You" (likely a generic term) surprisingly ranked third in global Google search activity in 2024, with an index of 87

Key takeaways:

  • “Google” was the top search globally in 2024 with an index score of 100.
  • “You” ranked unexpectedly high at 87, signalling odd but high-frequency global queries.
  • YouTube held the 2nd spot with a score of 88, showing its continued dominance in media consumption.
  • Messaging platforms like WhatsApp and Facebook tied at 52, reinforcing their centrality in digital life.
  • Google Translate (49) was a widely used tool, reflecting global interconnectedness.

In 2024, the term “You” ranked third with a surprisingly high index of 87, just one point behind “YouTube.” While “You” is likely a generic or a query meant to get other results, for example, "You" appears in related searches like  YouTube (video search company), You (TV series), YouTube Music (media platform), etc. Its appearance highlights some of the unexpected patterns in global search behavior. It shows that not all top searches are for brands, services, or events—sometimes it's the ambiguous or common words that make the biggest noise online.
Behind these top queries are our daily habits and digital routines. From checking the “Weather” (index: 63) to communicating via “WhatsApp” and “Facebook” (both at 52), this reflects how deeply digital tools have embedded into our everyday lives. Even more utilitarian searches like “Translate” (49) and “News” (35) show our constant need for real-time information and connection in a fast-moving, multilingual world.

Source:

Google Trends

Period:

2024
HTML code to embed chart
Want a bespoke report?
Reach out
Click to copy HTML embed code
Tags
Related Insights
The United States of America hosts over 3,700 data centres, 8× more than any other country as of May 2025
  • The U.S. dominates globally with 3,757 data centers, more than 8× any other country in the top 10.
  • Germany and the U.K. follow distantly with 443 and 428 data centres, respectively.
  • No African country makes the top 10, emphasising the infrastructure gap.
  • Africa's top three show modest but notable progress: South Africa ranks 36th (49 data centres), Kenya 54th (18), and Nigeria 56th (16).
Over 4 out of 10 global active X users, precisely 43.5%, are located in Asia
  • Asia accounts for the largest share of X (formerly Twitter) users globally at 43.5%.
  • America follows closely with a 30.2% global share of active users.
  • Africa contributes just 4.8% of active users, highlighting underrepresentation.
  • Oceania has the smallest presence, accounting for only 1.1% of users.
  • Asia alone has more X users than Europe and Africa combined.
African Facebook users (291.10M) outnumber TikTok users (189.30M) by over 100 million
  • Facebook leads Africa’s social media use with 291.1M users, accounting for 12.7% of its global base.
  • TikTok holds second place with 189.3M African users, representing 11.9% of TikTok's global audience.
  • Meta dominates among the top four platforms with Facebook, Messenger, and Instagram.
  • LinkedIn’s 82.99M users show a strong uptake in professional networking, amounting to 5.3% of the platform’s global users.
  • Twitter (X) is used by 27.85M Africans, representing 4.8% of its global base—smallest on the chart, but still impactful.
The combined active TikTok users of Asia and America total 1.14B, showing their dominant market presence
  • Asia accounts for 39.6% of global TikTok users, the largest regional share.
  • America follows with 31.7% of the global TikTok user base.
  • Africa represents 11.9% of active TikTok users globally, totaling 189.3 million.
  • Oceania has the smallest share with 10 million users or just 0.6% globally.
  • Asia and America combined make up over 71% of all TikTok users worldwide.
Nearly half of all global active Facebook users, 47.7%, are located in Asia
  • Asia holds nearly half (47.7%) of Facebook’s global users, with over 1.1 billion people actively using the platform.
  • America is second with 611.8M users, comprising 26.8% of the total user base.
  • Africa’s 291.1M users (12.7%) place it slightly ahead of Europe in Facebook engagement.
  • Europe contributes 11.8%, with 269M active users.
  • Oceania remains the smallest market, with just 23.6M users (1.0%).
Asia has 2.2 times more Messenger users than America, taking the lead with 471.8M users
  • Asia leads the world in Messenger usage with 471.8M users, representing 49.9% of the global total.
  • Asia has 2.2 times more users than the Americas, which is the next largest region.
  • The Americas account for 210.7M users, or 22.3% of the global audience.
  • Europe contributes 154.3M users, making up 16.3% of all Messenger users worldwide.
  • Africa stands at 104.6M users, showing growth potential and already accounting for 11.1% of global usage.
  • Oceania has the smallest user base at just 4.8M users, contributing 0.5%.
POPULAR TOPICS
SIGN UP TO OUR NEWSLETTER
Get periodic updates about the African startup space, access to our reports, among others.
Subscribe Here
Subscription Form
A product of Techpoint Africa. All rights reserved