Americans’ top Internet searches of 2013

(BPT) - Looking back on 2013, billions of Internet searches from around the world reveal it was a year of American songs, superhero movies, social media love, high-end designer brands, controversial sports stars, European getaways and fierce women.

Search trends, found at www.BingTrends.com, indicate what most captivated people in 2013, including celebrities, music, movies, technology, fashion, sports, travel and more.

According to Bing, the search engine from Microsoft, Beyonce, Tim Tebow, Iron Man 3, the royal baby and the Harlem Shake were among the top Internet searches that mark the most interesting people, places and moments in 2013.

Most searched people

Queen Bey not only secured her reign as the queen of pop but landed a spot as the most-searched person on Bing in 2013. Beyonce bumped Kim Kardashian out of the top spot this year, making her the second most-searched person of the year. But Kim is still the number one most-searched reality TV star with her sisters, Khloe (fifth) and Kourtney (eighth) not far behind.

Women ruled 2013. The top five most-searched people of the year were all women, and only two men made it into the top 10 - Justin Bieber (sixth) and Barack Obama (10th).

Taylor Swift also had a busy year in the public eye, which is evidenced by her jump from 10th in 2012 to fourth this year.

Falling out of the top 10 this year were Selena Gomez, Jennifer Aniston, Lindsay Lohan and Katy Perry.

More notable number ones

Most searched news story: Excitement and anticipation around the birth of the royal baby took America by storm this summer, making this the most-searched news story in 2013.

Most searched athlete: When it comes to the sports world, sometimes a little controversy goes further than actual on-field excellence, as Tim Tebow was the most-searched athlete for 2013, even though he’s no longer playing in the NFL.

Most searched sports team: American football favorite, the Dallas Cowboys, was the most-searched sports team of 2013. The Cowboys are the second-highest valued sports franchise in U.S. history (behind the third most-searched team, the New York Yankees) with an estimated value of approximately $2.1 billion.

Most searched fashion designer: The fashion industry was as competitive as ever in 2013 but fashion icon and designer Victoria Beckham took the crown.

Most searched movie: Anticipation and buzz around the final installment in the Iron Man trilogy propelled Iron Man III to the number one spot this year.

Most searched song: The money-saving ways of rapper Macklemore took America by storm, making “Thrift Shop” the most-searched song.

Most searched TV show: The Bing Bang Theory made a splash in 2013, knocking off American Idol for the top spot.

Most searched talk show: Ellen DeGeneres continues her reign for the most-searched talk show on Bing this year, with Bethanny Frankel skyrocketing to second place.

Most searched morning shows: Good Morning America may have taken over the television ratings, but the Today Show is still king in most-searched morning show.

Most searched social network: What’s on our mind, Facebook? Oh, just that our friends still “like” you the most. Facebook came in as the most-searched social media platform for the second year in a row.

Most searched streaming sites: With new original series and more viewers than ever before, Netflix was the king of entertainment. Netflix beat out Hulu and Project Free TV this year, which were second and third, respectively.

Most searched entertainment electronic: With the release of the much-anticipated Xbox One, Xbox came in as the most-searched entertainment electronic over iPhone and Android.

Most searched Internet meme: Let the beat drop, the Harlem Shake spread like wild fire, becoming the most-searched meme/viral video of 2013. In the height of its popularity, thousands of people across the nation were uploading their own viral video versions of the Harlem Shake.

These top Bing searches in 2013 provide a quick walk down memory lane. For more of this year’s online search trends, visit www.BingTrends.com.