2016 Year in Review: The Trending Keywords in .Com and .Net Domain Registrations

2016 was a year characterized by historic elections, political initiatives, technological advancements and entertainment milestones. In the past, Verisign has identified how keyword trends from popular culture and newsworthy events are reflected in .com and .net domain registrations. 2016 was no exception.

Top 10 Keywords in 2016

Here is the list of the top 10 keywords in .com and .net domain name registrations for 2016.

Keywords and Changing Politics

This year’s U.S. presidential election was one of the biggest influences in domain name keyword trends for 2016. It’s no surprise that with the keyword, “trump,” emerging as a trend in February, March, May and November, it has topped the 2016 .com list and is second on the .net list. “Donald” also made it to the top 10 on both lists. While “Hillary” was not a top keyword in any specific month this year, it was a trending keyword overall.

Looking back at other political trends this year, it wasn’t only the presidential election that influenced domain name registrations. Keywords related to other political initiatives also trended. Words like “cannabis,” “weed” and “marijuana” were top keywords during the November U.S. elections when several states legalized the use of marijuana in some form.

Internationally, America’s opening of relations with Cuba, the renaming of the Czech Republic to Czechia and the United Kingdom’s historic vote to “Brexit” may have also played a role in increasing the frequency with which these keywords were registered.

Keywords and Advancements in Technology

In the world of technology, keywords like “bot” and “drone,” as well as “driver,” “self” and “less,” may reflect increased interest in domain names associated with future opportunities in technology.

Keywords and Entertainment Events

Finally, it was no surprise after last summer’s release of the widely popular Pokemon GO app that “pokemon” was a trending keyword for 2016, especially in July.

What Trends Will 2017 Bring?

You can find out by reading Verisign’s monthly domain trends blog posts, which are published the second Tuesday of each month. Subscribe to the Verisign blog to stay up to date on the latest.

Note: This 2016 trends list was developed by examining keyword registration growth relative to the preceding year, such that those keywords with the highest percentage of registration growth are being reported on. This method is used to eliminate commonly registered keywords, such as “online” and “shop,” to provide a true look at trends. In order to be included, a keyword must experience a minimum threshold in registration growth year over year. Qualifying keywords with the highest volume of registrations are then ranked and included in the list.