Interest in rappers measured by their Google searches

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Google searches and the amount of searches for terms can show how interested the public is in that subject. After all, the act of Googling something is result of someone having some level of interest in that topic. The data that comes from Google searches and its statistics can give insight and different interpretation to all subjects, since there are infinite reasons someone would search for something. In this Shiny App, the interest in five rappers, including Cardi B, Drake, Kanye West, Jay Z, and 21 Savage, are explored through their Google search statistics. 

In addition to their general Google search statistics, the interest of rappers’ brand endorsements and general interest in varying US locations are also explored. 

In the first data-containing tab, Rise, the interest measured by relative Google search counts for each rapper in the last 5 years is displayed. The graph is interactive, so each search term can be isolated, and multiple terms can be selected for comparison. This graph intends to give insight on the varying levels of interest each rapper has, which illustrates, in time, when and how long each have gotten famous or successful in their careers. The five rappers were chosen based on their varying levels of success and length of careers to provide contrasting comparisons. 

In the following tabs, select endorsements are explored for each rapper, and the location in which the rappers were searched are mapped out along the US. This provides a way to gauge interest for different locations and endorsements. 

To build on the app and make it more sophisticated, with some research, the date and content of endorsements or events in the rappers’ lives’ can be incorporated into the graphs to explain spikes or lulls in the number of Google searches. For the maps, the tour locations can be correlated to searches coming from those locations.

The possible applications for marketing and level of interest in any Google search term increases. Social media and posts from public figures and celebrities can cause a spike in any level of human interaction with any subject, and this tool is a back-bones beginners project on quantifying human interest.

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