Key Points:
A surge in “tell me about…” and “how do I…” queries, up 70% and to a record high respectively, proves users are now treating Google Search like an AI conversation partner.
Global trending lists were overwhelmingly dominated by sports, with events like the FIFA Club World Cup and teams from PSG to the Punjab Kings capturing the world’s digital attention.
The data reveals a split in U.S. interests, trending towards intense political discourse and domestic tech, while global users focused on international sports, AI models like Gemini, and geopolitical relations.
Google has just unveiled its definitive digital pulse check for 2025: the annual “Year in Search” trends report. This year’s data goes beyond mere popularity to spotlight the topics with explosive growth, offering a powerful narrative about a world in transition. The findings reveal a dual story: a fundamental shift in how we search, driven by conversational AI, and a clear picture of what captivated the global and American psyche over the past twelve months.
The most transformative insight is the linguistic evolution of search itself. Google reports that queries beginning with the phrase “tell me about…” skyrocketed by an astonishing 70% from 2024 to 2025. Meanwhile, practical “how do I…” questions reached an all-time high. This isn’t just a minor trend; it’s a behavioral revolution. Users are increasingly bypassing simple keywords to engage in natural dialogue, signaling widespread comfort with treating the search bar as an intelligent, conversational assistant. This shift is a direct validation of Google’s years of investment in AI and natural language processing, fundamentally redefining the human-computer interface for information.
Top 10 Trending Global Search Queries of 2025:
Gemini (Google’s AI)
India vs England (Cricket)
Charlie Kirk
Club World Cup
India vs Australia (Cricket)
DeepSeek (AI Model)
Asia Cup
Iran
iPhone 17
Pakistan and India
Top 10 Trending U.S. Search Queries of 2025:
Charlie Kirk
KPop Demon Hunters
Labubu
iPhone 17
One Big Beautiful Bill Act
Zohran Mamdani
DeepSeek (AI Model)
Government Shutdown
FIFA Club World Cup
Tariffs
On the world stage, 2025 was undeniably the year of sports. The global trending list is a testament to sport’s unifying digital power. Major tournaments like the FIFA Club World Cup, Asia Cup, and ICC Champions Trophy dominated queries. This fascination extended to storied clubs like Paris Saint-Germain F.C. and S.L. Benfica, and electrified cricket leagues, with franchises like the Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals trending worldwide. The concurrent prominence of AI tools Gemini and DeepSeek on the global list highlights a parallel narrative of intense technological curiosity.
Conversely, the U.S. trending list reflects a nation turned inward on contentious issues. The data shows a country preoccupied with polarizing political figures like Charlie Kirk, specific legislative acts, the threat of a government shutdown, and economic policies like tariffs. Alongside this, America’s search habits showed a strong consumer and tech focus, with high interest in the iPhone 17 and niche pop culture phenomena like Labubu and KPop Demon Hunters.
Delving into specific categories paints an even richer picture of the year’s digital interests:
Trending Games of 2025:
Arc Raiders
Battlefield 6
Strands
Split Fiction
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Trending Athletes of 2025:
Terence Crawford (Boxing)
Rory McIlroy (Golf)
Shedeur Sanders (Football)
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Basketball)
Jalen Hurts (Football)
Trending U.S. Food & Drink Recipes of 2025:
Hot Honey
Marry Me Chicken
Chimichurri
Chia Pudding
White Chicken Chili
From the anticipation for next-gen games like Battlefield 6 and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, to the fame of athletes like Shedeur Sanders and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and the viral kitchen trends of Hot Honey and Marry Me Chicken, the category data captures the full spectrum of daily life and entertainment.
In conclusion, Google’s 2025 Year in Search is more than a list, it’s a cultural and technological audit. It documents the moment search became truly conversational and captures a world finding common ground in sports arenas while nations grapple with distinct internal dialogues. This report solidifies that our collective questions are now more nuanced, our interests more digitally globalized, and our relationship with search more intimate and dialogue-driven than ever before.
