Trending Keywords and Top Searches for 2020

7-minute read

If there is one thing that I can be sure of, it’s that I and the other 4.66 billion people who were online users searched for some of the most interesting topics this year!  Google has recently released their list of the top trending searches for 2020 and I know that I’m guilty of searching for so many of those that made the top 100 list. Check out this quick snapshot of the top 5 in various categories

Keywords That Were Trending in 2020 According to Google:

But there was one trend that I particularly found very interesting and that was related searches about inclusion and inclusivity in the workplace.   Now I know what your thinking…. Inclusivity didn’t make the top 5 or even the top 20 on the list.  But with the global impact George Floyd’s murder made and the #BlackLivesMatter movement making strides this year, it makes perfect sense why the topic of diversity, equity, and inclusion would be on the rise.  Take a look at the graph below that shows the interest over time in keyword phrases like Inclusion and Accessibility from Google Trends:

There has been a steady increase in both terms throughout this year and I anticipate that it will gain even more momentum in 2021.  Why? Because more people have become aware of the inequalities that BICOP face on a regular basis.  Couple this awareness with the fact that technology had to play such a HUGE role in our lives this year due to the pandemic and it creates a brewing storm for new policies and regulations.  

Not sure what I’m referring to?  Keep reading. 

ADA Compliance

ADA Compliance isn’t something new but within the last couple of years, there has been a 300% increase in lawsuits and demand letters towards businesses who have ignored ADA compliant regulations.

What is ADA Compliance?

Great Question!  ADA stands for the Americans with Disabilities Act. It was established in 1990 in order to address the need for physical accommodation in a public space. It was instituted in an effort to end the discrimination of people with disabilities.  Drawing from the Civil Rights Act of 1964 which protected employees against discrimination based on race, religion, sex, religion, or national origin, the ADA took it a step further by requiring organizations and businesses to provide fitting accommodations to employees with disabilities.  ADA never really addressed online compliance until around 2008 when the question of pubic accommodations was tested in the courts.  It soon became gray area with no specific coverage under the law, so it fell to the courts to determine how ADA standards apply to websites.  

With the government not knowing how to apply ADA standards to the web, officials sought the guidance of an organization called the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) that specialized in web standards to create some guidelines around this.  These guidelines were only being strictly enforced on government websites but as 2020 would have it, technology played a HUGE role in keeping the world afloat while we all quarantined.  And just as the original ADA compliant regulations drew from The Civil Rights Act movement of 1964, ADA compliance, Digital Inclusivity, and web accessibility will further extend the need to accommodate for all people that may have difficulty navigating the web. 

Digital Inclusivity: A New Trend in 2021

Now that 2020 is finally coming to a close and everyone is looking forward to what 2021 has in store, I have a strong hunch that digital inclusivity will become a major trend and businesses will be striving to achieve digital footprints that are accessible to everyone.  My team and I have exciting collaborations in the works in regards to digital inclusivity and the digital media optimization (DMO) of your entire online footprint that I can’t wait to share!  

Want to learn more?  Send me a note and you’ll be one of the first to know!

Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!

Virtual Hugs,