According to Google, the most popular “how to..” search for Greeks was on how to fix doors and walls. In Peru however, most people are curious about how to fix their laundry machine, and barely give the toilet a second thought. In France, it’s all about windows and walls. All this data comes to us from the Google News Lab’s latest project — put together in collaboration with interactive data journalist Xaquin G.V. This new website was compiled using search data from Google users wondering “how to” do things. It has also revealed that the most searched question was How to tie a tie? followed by How to Kiss? and How to get pregnant among the top three respectively.
North Americans and East Asians need their toilets, people in former Soviet countries are fearless enough to attempt fixing their own washing machines, warmer climates can’t live without a fridge — makes sense, and North and Eastern Europeans need help fixing their light bulbs. The website, designed by Xaquin, reads like a visual essay that presents the findings of the how-to data grab. Xaquin prefaces the essay by saying he was inspired by his own searches. A series of interactive images are shown as one scrolls down the site, each providing a little more insight into the ways people are placing their trust in Google.
It’s important to note that according to data from reliablesoft.net, Google dominates the search engine space with a colossal 64 per cent market share — that’s a 43 per cent difference between the Mountain View-based tech giant and its next competitor, Bing. These are the most popular “How to..” searches:
1.How to tie a tie
2.How to kiss
3.How to get pregnant
4.How to lose weight
5.How to draw
6.How to make money
7.How to make pancakes
8.How to write a cover letter
9.How to make french toast
10.How to lose belly fat