After reading this post about Google’s “suggest” feature, I was inspired to do a little experimentation of my own. What I found was very intriguing.
You are probably already familiar with Google’s suggest feature. As you type anything into Google’s search box, it automatically suggests completions based on the most popularly searched phrases. For example, type in “how to”, and Google will helpfully suggest “how to tie a tie“, and “how to kiss“. Clearly there are a lot of men who need to know how to impress their date!
Instead of questions, however, I wondered what would happen if I started typing in numbers? So I started with “1″ and just kept going. Try it yourself, but be aware that there is often a big difference between just the number (i.e. “1″) and the number with a space after it (i.e. “1 “). Be sure to do them both as you go along.
What I found interesting is that somewhere between the number “4″ and the number “11″, the phrase “X weeks pregnant” begins to show up every time. By number “13″ or “14″ that phrase is near the top and stays there until you hit “41″, especially when you insert a space after the number. Around the number “26″ you start seeing other issues concerning pregnancy, such as “weight gain”, and “what to expect”, or “fetal pictures”. This is a fascinating insight into what concerns women when they are pregnant. The closer you get to “40″ you can almost sense the desperation set in, it’s surreal.
I haven’t systematically worked through the 3 digit numbers, but I didn’t immediately discern any trends between 42 and 100. Most of the 3 and 4 digit numbers appeared to be address searches, and of course, 5 digit numbers tended to be zip code inquires.
The address results are interesting. Why are some addresses searched enough to make it on this list? Try “3837″ for example. For me it returned addresses from California, Texas, and Illinois. What is so interesting about “3837 bayview circle concord ca”? Google maps doesn’t list any businesses near that address. In fact, it’s a relatively normal looking house; you can see it on street view. Who lives here, and why is he so interesting?
Have you found any strange numerological insights or quandaries in Google’s “suggest” feature? Let me know in the comments
Isn’t that address near Google HQ?