Are searchers less interested in celebrity gossip than they used to be? According to Google Trends, yes.
While doing some research I was surprised to see that search interest in the keyword phrase [celebrity gossip] peaked around 2009. Despite occasional spikes it has been declining ever since:
By comparison [celebrity news] has been more consistent over the years but it has always trailed behind. However according to Google Trends it overtook [celebrity gossip] for the first time in October 2012:
In the Google AdWords Keyword Tool [celebrity gossip] still has more than twice the average volume, so the figures aren’t in sync:
However the rise and fall of overall interest in [celebrity gossip] is apparent.
It is important to note that what we’re talking about here is search volume for the actual phrase “celebrity gossip” as opposed to search activity in that topical category.
Searcher interest in all things celebrity – be it news, gossip or otherwise – is still going strong. But the majority of that activity is reflected in searches for celebrity names and more specific related queries.
As for celebrity gossip, despite the decline it is clear that it is still a priority term. In looking at seven major celebrity sites, five have the phrase in their home page title tag:
Melanie Egerton says
Hi there Adam,
People will always be searching for celebrity gossip in this odd world we live in, but as you’ve noticed the terms they search by do indeed evolve over time.
Mel
MrsGrapevine says
I’ve used both in my title and adding the word “black” or “urban” celebrity news has also helped my rank for a more niche market