(Yicai Global) Dec. 21 -- International and Chinese search giants Google Inc. and Baidu Inc. [NASDAQ:BIDU] recently unveiled their most popular searches this year.

The lists, Google's for the US and Baidu's for China, are based purely on online search data and receive no manual interference. They offer insights into the events and data that internet users in the world's two largest economies care most about.

Chinese searchers have a global vision

The five most searched keywords on Google this year were: hurricane Irma, Matt Lauer, Tom Petty, Super Bowl and Las Vegas shooting. All of them are events that took place in the US or domestic celebrities. Excluding 'bitcoin price' and 'North Korea', all the top search terms in Google's Year in Search list relate to the United States.

By contrast, the list of top searched keywords on Baidu indicates that Chinese internet users are more interested in domestic and international political events. Some of the terms in the list are related to events that happened at home, such as the Beijing Belt and Road Forum, Donald Trump's visit to China, Xiong'an New Area and the 19th National People's Congress, but they were also keen to learn about international events, including the French election, Park Geun Hye's impeachment, the Las Vegas shooting and the US' withdrawal from UNESCO.

Americans hone in on domestic firms

Four of the 10 most googled consumer electronics terms were about the iPhone and other products made by Apple Inc. [NASDAQ:AAPL]. A more diverse range of topics were on the minds of Chinese searchers, such as AlphaGo's battle against Ke Jie, 3D printed human organs, super high-speed rail testing, the discovery of gravitational waves and autonomous driving.

China loves its 'grassroots' celebrities

Entertainment is a popular subject among netizens in both countries. The most searched entertainment on the two search platforms show that US searchers care more about traditional showbiz stars, such as singers, artists and TV anchors. Whereas their Chinese counterparts are more interested in grassroots celebrities. The top 10 terms in Baidu's most searched entertainment keywords list include webcasters Feng Timo and MC Tianyou, online talk show hostess Papi Jiang and makeup blogger Zhang Dayi.

This phenomenon is closely connected with user-driven innovations in the Chinese internet industry. Ordinary people can create their own brands and attract millions of followers through webcasts, video and social media platforms.