Global Women's Forum Dubai Hosts Google Trends News Initiative Session

The Global Women’s Forum Dubai hosted Google News Initiative Teaching Fellow, Samya Ayish, who shared insights on what people are searching for on Google and the impact this has on journalism during a breakout session which took place at the Society Hub. Ayish explained to the audience how the Google News Initiative elevates and strengthens quality journalism, evolves business models to drive sustainable growth and empowers news organisations through technical innovation.

GWFD 2020, held at the Madinat Jumeirah in Dubai, UAE, under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates, and Ruler of Dubai, concluded on 17 February.

Google Trends was first introduced in 2006 and is now available globally. Ayish explained that the tool can be used to understand behaviours in searching for specific events, common words and how to write them. Additionally, she touched on discovering new stories, comparing two topics at a time and methods of exploring the most asked questions on the Google search engine itself.

Ayish explained: "We create tools and platforms that will make the lives of journalists easier and more flexible. We organise the world’s information and make it easily accessible."

Ayish emphasised the importance of searching a term and the major discrepancies it can cause with the difference of only one letter. She made use of several different examples including company names and famous actors’ names to portray the change in trends, particularly when it comes to the Arabic and English language. Ayish explained the effect it has within the region as the Arabic language does not have the entire English alphabet available for translation.

Ayish added: "These are indicators of what you should be looking at. They’re not numbers, they’re not statistics. They’re highlights and insights that give you an indication of what people are searching for in each region."

During the session, Ayish elaborated on how to use the tool and what filters may be applied based on a particular search. She also encouraged all Gmail users to take advantage of the tool as it is free, particularly those in the media and journalism industry as it can assist them for future searches, coverage and more.

Global Women’s Forum Dubai 2020 was organised by Dubai Women Establishment, which is led by Her Highness Sheikha Manal bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, President of the UAE Gender Balance Council and wife of HH Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs.

Building on its theme, ‘The Power of Influence’, Global Women’s Forum Dubai 2020 was focused on discussing how effective policies and partnerships in four key areas – Government, Economy, Society, and the Future – can further women’s positive impact for a better future.