Hooray for the long weekend! Finally, I can get to spend more time for self contemplation, for more peace and quietness. Today I am inspired by another blog post and furthermore this news article to have fun with Google Autocomplete. Get the drift?
It’s simply that Google automatically completes whatever we type into its search field. The auto-completion is based on what most people enter on the web. Whatever are they really thinking on their own privacy? So as a little experiment, I’m going to find out what the online world out there thinks about Filipinos or the Philippines in general. As I’m typing now, I have not yet started with the queries and I don’t have any expectations set. From the outbound links above, though, most results hark to the negative end of the spectrum rather than the positive. The results can be as interesting as they can be offensive at the same time. Anyway, let’s begin.
What Google Autocomplete Reveals About the Philippines and the Filipinos
I typed: Why is the Philippines
Google continued: called pearl of the orient seas
Google continued: poor
Google continued: a third world country
I typed: Why the Philippines is
Google continued: a unique nation
Google continued: a poor country
Google continued: standing still
I typed: Why do Filipinos
Google continued: speak English
Google continued: work abroad
Google continued: celebrate
I typed: Why Filipinos
Google continued: are poor
Google continued: have flat noses
Google continued: should be proud
Google continued: are great nation
I typed: Why are Filipinos
Google continued: ugly
Google continued: poor
Google continued: happy
I typed: Why Filipinos like
Google continued: foreigners
Google continued: koreanovelas
Google continued: white skin
Google continued: to sing
I typed: Why Filipinos love
Google continued: kpop
Google continued: laugh
Google continued: basketball
Google continued: to eat
I typed: Why Filipinos hate
Google continued: Indians
Google continued: Americans
Google continued: Japanese
Google continued: Koreans
I typed: Why Filipinos don’t
Google continued: speak Spanish
Google continued: love their country
Google continued: look Asian
I typed: Why don’t Filipinos
Google continued: speak Spanish
Google continued: use chopsticks
Google continued: use toilet paper
Mash-up of the Findings
The Philippines, also called the “Pearl of the Orient Seas,” is a unique land. The country is quite poor. In fact, it’s a third-world country, but it’s standing still as it is composed of people who are poor but happy. Destitute, they continue to live and search for hope some place else. Many work abroad to support their families and celebrate with their loved ones when they get back home.
Filipinos like eating, playing basketball, singing and laughing. They like foreigners but not the Indians and the Japanese. Ironically, they hate the Koreans but like koreanovelas and love kpop. As well, they hate the Americans but they like white skin (maybe not for others but for themselves lah!). Filipinos are Asians who don’t look like they are Asians. They speak in English (and Filipino) but not Spanish. They don’t use chopsticks and toilet paper. They have flat noses but should be proud for they are a great nation.
My Take
I think the findings are mostly true except for the “hate Indians, Japanese, Americans and Koreans” part. Filipinos may hate the Japanese and Americans because they were once colonizers of our nation. But that was many years back. We have already built solidarity and friendship with these people. How about their surge for detestation for the Koreans and the Indians? I’m also not sure. You may want to search for the explanations yourself. For now, I’m just positive that…
About Rochkirstin Santos-Sioco
Health and technology freak. Food and lifestyle blogger with a large appetite for food and travel.
This is quite an interesting way of finding about how Filipinos are perceived by others. I must try this method on my own search. I’m sure I will get interesting results as well.
Yup, Google’s autocomplete search suggestions are funny and interesting. We may not know whether these are true as they vary astronomically depending on the user’s search history over the years. Try it and post the results in your blog. We’d be interested to know what results you come out with. π You’ll surely see weird and wild Autocomplete suggestions!
This is an interesting post. I also play on typing on Google search box to know which keyword I will use on my next blog. In this manner, I know my post will be on the search recommendation by Google.
Aside from doing the keyword research the manual way, you can also use free tools to optimize your post. These apps can help you rank the “right” keywords to make your website.
These are common notions on Filipinos. Some maybe true but harsh and yet some of course are not but I agree whenever the times get tough as it always is in the Philippines, the heart of the hero shines in each Filipino.
Wow, I like what you said: “The heart of the hero shines in each Filipino.” I agree–Filipinos are brave, compassionate, committed to change, and we are a nation that can prove that a good deed can help uplift a million lives. Through our words, actions, and good deeds, we make a difference worth celebrating. π
Great! I’m getting ideas from this.. Google really knows almost everything.. π
Yup, it’s the biggest search engine we have after all. π
I find the Google autocomplete funny and at the same time disturbing? It sounds like for every question there is something, hmmm, how would I say it, not so positive. As you said, these are “what most people enter on the web.” I hope they can put a number to it to make the search quantitative. I just think it would make a good research. π
There are analytic tools available online like Google Keyword Estimator tool which can present the numbers you are looking for. Just type in whatever keywords and it will show you the competition and number of searches locally and globally. π
i believe so we filipinos speak spanish words in our everyday life. For example. Salbabida/Salvavidas is a spanish word for floaty or lifesaver. Querida > kerida means lover. Fiesta > pista. Apellido > apelyido. Actually older people counts in spanish as well uno dos tres. There’s a lot more of spanish words we use everyday that i believe my fellow filipinos dont know about that. Or because we already change how it is supposed to be pronounce so we dont’t realize it anymore. I’ve got friends from mexico back in Singapore and I really learned a lot. I love using chopsticks too though, true that we filipinos use fork&spoon and using kamay only is very nice too =) Love this post Rockristin! x0x0 =)
There are a lot of words in the Filipino dictionary that were taken from the Spanish language. Mostly because this country had been colonized by the Spaniards and these guys influenced the nation massively.
Thanks for dropping by again, Jane! π It’s Kirstin, actually, not Kristin. Haha.
i Typed You. : )
maybe sometimes words are not related. Some of the search are finding the high rank keywords.
Yeah, but it is still interesting that a lot of people are using these keywords to find out more about the fact or topic about Philippines and the Filipinos. π
What, you typed “You”? Sorry I didn’t get it, haha.
I can see the word “poor” occurring on your searches. It seems to show how we are so negatively seen by other countries. Nevertheless, I am still proud to be a Filipino citizen.
That’s great, Kim! We should not fall on negativity but stay faithful and hope for the betterment of our nation.
In addition on “Why is the Philippines” query, the auto complete gave me this as 3rd suggestion: “why is the philippines still economically poor despite its abundant and diverse natural resources”.
I think we just don’t know how to maximize these resources.
I guess, our country needs more “true leaders”.
Great take Rochkirstin! =)
I believe that we will get to that, in a matter of 5-10 years from now. π Always think positive lah!
Agree that its interesting to know these information. I just wonder what’s the basis for Google’s autocomplete? is it the most common search topics?
This is to quote how Google explained it: “As you type, autocomplete predicts and displays queries to choose from. The search queries that you see as part of autocomplete are a reflection of the search activity of all web users and the content of web pages indexed by Google. If you’re signed in to your Google Account and have Web History enabled, you might also see search queries from relevant searches that you’ve done in the past.”
Hope that answers your question.
Those are stunning facts. But I agree much about the findings specially ‘Why don’t Filipinos use toilet paper’ LOL
Haha. Why of all the facts laid you chose to agree most on that one? Don’t you also use toilet paper?
Nah, just kidding, Papa Leng. π
We can never blame google for this. The people who typed those searches are to be. Anyway, I’m so proud to be Pinoy, no matter what. π
Of course, Google is just a tool. It never can speak on its own hehe.
Interesting, how much people have searched those terms π Were you using google.com or google.com.ph? It may play a part on what results you get π
When I search, the engine automatically detects my location therefore switching it to the one with the .ph. Can you try searching through google.com? π
You can search just about any country or nationality and Google will have some auto complete. That’s how vast their data is. Everything that has been put on that search box has been stored ever since they began.
Yup, but the interesting part is that the Google Autocomplete predictions are algorithmically determined without any human intervention.
Quite interesting facts revealed by google auto complete. Lol on this but true, “Filipino’s don’t use toilet paper”.
Really? Haha because Filipinos use water noh?
hate is such a strong word, but it something that can be taken into context.
depending on how you deliver it..
I find this curious, and ultimately fun
Im already thinkng of doing the same when I get bored at the office. hahahaha!
Yeah you can search for whatever phrases and let Google complete them. π
Yay to Google autosuggests. I mean, not only it can serve something for entertainment, but for internet marketing/SEO/keyword research/PPC as well π .
You’re right at that point. I also use AdWords to know which keywords are “more demanding.”
in every google search, there’s only one positive thought and the others remains to be negative in any way we shouldn’t be affected by such since they just generalizing what is specific.. we should go, do our best for the betterment of our country! π
YES. Hooray for that high spirit! π
it’s a sad reality that search engines generalizes Philippines as a poor country.. but I guess that is a mean to truly empower us to prove why our country is still the best! π
That’s right! In other news, we may be financially poor but are rich in our natural resources and good-natured people.
Seems very interesting. I wonder if Google knew us Filipinos that well. π
Google has just opened its office in the Philippines. I wonder how that affects the Filipinos. π
I just want to mention I am newbie to weblog and really loved you’re web site. Very likely Iβm want to bookmark your website . You absolutely have tremendous well written articles. Cheers for sharing your blog.
Thanks, Rolf! Enjoy reading my posts. π