What does the global audience want to read about most? Donald Trump

Sometimes charting global trends for a living can be frustrating. At others, it tells you huge amounts about geopolitics

As SEO editor at The Independent, I spend my days studying what stories and topics the world is searching the internet for. As a result, I get to see the unvarnished reality of what people are interested in – and bored by.

This can be frustrating when serious crises such as the plight of the Rohingya in Myanmar appear to generate far less interest around the globe than events which feel more trivial. Trends on Google do, however, offer real-time insight into global events – and none more so than the extent of Donald Trump’s influence.

Compared to his much-lauded predecessor, Trump’s impact on all facets of American life, and indeed global diplomacy, has already been visibly greater. It appears people cannot separate his actions and opinions when searching for seemingly unrelated news. From US reality TV show contestants to music videos and fashion trends, he generates telltale signs of interest everywhere.