Analysis and Interpretation of Google Trends Data on Public Interest in Cosmetic Body Procedures

Abstract

Background Several online resources such as Google Trends (GT) enable plastic surgeons to track search volume trends for cosmetic procedures. Understanding these data may allow surgeons to better anticipate patients’ interests and meet their needs. Objectives The authors sought to evaluate the correlation between GT search volumes and annual surgery volumes. Methods Search terms were generated using the “related queries” feature of GT. Data were obtained for the terms breast augmentation, buttock augmentation, buttock implants, buttock lift, calf augmentation, liposuction, lower body lift, thighplasty, abdominoplasty, and brachioplasty from January 2004 to November 2017. Annual volumes for respective procedures were obtained from statistics reports of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) from 2006 to 2017 and American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) from 2004 to 2017. Correlations were evaluated applying univariate linear regression of GT data to both ASPS and ASAPS data. Results Geographical and temporal variations in search volume were detected during the study. Search volume trends that correlated significantly with both ASPS and ASAPS surgery volume trends were: “butt implants surgery” (ASPS: R2 = 0.366, P = 0.049; ASAPS: R2 = 0.380, P = 0.019); “liposuction” (ASPS: R2 = 0.690, P = 0.002; ASAPS: R2 = 0.578, P = 0.002); and “liposuction surgery” (ASPS: R2 = 0.672, P = 0.002; ASAPS: R2 = 0.476, P = 0.006). Several search terms demonstrated no significant relationships, negative correlations, or were significant with only one database. Conclusions This study characterizes GT as a convenient and informative data set for plastic surgeons to analyze patient interest in cosmetic body-sculpting procedures. GT represents a useful instrument for tailoring marketing strategies and addressing the needs of our patient population.

Google Medical Update: Why Is the Search Engine Decreasing Visibility of Health and Medical Information Websites?

“…Other topics studied using GT data are skin cancer [55], sunscreen use [56], sunburn [57], seasonality of bruxism [58], multiple sclerosis [59], cancer [60], stroke [61], HIV [62], lupus [63], norovirus [64], sepsis [65], pertussis [66], epistaxis [67], plague [68], rheumatoid arthritis [69], and prostate cancer [70]. In terms of general population behavior, research was done using GT data on pharmaceutical data [71], vaccinations [72], movement disorders [73], digital epidemiology [74], kidney stone surgery [75], foot and ankle pain [76], knee injuries [77], osteoarthritis [78], seasonality of cellulitis [79], tracking influenza epidemics using climate data [80], palliative care [81], cosmetic body procedures [82], and anesthesia [83]. GT is also used for forecasting [84], real-time surveillance [85], or prevention [86] of diseases.…”

What is the UK Public Searching for? A Correlation Analysis of Google Trends Search Terms and Cosmetic Surgery in the UK

“…It is the most widely used search engine worldwide [19]. Studies utilising GT to look at interest in cosmetic surgery have mostly been US based, and they have identified multiple search terms that demonstrate correlation between search term activity and uptake of their corresponding procedures, such as ''breast augmentation'', ''lip fillers'', and ''chin implants'' [12][13][14]18]. These studies have shown validity of the use of GT, but importantly they highlight the need for careful search term selection and reveal geographical differences in search term use.…”

“…Search term analytic data have been used extensively by many product and market research teams, as well as in politics and health care [5][6][7][8][9]. In plastic surgery, studies have been utilising search term analytic tools such as Google Trends (GT) to characterise interest in procedures, ranging from Mohs micrographic surgery to breast reconstruction [10][11][12][13][14][15]. Knowing what patients are searching for online can help plastic surgeons understand public interest, enhance patient engagement, and improve service provision.…”

Can we use Google trends to estimate the demand for plastic surgery?

“…In the field of Plastic, Aesthetic and Reconstructive Surgery, Google trends has for instance been used to detect patients' insights to the latest trends, interest in breast augmentation or cosmetic body procedures in general. [8,9] Based on a similar study from the USA by Blau et al, the aim of this study was to investigate the relative popularity of internet searches for plastic and aesthetic surgery across Austria for a 12-month period in order to compare these data to the number of plastic surgeons in each state [10]. In the present study, facts such as median income and bedoccupancy rates of Plastic, Aesthetic and Reconstructive Surgery (PARS) Departments were additionally included, to identify regional market needs for aesthetic plastic surgery procedures in every state of Austria.…”