Ask.com: Top Search Trends of 2008

Dec 3, 2008 at 8:29am ET by Elisabeth Osmeloski

Heading into the end of 2008, Ask.com is holding steady as the 4th most used search engine and the 7th largest Internet property overall in October 2008 (according to ComScore Media Metrix), with 70 million unique users and topping over 683 million total searches. While that only accounts for 4.2% of overall search share, it still puts Ask just ahead of AOL properties.

With the release of Ask’s most popular search queries in 2008, the fourth-place search engine proves its original model of question-based queries is still popular with users, citing that “searchers enter their queries in the form of a question three times more on Ask than on any other search engine.”

2008’s most “Asked” questions

1. How do I get pregnant?
2. How do I lose weight?
3. How do I write a resume?
4. How much is minimum wage?
5. How much is my car worth?
6. How do I change my name?
7. What is the meaning of life?
8. How do I register to vote?
9. Why is the sky blue?
10. How do I download videos?

Perhaps the weight loss questions are in someway related to post-pregnancy weight, perhaps a side effect of women trying to change their names after getting married in 2008. Or Ocho Cinco followers were looking for tips. Some searchers may be looking to sell their cars if writing a good resume didn’t pan out and they had to take a job for minimum wage in this tough economy. Alongside more esoteric questions, the practical question about registering to vote seems to be tied to the most obvious search trend, related to the U.S. election this year.

Politics and economy drive Dictionary.com searches

After purchasing the virtual spelling bee site in May 2008, Ask.com noted these buzzwords as the fastest-rising vernacular amidst citizens trying to understand the political and socio-economic climate. Sarah Palin’s pet name for John McCain won out as the most popular word of the year, or so we assume, as long as TopGun didn’t put out an anniversary edition DVD. Movie-goers were more likely interested in searching for the meaning of the word “Solace” in the most recent James Bond title. The very recent cyclone in India may have been responsible for a last minute surge in searches for the devastating weather event, which some might link to environmental factors.

1. Maverick
2. Socialism
3. Economy
4. Recession
5. Radical
6. Cyclone
7. Solace
8. Realtor
9. Environment
10. Potholes

Top 10 “Real Deal” searches of 2008

As social media infiltrated daily life, consumers turned to Ask to help make sense of the economic crisis, as searching for deals and money-saving tactics ramped up, with popular words like “credit score” and “coupons” popping up for the first time ever in Ask’s general list of popular searches.

1. Dictionary
2. MySpace
3. Google
4. YouTube
5. Facebook
6. Coupons
7. Cars
8. Craigslist
9. Online degrees
10. Credit score

Queens of the teen scene

Disney divas Miley Cyrus, Vanessa Hudgens, Selena Gomez and Jamie Lynn Spears gave several female celebrities a run for their money in the Top 10 celebrity searches of 2008, leaving just a couple of teen boys to share the remaing slots.

Ask.com’s most popular celebrity (general) searches

1. Jonas Brothers
2. Miley Cyrus
3. Angelina Jolie
4. Madonna
5. Vanessa Hudgens
6. Selena Gomez
7. Zac Effron
8. Jennifer Aniston
9. Jamie Lynn Spears
10. Victoria Beckham

Whether or not Jaime Lynn’s and Bristol Palin’s teen pregnancies, plus the Massachusetts high school pregnancy pact helped spur one of the most asked questions of the year is unknown, but older and wiser celebrity moms won the contest for biggest bump in baby searches. Four of the ten were over the age 40 in 2008.

Ask’s most searched celebrity baby mamas in 2008

1. Angelina Jolie
2. Jessica Alba
3. Jamie Lynn Spears
4. Sarah Palin
5. Jennifer Lopez
6. Christina Aguilera
7. Halle Berry
8. Nicole Kidman
9. Salma Hayek
10. Gwen Stefani

An Olympic defeat

In an unusual turn of events, Michael Phelps didn’t take home the gold medal from Ask, despite taking home a record eight gold medals in the Beijing China Olympiad this summer. Instead, NASCAR Champion Jimmie Johnson took home the checkered flag. Meanwhile, NBA superstars and members of the “Redeem Team” gobbled up slots in the top Athlete and sports icon searches of the year. Tennis star Serena Williams just barely broke the Top 10, the only female athlete to do so. Interesting that A-rod didn’t make this list, yet Madonna made it to the top celebrity searches.

1. Jimmie Johnson
2. Kobe Bryant
3. Jeff Gordon
4. Lebron James
5. Michael Phelps
6. Tiger Woods
7. Allen Iverson
8. David Beckham
9. Muhammad Ali
10. Serena Williams

The complete list of Ask.com’s Most Popular Searches in 2008 is here and links to live search queries.

Top Ten Best Specialized Search Engines online searh list of engines

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Top Questions of 2009
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Top Celebrity Rumors of 2009
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Top Health Questions
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Top Fitness Questions
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Top Questions About Beauty

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Top Questions About Traveling
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Most-Asked Questions About Personal Finance
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Most Popular Questions About Technology
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Top Questions Asked About Pets
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Top Parenting Questions

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Top Questions Asked by Kids on AsKids.com
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Top "Big" Questions
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Top "Is it Real" Questions
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Top Questions about NASCAR
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Top NASCAR 'Relationship Status' Questions

Top Questions of 2009

* How much should I weigh?
* How do I get out of debt fast?
* How do I get pregnant?
* What is Twitter?
* What is Miley Cyrus' phone number?
* What is the meaning of life?
* When will the world end?
* How long does marijuana stay in your system?
* What are symptoms of Swine Flu?
* What time is it?

Top Celebrity Rumors of 2009

* Is Miley Cyrus pregnant?
* Is Adam Lambert straight?
* Is Lady Gaga a man?
* Is Michelle Obama pregnant?
* Is Robert Pattinson dating Kristen Stewart?
* Did Chris Brown get Rihanna pregnant?
* Are Jon and Kate getting a divorce?
* Is Michael Phelps using marijuana?
* Who is the father of Michael Jackson's children?
* Did David Letterman keep a secret bedroom at his studio?

Top Health Questions

* What is Autism?
* What are the symptoms of Swine Flu?
* What is Lupus?
* What do Chicken Pox look like?
* What are the symptoms of Appendicitis?
* Are Shingles contagious?
* When is the best time to get pregnant?
* What causes nosebleeds?
* What are the symptoms of breast cancer?
* What is a normal blood pressure?

Top Fitness Questions

* How many calories should I eat a day?
* How can I get a six-pack fast?
* What is the best exercise to burn calories?
* How much should I be able to bench press?
* What is Pilates?
* How many calories do you burn running a mile?
* What are the benefits of jogging?
* How long does it take to tone muscle?
* Is Yoga better for you than Pilates?
* How do you boost your metabolism?

Top Questions About Beauty

* What foods are good for your skin?
* How can I create a smoky eye?
* How can I make waves in my hair?
* What color should I dye my hair?
* How do you apply eyeliner?
* How can I get rid of dandruff?
* What is the best way to style short hair?
* How much should you tip a hairdresser?
* Which hair salons do Locks of Love?
* What color eye shadow is right for me?

Top Questions About Traveling

* How long does it take to get a passport?
* What is the exchange rate for the Euro?
* What can I bring on an airplane?
* Where can I find cheap flights?
* What countries are not safe to travel to?
* What is the best way to pack a suitcase?
* How do I exchange foreign currency?
* How do I obtain immunization records?
* Can I travel while pregnant?
* How can I avoid hidden travel costs?

Most-Asked Questions About Personal Finance

* What is a good credit score?
* How do I file for bankruptcy?
* How do I start my own business?
* What is a short sale in real estate?
* Who owns the Federal Reserve Bank?
* How much is minimum wage?
* How do savings bonds work?
* What can I deduct on my taxes?
* What is a trust fund?
* What is a hedge fund?

Most Popular Questions About Technology

* How do I make a website?
* What does URL stand for?
* How do I find my IP address?
* What is an RSS feed?
* How many megabytes are in a gigabyte?
* How do I delete my cookies?
* What is JavaScript?
* What does FTP stand for?
* What is a 3G network?
* What is a PDF file?

Top Questions Asked About Pets

* Why do cats purr?
* How long do dogs stay in heat?
* Why do cats knead?
* How do you potty train a puppy?
* Do fish sleep?
* What do lizards eat?
* Can Guinea Pigs be trained?
* How long do rabbits live?
* Are dogs colorblind?
* Can dogs take aspirin?

Top Parenting Questions

* How can I help my child deal with a bully?
* How much should my child weigh?
* By what age should a child express happiness?
* How do I keep my child safe on the Internet?
* How should my child deal with peer pressure?
* What immunizations will my child need for school?
* Does my child have ADHD?
* How do I deal with food allergies at school?
* When can my child ride in the front seat?
* When should I give my child a cell phone?

Top Questions Asked by Kids on AskKids.com

* What is love?
* Where can I find ideas for a science project?
* How many inches are in a mile?
* Is God real?
* What happened in history on my birthday?
* Does my crush love me?
* Is Santa Claus real?
* Where are tornadoes found?
* Is there more water or land on Earth?
* How old do you have to be to work at Blockbuster?

Top "Big" Questions

* What is the meaning of life?
* Why is the sky blue?
* What is true love?
* When will the world end?
* Who am I?
* Is there a God?
* Where do babies come from?
* Which came first the chicken or the egg?
* When will I die?
* What happens when you die?

Top "Is it Real" Questions

* Are vampires real?
* Is Santa Claus real?
* Are aliens real?
* Are ghosts real?
* Are mermaids real?
* Are angels real?
* Is Bigfoot real?
* Are zombies real?
* Are dragons real?
* Are fairies real?

Top Questions about NASCAR

* How do NASCAR drivers go to the bathroom?
* How much do NASCAR drivers get paid?
* What is Dale Earnhardt Jr's girlfriend's name?
* What does NASCAR stand for?
* What is burnout alley?
* Who is Tony Stewart dating?
* How do you get a job on a pit crew?
* How do you become a NASCAR driver?
* Why are there flyovers at NASCAR races?
* What do NASCAR drivers wear under their suits?

Top NASCAR 'Relationship Status' Questions

* Is Dale Earnhardt Jr. married?
* Who is Tony Stewart dating?
* Does Kasey Kahne have a girlfriend?
* Does Kyle Busch have a girlfriend?
* Is Michael Waltrip still married?
* Who is Carl Edwards married to?
* Does Denny Hamlin have a girlfriend?
* Who is Jeff Gordon's wife?
* Who is Robby Gordon's girlfriend?
* Does Joey Lagano have a girlfriend?