Interest in buying gold is often viewed as a barometer of fear and financial stress in the markets and world economies. Historically, analysts have used surveys, buying vs selling patterns, and interviews to gauge such interest. In this, the internet age, another tool has emerged: Google search statistics.
Google’s Search Trends feature is a fast and anonymous way to determine the level of demand for gold by examining the popularity of several different phrases, such as ‘buy gold’, to measure demand. Last month saw the fewest Google searches for “buy gold” since July of 2007 – right before the global financial crisis.