for sweets is greater this year. Search for ice cream shops is 10% higher than in December.
Searches for fast food restaurants drop in January, but that is not the case this year.
In January 2020 looking for fast food restaurant compared to the previous December by 20%. This year, fast food searches dropped by 1.5% from December to January.
The searches related to workouts and exercise remain high this year. Inquiries for local gyms increased by about 25% from December to January.
In an example of the popularity of home exercises, Google says search for step areas did not see their usual increase this year – a 16% increase compared to a 55% increase last year. Local constraints can also be a factor here.
For more information on Google Maps trends, see Google’s blog post here.