Internet users are very interested in gastronomy. The proof is in the pudding: “Food and drink” is the third most searched topic on Google. In order to adapt the SEO strategy of your food brand or culinary products, it is essential to know the search habits of the French.
To help you, here are the main keywords and food search trends on Google in France, before 2020 and since the coronavirus crisis.
Food search trends on Google before 2020
According to an article from Think with google, the healthy food trend is gaining momentum. Views of videos around health increased by 33% on Youtube between 2016 and 2017 and the English phrase ” healthy food ” gives 8.4 billion results on Google. Concerns are changing and the French are taking stock of industrialization. They now want to eat better and live better.
The search for ” healthy food ” far outstrips ” foodporn ” and the keyword ” healthy food recipe ” has increased by 140% in the last 12 months. The queries ” delivery of organic products ” and ” best organic products ” have increased by 130% and 70% respectively.
Top recipe searches on Google
Every year, the giant Google publishes the most popular search trends and queries. In 2018, traditional dishes won the most votes. At the top of the podium are the great classics of French gastronomy:
- The filet mignon
- Beef bourguignon
- Shepherd’s pie
Three typical Italian dishes are also in the top 10 with lasagna bolognese, osso-bucco and panna cotta with red fruits.
On the dessert side, the starlette cake is all the rage and takes the 6th position in the top recipes 2018. Family dishes that are easy to prepare and share are therefore very popular with the French. Salted pancakes are in 9th position.
Seasonality is in the spotlight in food queries
Cooking remains a classic theme and requests for homemade recipes are exploding. You’ve already searched for a dish on the web, right? The Google ranking of the most searched keywords shows that the dishes often correspond to a seasonality. It is precisely the frangipane cake that enters the Top 10 and gets the first place. Easter leg of lamb and sausage rougail (already present in 2018) are in second and third place respectively.
- The frangipane
- The leg of lamb for Easter
- The sausage rougail
Food searches on Google in 2020 in the age of covid
The French have never cooked as much as during the lockdown. They make the most of the free time they spend in their homes. Alone, as a couple, as a family, it is more than ever the time to exercise, to practice and to innovate to give a little fantasy and sweetness to this so particular daily life. This penchant for ” homemade ” cooking is reflected in SEO in Google searches. For inspiration, the French are searching for information on Google and the Internet, and cooking queries are exploding as of March 2020.
- In April, bread was the leading product. According to Europe 1, searches have increased by 1,000% for home-made bread, 450% for baguettes and 250% for sandwich bread. The French are attacking one of the main elements of French gastronomy. So long as we’re doing this, we might as well start with the essentials of the menu!
- Desserts and pastries are the next most popular. Pancakes, already in the Top in previous years, take third place, cookies fourth, followed by pancakes, brioche and waffles. Despite the gloomy mood, the French are still greedy. Only two savoury dishes are in the top 10, chicken and pasta.
- Cyril Lignac” also increased by 2,100% and is now in third place in the cooking and recipes category. Rather logical, because the television channel M6 proposed, during the confinement, a daily cooking show presented by the chef.
- The websites of Marmiton, cuisine AZ and Le journal des femmes have also seen a significant increase in traffic.
Consumption habits shaken up
Through a study of French people’s queries from March 30th to May 18th, Google draws SEO trends, reveals changes in behaviour and helps to understand Internet users’ needs in terms of food.
The onset of the epidemic and its uncertainty initially led to long queues in supermarkets and shortages of certain products. There is an increase in searches to see if stores are open and the French are concerned about access to basic foodstuffs. Then, the search for frozen food increases, as well as the recipes for breads and easy homemade dishes.
It is also worth noting that ” home delivery ” is making a leap, as is ” drive-through “. Some wonder if the Mac Donald’s drive-through is staying open, a search that is increasing by 700%.
After the surprise and shock of the announcement, the French began to use their free time and decided to innovate and cook at home. Since the French are not necessarily used to cooking, they are getting equipped. For example, searches on the keywords ” food processor “, ” robotic kitchen ” and ” kitchen utensils” are on the rise.
The French are also changing the way they consume and favouring direct sales and the purchase of local and seasonal products. They want to consume more locally. The query ” direct sales to producers ” is more frequently typed in, as well as ” white asparagus “, the season’s flagship product.
The trend towards more sustainable food is becoming increasingly evident. And since we are never better served than by ourselves and the good weather is here, the word ” vegetable garden ” is growing.
After having tested the simple recipes and now that they are equipped, the French need to challenge themselves and attack more complicated recipes. There was an increase in searches for ” acacia flower doughnut “, ” focaccia ” and ” tiramisu ” in the week of May 4.
After six weeks of cooking and eating, the French are starting to worry about their weight! They want to ” lose weight ” and find solutions to ” lose belly ” or start a ” gluten-free diet “, the week of April 27. The gyms continue to be closed and the French want to buy ” jump ropes “.
The kitchen is an essential part of French people’s daily lives. The study of food searches on Google reveals SEO trends that speak volumes about their needs and consumption. As an expert SEO agency, specializing in food and nutrition, Alioze will help you with your digital marketing strategy and identify the most effective keywords for your business.
Sources:
- madame.lefigaro.fr
- cuistolab.com
- emarketerz.com
- finedininglovers.com
- thinkwithgoogle.com
- lareclame.fr