Recently, search engines have been catering to consumer queries related to World Cup fever, and soccer players have been scoring big with searchers. Now, Google data shows there is a […]

Recently, search engines have been catering to consumer queries related to World Cup fever, and soccer players have been scoring big with searchers. Now, Google data shows there is a timely connection between queries that sometimes links unlikely players.

Google’s software engineer Jeffrey D. Oldham suggests some of the connections are easy to understand, while others may be a little less intuitive. To start, a country’s players are not always connected. Google’s data reveals a strong link between Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi of Argentina. Additionally, searches for Ronaldo connect French players Thierry Henry and Yoann Gourcuff, though the teammates are less directly linked in queries.

One theory Google has developed is that popular players are well-connected beyond national ties. The search engine says this likely explains the tight links it has seen between players such as Fernando Torres of Spain, Wanye Rooney of England and Didier Drogba of the Ivory Coast.

Google’s Insight for Search offers further information about how players are pairing up in online searches around the globe. The tool reveals top related searches for all player queries, as well as interest over time and regional interests for individual players. This could make it easy for marketers to cater their keywords to specific audiences.

In addition to using Insight for Search to determine which World Cup players might make complimentary keywords, Google AdWords Keyword tool can help generate terms marketers may not have considered when planning soccer-themed SEO strategies.

Katherine Griwert is Brafton's Marketing Director. She's practiced content marketing, SEO and social marketing for over five years, and her enthusiasm for new media has even deeper roots. Katherine holds a degree in American Studies from Boston College, and her writing is featured in a number of web publications.