Taking the top spot was Facebook, followed by BBC, YouTube, Hotmail, games, eBay, news, Google, Yahoo and Bebo.

 

Spokesperson for the company Anthony House observed that "mixed feelings" appeared prevalent regarding searches for favoured online tools, finding discounts and bargains and learning about emerging celebrities and established stars.

 

"People searched about new sensations like Lady Gaga and Susan Boyle, but they also turned to the web to learn about the deaths of Stephen Gately, Jade Goody, and Michael Jackson," he said.

 

The biggest stories of the year, judged by the fastest rising news searches over the last 12 months, were swine flu, Susan Boyle, Jade Goody, Robert Pattison, Rihanna, Michael Jackson, Google Maps, Twitter, Stephen Gately and Iran.

 

Furthermore, Google indicated which topics were the most important as far as search was concerned for the past nine years.

 

Nostradamus was the most searched term in 2001, with iPhone and iPlayer ranking first in 2007 and 2008 respectively.

 

Commenting on these results, online marketing director at Zoombits.co.uk Sam Tilston observed that "web users are becoming more lazy" and simply typing their destination websites into search engines, which is why many of the highest searches are for such specific requests.

 

Living Streams comment: Most companies have little difficulty in obtaining number 1 search position for their own name.  But fims that do could find themselves missing business when people cannot find them.