Google owns the search market. This is well known and is why the firm releasing information on the most searched for terms is an annual event that provides the best snap-shot into what occupied the world's attention in a given year.

As it turns out it is mainly celebrities, which is not surprising really. Yet Sneak was surprised to discover that in Blighty, the fifth most searched for term on Google was 'Google'.

Aside from the dangers of destroying the internet by Googling Google, is it not a bit odd that so many people are searching for the very thing they are already using?

Sure, there must be some legitimate reasons to Google the firm itself, but Sneak suspects there's something amiss here.

What could well be happening is not-too-smart internet users are searching for Google from the corner search boxes provided on browsers such as Firefox, not realising that it is Google.

What is worse, though, is that the world's most popular sites are the most popular searches too, including Facebook in number one, YouTube in two, the BBC in six and Amazon in seven, which is odd if you think about.

All of these sites have some of the most recognisable URLs on the planet and it is highly likely that most people will have the address stored in their URL search bar on their browsers and so could just go there direct with a few keystrokes.

Or, better yet, use the handy bookmarks tool bar function (best served in Firefox) to create a nifty list of your favourite sites so you don't have to clog up what would be an otherwise interesting list with searches that make the UK look like a nation of morons.

15 Dec 2011