Most Searched For – 2008

Facebook was the most searched for term this year on Google in the UK.

The internet giant has unveiled its annual Zeitgeist charts showing the most popular and fastest rising search terms for 2008.

Heading up the UK for most popular searches is the social networking site Facebook, followed by the BBC, YouTube and eBay.

Also making the UK Top Ten are News, Hotmail, social networking service Bebo and Yahoo.

In addition, video-sharing site YouTube and Facebook feature in the UK’s chart of fastest rising searches.

The list is topped by iPlayer from the BBC and also includes iPhone, Large Hadron Collider and Wiki.

Google produces charts for countries as well as a global list, and this year’s fastest rising global search results have some familiar and not so familiar names.

At the top is Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin, the late actor Heath Ledger is at five, incoming president Barack Obama is sixth and Disney boyband Jonas Brothers make tenth place.

The global chart also has three social networking sites unfamiliar to most Brits – Tuenti, Nasza Klasa and Wer Kennt Wien – so Jemima Kiss produced these guides on The Digital Content blog.

Further details on the Google Zeitgeist results can be found on the BBC.