Google Year in Search Malaysia 2026: What People Looked Up

2. Google Year in Search Malaysia: Key Figures at a Glance

Quick Answer: In Google Year in Search Malaysia 2025, Gemini was the #1 trending search and the Rahmah Cash Contribution (STR) was #2 overall and #1 in news. Amira Othman led the people list, Blood Brothers led movies and Squid Game led dramas. The 2026 edition is not yet published as of October 2026.

All rankings come from Google’s Year in Search 2025 Malaysia page and the Google Malaysia blog announcement. The “aid” and “AI” counts are our own grouping. Keep in mind:

• No 2026 lists yet. The 2024 edition came out on 12 December 2024 and the 2025 edition on 8–9 December 2025, so expect 2026’s in December.
• Ranks, not numbers. Google publishes positions only, never search counts.

3. What Did Malaysians Search For Most in 2025?

Quick Answer: The Google Year in Search Malaysia 2025 top 10 was Gemini, the Rahmah Cash Contribution (STR), MyKasih, DeepSeek, E-Pembelajaran Sektor Awam, Budi95, Hailuo AI, iPhone 17, MySalam and Squid Game. Half the list is government aid or public services, and three are AI tools.

The ranks are taken directly from Google’s 2025 Malaysia list. What stands out is how practical the list is:

• Money questions lead. STR, MyKasih, Budi95 and MySalam are all aid or subsidy schemes, which points to people checking dates, eligibility and how to apply.
• AI is on the main list, not just its own. Gemini, DeepSeek and Hailuo AI all broke into the overall top 10.
• Little room for pop culture. The iPhone 17 and Squid Game were the only consumer or entertainment entries.

4. Trending vs Most Searched: How Google Builds the Lists

Quick Answer: Year in Search lists show trending searches, not the most searched terms. Google ranks the searches with the biggest rise in traffic from 1 January to 25 November 2025 compared with the same period in 2024. Generic terms that are popular every year do not make the lists.

Google explains this on its Year in Search data methodology page. That changes how a marketer should read the Google Year in Search Malaysia lists:

• A spike is not a market. A term can top the list with modest volume if it was near zero the year before. Gemini’s #1 spot likely reflects how new it still was to many people.
• Your steady keywords will never appear. Searches like “accountant near me” or “aircond service” stay level all year, so they never trend, yet they bring in most business enquiries.
• Volume needs a different tool. Check Google Keyword Planner for monthly volumes and Google Trends for seasonality.

It also helps to know how people search in the first place. Our report on how Malaysians search online covers voice, image and AI search, and our search engine market share data for Malaysia shows how dominant Google is. For the sites people actually land on, see the most visited websites in Malaysia.

5. How Did Malaysia’s Top Searches Change From 2024 to 2025?

Quick Answer: In Google Year in Search Malaysia 2024, sport ruled, with six sports events in the top 10, led by UEFA Euro 2024. In 2025 no sports event made the top 10. Government aid and public services rose from three entries to five, and AI tools rose from one entry (Character AI) to three.

The 2024 entries come from Google’s Year in Search 2024 Malaysia page, and the Google Malaysia blog noted that six of that year’s top 10 were about sport. With no Euros or Olympics in 2025, the space went to aid schemes and AI.

Big events borrow attention for a year, then hand it back. Live sport and drama also pull Malaysians to video, which our online video data for Malaysia tracks.

6. Which AI Tools Did Malaysians Search For?

Quick Answer: Gemini led Malaysia’s 2025 AI tools list, followed by DeepSeek, Hailuo AI, LMArena and ChatGPT 4.0. Gemini climbed from #3 in 2024, when Character AI was #1. Video and image generators, such as Viggle AI and Pixverse AI in 2024 and Hailuo AI and Sora in 2025, filled much of both lists.

Both lists come from Google’s 2025 and 2024 Malaysia pages. What the AI lists tell marketers:

• Assistants are everyday tools. Gemini, DeepSeek, ChatGPT and Grok all trended, so more Malaysians ask AI before they click a website. Our ChatGPT users in Malaysia statistics cover adoption.
• People are making video. Hailuo AI, Pixverse AI and Sora point to users creating short clips and visuals, not just chatting.
• “Humanize AI” trended in both years. Users want AI text that does not read like AI, a warning for any brand publishing thin, machine-written pages.

If buyers ask Gemini before they search, your content has to be the source the AI quotes. Our guide to showing up in Gemini search results explains how.

7. Why Do Aid and Money Searches Keep Trending in Malaysia?

Quick Answer: STR has been the #1 news search in Malaysia three years running, from 2023 to 2025. Money, aid and subsidy topics grew from two of the top 10 news searches in 2023 to six in both 2024 and 2025, as new schemes such as SARA, Budi95 and MySalam drew people to check eligibility.

The 2023 list is on Google’s Year in Search 2023 Malaysia page. State election results, the Putra Heights pipeline explosion and the southern Selangor floods also made the news lists, but aid schemes outnumbered them. Why the pattern keeps repeating:

• Schemes change every year. New names, phases and payment dates send people back to Google each round.
• Eligibility is confusing. People search to confirm whether they qualify, how to apply and how to check status.
• The household budget is involved. Fuel subsidies, salary revisions and aid credits all affect monthly spending directly.

8. Who and What Else Trended: People, Movies and Dramas

Quick Answer: In Google Year in Search Malaysia 2025, Amira Othman topped the people list, Blood Brothers led movies and Squid Game led dramas. A year earlier, the leaders were Ruhainies, Inside Out 2 and Queen of Tears. Local names and Korean and Chinese dramas feature strongly every year.

Both years’ lists are on Google’s Malaysia pages linked above. Note that Blood Brothers, a Malaysian action film, beat Hollywood releases to #1, and that Korean and Chinese-language dramas sat beside Malay titles. Malaysia’s audience is multilingual, and local stories win attention. Creators are one way in, as our influencer marketing statistics for Malaysia show. Audio is another, covered in our podcast listeners in Malaysia report, and our screen time data for Malaysia shows how long people spend online daily.

9. What Google Year in Search Malaysia Means for Your Marketing

Quick Answer: Use Google Year in Search Malaysia as a mood check, not a keyword list. Answer practical, money-related questions clearly, prepare for AI answers, plan around known events, check real volumes before you spend, reach people beyond Google, and keep Google Business Profile and Search ads ready for steady demand.

Here is how we turn the trending lists into action for clients:

1. Write for practical intent. Malaysians search to check prices, eligibility and steps. Pages that answer these directly are the core of our SEO services.
2. Prepare for AI answers. Structure content so AI tools can quote it, and see whether Google AI Max for Search suits your ads.
3. Plan around the calendar. Tournaments, launches and festive seasons create predictable spikes. Map them in our Malaysian marketing calendar.
4. Check volume before spending. A trending term may not convert. Start small, following our guide on how to set up Google Ads, and compare Search vs Display vs YouTube ads.
5. Reach people beyond Google. See the most used apps in Malaysia, consider TikTok Search Ads for in-app search, and note from our ad blocker usage data why organic reach still matters.
6. Keep local listings ready. Steady “near me” searches never trend but drive walk-ins, so keep your Google Business Profile in Malaysia complete.

Trending lists show change early. Our Google Ads team pairs them with real keyword volumes so budgets follow buyer demand, not headlines.

10. Conclusion

Quick Answer: The latest Google Year in Search Malaysia data, for 2025, shows a shift from sport to AI tools and government aid. Gemini led the list, STR led news for a third year, and AI tools tripled their presence in the top 10. The 2026 edition is expected in December 2026.

Malaysians use Google to sort out real problems and try new tools, and more of them now ask AI first. Content that is clear, practical and easy to quote serves both groups, and keyword data, not headlines, should decide where the budget goes. When the Google Year in Search Malaysia 2026 lists arrive in December, read them the same way.

If you want your business found for the searches that matter every day, not just the ones that trend, talk to our SEO team.

11. Frequently Asked Questions

1. When will Google Year in Search Malaysia 2026 be released?

Google has not announced a date. The 2024 edition came out on 12 December 2024 and the 2025 edition on 8–9 December 2025, so early to mid-December 2026 is likely.

2. What was the top Google search in Malaysia in 2025?

Gemini, Google’s AI assistant, was the #1 trending search in Malaysia in 2025, followed by the Rahmah Cash Contribution (STR), MyKasih and DeepSeek.

3. Is Year in Search the same as the most searched terms?

No. Google ranks the searches with the biggest rise in traffic compared with the previous year, not the highest total volume. Generic terms that are popular every year do not appear.

4. What was the top Google search in Malaysia in 2024?

UEFA Euro 2024 was the top trending search in Malaysia in 2024, followed by Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah 2024 and Pangkalan Data Utama (PADU). Six of the top 10 were sports events.

5. How can businesses use Google Year in Search Malaysia data?

Use it to understand what Malaysians care about and how they search, then plan content and campaigns around those themes. Check real keyword volumes before spending on ads, because a trending term is not always a buying audience.