The 2023 online landscape bloomed with an array of captivating content, reflecting the diverse interests of internet users worldwide.
Viewers and readers everywhere have taken in important and crucial news updates on ongoing global events, from the conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza to insights into imminent elections, particularly in the US and Mexico. Additionally, there’s been buzz around surprising celebrity moments (the British monarchy never fails to intrigue!) alongside the thrill of sports rivalries. This vibrant mix of topics has truly engaged audiences across the globe, fostering a rich tapestry of shared knowledge and excitement.
Now that the year is wrapping up, it’s time to drill down, category by category, into the most enthralling topics for internet audiences in some of the countries where Taboola tracks readership.
The United States
Source: AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File; AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File
News & Politics
Two names have dominated the political news pageviews in 2023: President Joe Biden, who obtained a 20% increase in pageviews from 2022, and his predecessor and would-be successor, Donald Trump, who gained a 30.1% increase in pageviews among US readers on the Taboola network. With the 2024 election on the horizon, the expected “Trump & Biden” rematch has been a popular topic.
The prevalence of “Biden & McCarthy” also indicates that many readers have been looking for news of the ousting of the House Speaker. In contrast, those who searched for “Trump & Georgia” were looking to catch up on Trump’s legal woes.
Outside of politics, Americans, much like the rest of the world, have viewed a lot of news about “Hamas, Gaza & Israel,” seeking to understand the tragic conflict in the Middle East that erupted in October. The term “Israel Hamas War” has received a 4510.9% increase in pageviews on the US Taboola network from last year.
Art & Entertainment
It was a dramatic — and often tragic — year in celebrity culture, with 28.3% of US viewers on the Taboola network showing an increase in readership of “Celebrity Gossip.” “Lisa Marie Presley & Death” was a top phrase, since Lisa Marie Presley died at 54, just months after a new biopic of her famous father had brought her family back into the spotlight. Another tragic death drove the topic “Matthew Perry, Death, and Friends,” after the former TV star succumbed, also at age 54.
A happier story attracted pageviews, too, evidenced by the popularity of “Taylor Swift & Eras Tour.” Enthusiasm for the pop star has reached a fever pitch this year, with fans of all ages packing arenas to see her marathon shows. Readership for “Taylor Swift” increased by 224.2% from 2022 to 2023.
Sports
“Sports” has been a hot topic among the Taboola network, with a 44.8% increase in pageviews from 2022. While the most popular topics in athletics are somewhat predictable, “Football,” which garnered a 51.5% increase in pageviews from 2022, “Basketball,” which saw a 66.1% increase, and “Baseball,” which received a 68.6% increase, a few other top phrases hinted at the big stories of the year:
- “Super Bowl & Patrick Mahomes”: Mahomes led the Kansas City Chiefs to a nail-biting win in Super Bowl LVII.
- “Bills, Chiefs, & Damar Hamlin”: When Buffalo Bills safety Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest on the field, fans rallied for the player’s survival, and the NFL scrambled to rearrange its schedule to account for the canceled game. In a dramatic recovery, Hamlin returned to the field for the 2023 season.
- “Rangers & MLB”: The Texas Rangers bagged their first World Series victory in franchise history, defeating the Arizona Diamondbacks in five games.
Health & Fitness
Many readers still search for omnipresent woes in this category, including “Disease” and “Covid, CDC, and Vaccine.” While “Covid 19” is still top-of-mind, the Taboola network saw a decrease in pageviews by 46.3% compared to 2022.
One hot topic indicates a major change in how we think about a major health problem: “Weight Loss & Ozempic.” As the use of prescription drugs for weight loss spread from celebrities to the general public, Oprah Winfrey and Weight Watchers made headlines by embracing their use.
Technology & Computing
Artificial intelligence has definitely been a hot topic in 2023, exemplified by the very popular search phrases “Amazon, Apple, and AI,” “Google & AI” and “AI & OpenAI.” “Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, and Twitter” also captured a lot of attention, as Musk continued making changes at Twitter — most notably, abruptly changing the service’s name to X in July.
Finance
The average reader may not have heard of “Silicon Valley Bank” before 2023. But the bank’s collapse in spring made it a household name. The popularity of the topic “Dogecoin, Bitcoin, and Ethereum,” indicates a continued fascination with cryptocurrency.
Spain
Source: Rodolfo Molina/Euroleague Basketball via Getty Images
News & Politics
One major topic in this category has been “Amnesty”: Spaniards took to the streets in protest when President Pedro Sánchez brokered an amnesty deal with Catalan separatists to stay in power. “Pedro Sánchez” saw a 398.3% increase in interest among readers in Spain.
Art & Entertainment
As always, celebrities and gossip were a hot topic for Spanish readers. Specifically, “Shakira, Clara Chía, and Piqué” was a leading topic, as viewers couldn’t get enough of the drama between Colombian performer Shakira, her ex, footballer Gerard Pique, and his current partner, Clara Chía. Clara Chía, who did not receive enough pageviews for the Taboola network to register in 2022, now takes a top spot on our leaderboard. Shakira remains untouchable, with a 150% increase in interest.
Sports
The most popular topics reveal the sports obsessions of the nation: “Football,” “Formula 1 Grand Prix” and “Women’s Football.” Specifically, fans gobbled up news about football team Real Madrid and specific race car drivers. “Barcelona FC” saw a 154% increase in pageviews from last year, while “Messi” received a 137.4% boost.
Health & Fitness
Much like Americans, Spaniards have one health topic they like to read about beyond the important but grim topics of “Illness” and “Disorders”: “Weight Loss.” In fact, “Diet and Nutrition” saw a 43.8% increase in pageviews from readers in Spain from 2022 to 2023. Also, weight loss drugs are available and gaining popularity in Spain, accounting for at least some of the reader interest in the topic.
Technology & Computing
As in much of the world outside the United States, WhatsApp is a popular way for Spaniards to communicate, and viewers take in plenty of news about what’s new with the app and how to use it best. “Amazon” and Chinese electronics maker “Xiaomi” have also attracted a lot of views. “Twitter” garnered an 18.8% increase in pageviews from last year, and “Netflix” has seen a 21.2% increase.
Finance
The Spanish economy grew in 2023, much like interest in the term “Economy,” which received 70.6% more pageviews in 2023 than in 2022. Yet, the most popular financial news topics have included “Subsidies, Scholarships, and Financial Aid.” As in most countries, “Personal Finance” can also be considered a major topic of reader interest.
Germany
News & Politics
In 2023, “Politics” emerged as a leading readership topic in Germany, experiencing a remarkable 63% increase compared to the previous year. The evergreen topics of “Government” and “Local News” have dominated readers’ attention. Under “Government,” specific stories include the Ukraine war and The Hague’s criminal arrest warrant on Russian leader Vladimir Putin, who still saw a decrease of pageviews of 57.4% among German readers. Under “Local News,” readers paid attention to stories about a huge traffic jam caused by climate activists in Hamburg, among other things.
Art & Entertainment
“The Summer House of Stars,” a reality show where celebrity couples stay together and compete to win a cash prize, was one of the most popular topics this year.
Sports
Germany loves its football (soccer), which saw a whopping 820.7% increase in interest among German readers in 2023. With this in mind, it’s no surprise to see “FC Bayern, Bundesliga” near the top of the charts regarding sports news. FC Bayern is Munich’s professional team, and the Bundesliga is the national league, sort of like German football’s equivalent of the US’ National Football League.
Health & Fitness
In 2023, mental health garnered heightened attention in Germany, experiencing a significant increase of 10%, and in Italy, interest surged by 62%.
One health story that captivated the attention of Germans was the revelation of a famous American actor’s illness, evidenced by the popularity of the topic “Bruce Willis Dementia.” While the topic has fallen in popularity rank, “Corona (Covid)” still attracted interest.
Technology & Computing
Many German consumers are apparently interested in buying a smartwatch from Samsung, as the South Korean electronics maker’s Galaxy watch was a popular search term. As in other European countries, the app WhatsApp also got a lot of attention, with “Whatsapp” seeing a 322.1% increase in readership from last year. “WhatsApp Functions” also came in as one of the top phrases.
Finance
In an increasingly unpredictable world, it’s perhaps no surprise that a popular financial topic in Germany is “Emergency Funds.” Some articles, for example, discuss how much cash it’s safe to stash at home. Another popular topic is “Bank, Credit Suisse and UBS,” indicating interest in the recent merger of the two Swiss banks.
France
Source: AP Photo/Lewis Joly, File
News & Politics
This year, France exploded with social unrest when President Emmanuel Macron lowered the retirement age. When police killed 17-year-old Nahel Merzouk during a protest, the situation became even more intense. Therefore, French internet users this year paid a lot of attention to these topics: “Retirement Reform,” “Emmanuel Macron” and “Riots, Death, and Nahel.”
Art & Entertainment
Outsiders imagine that the French have elevated tastes when it comes to the arts, and that’s partly true, despite the term “Entertainment” decreasing in French readership by 32.5% this year. “Cannes Film Festival” was one of the most popular topics in this subject area. On the other hand, the French also spared a lot of attention to a certain talk show and its host: “TPMP & Cyril Hanouna.” The talk show, whose name translates as “Don’t Touch My TV Set!” has been under fire because Hanouna has offended many viewers with his jokes.
Sports
France is not immune to the European love of football (soccer), with “PSG (Paris St. Germain) & Real Madrid,” two professional clubs, attracting quite a few eyeballs. But the diversity of the most popular sports topics in France shows that the French have room in their hearts for many sports, most notably “Tennis,” which saw an increase of 52.9% in pageviews year over year. French sports fans have also been interested in:
- “Rugby World Cup”
- “Cycling & Tour de France”
- “Automobile Racing”
Health & Fitness
One health topic in France that made worldwide headlines this year: “Bedbugs.” As glitterati descended upon Paris for Fashion Week 2023, so did the bloodsuckers. Bedbug sightings were reported in the expected spaces, like hotels, but also in the unexpected, like the Paris Metro.
Technology & Computing
Technology, rather than love, may well be the universal language, because the major topics of interest in this subject area for 2023 for France are similar to those throughout the world, including “Twitter,” which saw a 70.3% boost in pageviews on the French Taboola network. Other remarkable technology terms include:
- “iPhone 12 & Update & Smartphone”
- “Artificial Intelligence & Elon Musk”
- “Cyber Attacks”
- “WhatsApp”
Finance
Since the Ukraine war began, utility prices have been a major concern throughout Europe. Following that, “Gas Price,” referring to natural gas, has been a major topic of interest among French internet users this year.
United Kingdom
Source: Anwar Hussein/WireImage
News & Politics
A couple of national agencies dominated internet users’ interest this year:
- “DWP, Health, and Medical Conditions”: DWP is the Department for Work and Pensions, which is responsible for benefits distribution. This department featured in a lot of news items this year because Universal Credit & Personal Independence Payments increased in the face of a cost of living crisis.
- “NHS, Hospital and Nurse”: NHS is the National Health Service. A lot of the news about this agency in 2023 centered around health worker strikes which brought the health system to a near-standstill several times this year.
Art & Entertainment
“William & Kate,” “Harry & Meghan” and “Harry & William” have all been among the most-viewed topics in this category, in a dramatic year for the British monarchy. Prince Harry’s memoir, “Spare,” made quite a stir; then came the coronation of King Charles, and most recently, the publication of “Endgame”, journalist Omid Scobie’s exposé on the royal family.
While the British Royal Family consistently captures the attention of UK readers, in 2023, there has been a notable decline regarding the royals in UK readership on the Taboola network, with a 16% decrease overall. Prince Harry saw a 23% decrease from 2022, while Prince William recorded a 49% decrease compared to the previous year.
Sports
It wouldn’t be sports in Europe if the top stories didn’t involve football (soccer).
“Chelsea & Manchester United,” “Nottingham Forest” and “Liverpool & Everton,” all Premier League football clubs, are among the most attention-getting topics. Scottish football also registered, with Glasgow rivals “Celtic & Rangers,” making it to the list of most popular topics.
Health & Fitness
A new national mobile phone alert system was tested in April, making “UK Emergency Alert,” a major topic of interest. The popularity of “Health & Drinking,” “Covid,” “Bowel Cancer,” and “Breast Cancer” provides a window into some of the major health worries of the UK public, despite readership for “Covid 19” dipping 47.4% lower than last year.
Technology & Computing
Although it’s linked to the American holiday of Thanksgiving, Black Friday has become a popular shopping day in the UK as well, evidenced by the popularity of the term “Black Friday & Apple,” as Britons watched for deals from the popular tech company.
Taboola’s UK network also recorded a renewed interest in “Smartphones” and “iPhones,” both with more than a 60% increase in readership this year.
Finance
One scheme that interested quite a few UK viewers this year was the Individual Savings Account, a tax-free savings vehicle. Well-known financial journalist Martin Lewis called for the scheme to be revamped, resulting in the popular topic,”Tax, ISA, and Martin Lewis.”
Mexico
Source: Carlos Moreno/Bloomberg
News & Politics
The absolute top story in Mexican politics this year was “AMLO,” which stands for Andrés Manuel López Obrador, the country’s president. The leader, whose term ends in 2024, has fought regulation and separation of powers, and has attacked the media.
“Xóchitl Gálvez,” the name of a senator likely to run to replace Obrador, was also a hot topic. Since Gálvez and her expected opponent, Mexico City Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum, are both women, it appears very likely that Mexico will get its first woman leader next year.
Art & Entertainment
As in Spain, the drama surrounding performer Shakira and footballer Gerard Piqué drove a lot of viewers online. “Shakira” saw a 79.1% increase in interest among readers in Mexico.
Another attention-getter was “The Celebrity House,” as well as that reality show’s top star, evidenced in the hot term “Casa Famosos & Wendy Guevara.”
Sports
The rivalry between two Peruvian football (soccer) clubs caught a lot of interest in Mexico when one of them entered into the South American football tournament known as Copa Libertadores for the first time. The interest drove the term “Universitario & Alianza Lima” right to the top. Taboola also saw renewed interest in “Diego Cocca”, professional football manager, who received a monumental 381.1% increase in pageviews from 2022.
The Mexican passion for football was also evidenced in the following popular topics:
- “Football”
- “América & Liga MX” (Club América in the MX soccer league)
- “Tigres & Liga MX” (Club Tigres in the MX soccer league)
- “Real Madrid” (Spanish professional football club)
- “Alexis Vega & América” (professional Mexican soccer player who was disciplined by his team)
- “Leagues Cup & Atlas” (a soccer tournament involving teams from Major League Soccer as well as Liga MX, and the name of a Mexican professional football club)
Health & Fitness
While some concerns seem to be universal from country to country — Mexicans have viewed topics such as “Covid” and “Weight Loss” much like others — some are locally unique. For instance, the phrase “Cofepris, Dengue, and Vaccines” made the top of the charts in Mexico, but not in other countries. That’s because Mexico had a serious outbreak of dengue fever this year. Cofepris is the Federal Commission for Protection against Health Risks, which announced the availability of a vaccine for dengue.
Technology & Computing
Mexico has its own version of Black Friday, known as El Buen Fin, or “The Good End,” which also takes place in November. In connection to that sale, the topic “Screen, Price, and Samsung” was a popular one.
Mexican readers also showed an eagerness to learn more about social media apps, including “Instagram,” which saw a 129.5% increase on the Taboola network, and “TikTok,” which grew in interest by 112.4%.
Finance
In the United States, the SAT is a test that high school students take as they apply to college, but in Mexico, those three letters stand for the Servicio de Administración Tributaria, Mexico’s version of the IRS tax agency. So, the popularity of the term “SAT” for Mexican internet users means that lots of people are looking up tax information.
“Tesla” is another hot topic this year, since Elon Musk announced plans to build a plant there — but later appeared to drag his feet. Whether the Tesla plant materializes or not, the ongoing story will likely be one of the hot topics of 2024.
In 2023, global curiosity led people to publishers, hungry for captivating topics that sparked their interest. As we brace for 2024, the anticipation builds for the thrilling trends set to emerge.