Education on Our Minds: Education Related Searches Prominent on Top 10 Google Search list in January

With the merriment of the holidays seemingly already in the distant past, many Ghanaians are embarking the new year with worthy educational pursuits at the top of their minds. Google has released its January search results for Ghana, which revealed that education-related searches were most prominent in the list of top ten most searched terms. Searches for WAEC were high on the list as many students anxiously searched for the WASSCE exam timetable, as they prepare for this significant exam to be held in May and June. Other popular search items featured on January's list were “KNUST” and the “University of Ghana”, two of the most prestigious tertiary institutions in the country. Presumably these searches are being made by secondary school students exploring the next steps in their academic journeys.

Commenting on this month's findings, Estelle Akofio-Sowah, Google Ghana Country Lead, said,

“Google Zeitgeist explores the billions of global search queries received by Google each month, and highlights the top trends. It is exciting to see so many Ghanaian students taking a strong interest in their education, and to witness this generation of students using the internet to engage with their academic futures.”

For those not Googling exam timetables and universities, sport was another prominent theme in the new year. Searches for “EPL” (English Premier League), “Arsenal”, “Chelsey FC” and “Soccernet” show Ghanaians' continued enthusiasm for the most popular sport in the world -- football. Meanwhile, searches for “ghanaweb” and “twitter” suggest that online news and social media play a significant role in the lives of most internet users, who are keen to engage with the latest trends and developments around the world.

Ghana's Fastest rising searches - January
1. New Year's messages
2. waec
3. KNUST
4. twitter
5. University of Ghana
6. epl
7. arsenal
8. ghanaweb
9. soccernet
10. chelsey fc

Zeitgeist Explained
Google reveals the internet "Zeitgeist" (German for "the spirit of the times") through an exploration of the billions of search queries we receive each year. In addition to the month-end Zeitgeist, which highlights the top trends of the month, Google also has several tools that give insight into global, regional, past and present search trends. Google Zeitgeist tools can never be used to identify individual users because we rely on anonymized, aggregated counts of how often certain search queries occur over time. These tools are available year-round for you to play with, explore, and learn from: www.google.com/zeitgeist

About Google Inc.
Google's innovative search technologies connect millions of people around the world with information every day. Founded in 1998 by Stanford Ph.D. students Larry Page and Sergey Brin, Google today is a top web property in all major global markets. Google's targeted advertising program provides businesses of all sizes with measurable results, while enhancing the overall web experience for users. Google is headquartered in Silicon Valley with offices throughout the Americas, Europe, Africa and Asia. For more information, visit http://www.google.com/africa and our Google Africa Blog: google-africa.blogspot.com. You can also follow Google's Africa team on Twitter: twitter.com/googleafrica