Diets, Sports, Celebrities Top Search Lists

Internet searchers have had food and sports on their minds, as Lycos and Yahoo! have chronicled in their respective compilations of the weekly search terms. “Weight Watchers” weighed in at #1 on The Lycos 50 for the week ending March 27, 2004, with “Atkins Diet” following at #6 and “South Beach Diet” at #10.

Dean Tsouvalas, manager of content, Terra Lycos, comments on the rise of the dietary searches: “When we look at our search logs, we are overwhelmed by the extent of searches related to weight loss. We actually have seen a rise in the Weight Watchers searches over the past several weeks. Ironically, diet-related searches tend to rise immediately at the beginning of the year — with all the New Year’s resolutions — and then drop off by early February. But this year, diet searches have stayed high since January. Over the past two weeks, WW [Weight Watchers], Atkins and South Beach were all in the top ten. But WW started to pull away from the other two (three weeks ago), with searches steadily rising each week.”

None of the dietary terms made the Yahoo! Buzz Index for the week ending March 28, 2004, with searchers putting “NCAA Basketball” in the top position instead.

“Weight Watchers” is a relatively new entry on The Lycos 50, having spent only the last 4 consecutive weeks on the list, compared to “Atkins Diet” for 65 weeks, and “South Beach Diet” for 13. “Weight Watchers” also bounced “March Madness” from the top spot, where it dropped to #16.

“To be the #1 search term — beating out Paris Hilton, Clay Aiken and KaZaA — is a pretty big deal. WW actually generated 10 percent more search activity than Paris,” said Tsouvalas. “We don’t believe the rise in searches has anything to do with any one promotional plan WW is currently running. The reason we say this is because Web users are searching for more than 100 different queries for WW such as Weight Watcher Points, recipes, restaurant point guides etc.,” he continued.

Aside from the dietary terms, both The Lycos 50 and the Yahoo! Buzz Index heavily featured entertainment and celebrity-related searches. Women figured prominently with both lists carrying, “Britney Spears,” “Beyonce Knowles,” “Jessica Simpson,” “Paris Hilton,” “Christina Aguilera,” and “Janet Jackson.”

Found exclusively on the Yahoo! Index:

“Passion of the Christ” at #9
“Eminem” at #10
“D-12” at #11
“50 Cent” at #16
“Linkin Park,” #17
“Eamon,” #19
“My Band” at #20

Among the search terms that appeared only on the Lycos list are: “Clay Aiken” (#3); “KaZaA” (#4); “Spring Break” (#7); “Dragonball” (#9); “Brooke Burke” (#11); “Pamela Anderson” (#12); “Poker” (#13); “Lord of the Rings” (#15); “Kobe Bryant” (#17); “Easter” (#19); and “Las Vegas (#20).

Both lists featured “WWE,” “The IRS,” “American Idol,” and “NASCAR.”

Lycos 50 for the week ending March 27, 2004Current PositionSearch TermLast Week’s Position 1 Weight Watchers 4 2 Paris Hilton 2 3 Clay Aiken 3 4 KaZaA 5 5 Britney Spears 6 6 Atkins Diet 8 7 Spring Break 31 8 WWE 7 9 Dragonball 10 10 South Beach Diet 9 11 Brooke Burke 16 12 Pamela Anderson 11 13 Poker 15 14 The IRS 14 15 Lord of the Rings 24 16 March Madness 1 17 Kobe Bryant Re-entry 18 Janet Jackson 13 19 Easter 30 20 Las Vegas 17 21 Usher new 22 Taxes 23 23 Final Fantasy 18 24 Marijuana 37 25 Catherine Bosley 20 26 Baseball 25 27 Hilary Duff 21 28 The Bible 46 29 Prom Dresses 22 30 Neopets 37 31 Pokemon 35 32 SailorMoon 45 33 American Idol 42 34 NFL 26 35 Save Angel From Cancellation 19 36 Harry Potter 27 37 Stephanie McMahon 48 38 Katie Price (Jordan) new 39 Christina Aguilera 36 40 Yu-Gi-Oh! 44 41 Jennifer Lopez 29 42 NASCAR 40 43 Courtney Love 49 44 Beyonce 43 45 Anna Kournikova 32 46 Howard Stern 34 47 Tyra Banks new 48 Jessica Simpson Re-entry 49 Carmen Electra 39 50 Mars Rover Re-entry Source: Terra Lycos	Lycos 50 for the week ending March 27, 2004
Lycos 50 for the week ending March 27, 2004
Current Position	Search Term	Last Week’s Position
1	Weight Watchers	4
2	Paris Hilton	2
3	Clay Aiken	3
4	KaZaA	5
5	Britney Spears	6
6	Atkins Diet	8
7	Spring Break	31
8	WWE	7
9	Dragonball	10
10	South Beach Diet	9
11	Brooke Burke	16
12	Pamela Anderson	11
13	Poker	15
14	The IRS	14
15	Lord of the Rings	24
16	March Madness	1
17	Kobe Bryant	Re-entry
18	Janet Jackson	13
19	Easter	30
20	Las Vegas	17
21	Usher	new
22	Taxes	23
23	Final Fantasy	18
24	Marijuana	37
25	Catherine Bosley	20
26	Baseball	25
27	Hilary Duff	21
28	The Bible	46
29	Prom Dresses	22
30	Neopets	37
31	Pokemon	35
32	SailorMoon	45
33	American Idol	42
34	NFL	26
35	Save Angel From Cancellation	19
36	Harry Potter	27
37	Stephanie McMahon	48
38	Katie Price (Jordan)	new
39	Christina Aguilera	36
40	Yu-Gi-Oh!	44
41	Jennifer Lopez	29
42	NASCAR	40
43	Courtney Love	49
44	Beyonce	43
45	Anna Kournikova	32
46	Howard Stern	34
47	Tyra Banks	new
48	Jessica Simpson	Re-entry
49	Carmen Electra	39
50	Mars Rover	Re-entry
Source: Terra Lycos
The Yahoo! Buzz Index for the week ending March 28, 2004
Current Position	Search Term	Last Week’s Position
1	NCAA Basketball	2
2	Britney Spears	1
3	Usher	3
4	WWE	4
5	American Idol	8
6	Beyonce Knowles	11
7	Jessica Simpson	14
8	Internal Revenue Service	7
9	The Passion of the Christ	6
10	Eminem	9
11	D-12	–
12	Jennifer Lopez	10
13	Paris Hilton	12
14	Christina Aguilera	17
15	Janet Jackson	15
16	50 Cent	16
17	Linkin Park	13
18	NASCAR	5
19	Eamon	18
20	My Band	–
Source: Yahoo!

Check out how the search terms have changed over time:

Do Not Call Harry Potter?

Payment and Entertainment

War and Basketball

Touchdowns, Taxes, and Tragedy

Searches Mostly Entertainment-Related

Virus Becomes Most Popular

Debut of a Salesman

Dragonball Rolls Into First Place

World Cup Kicks Star Wars Out of Space

Diets, Sports, Celebrities Top Search Lists

Robyn Greenspan

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