When the time comes to buy a car, you do your research. You ask friends. You question colleagues. When you’re stopped at a red light, you scan the vehicles around you seeing what your options are. And don’t forget about online data. Google gets a workout as you research makes, models, miles per gallon, safety ratings.

In fact, if you’ve made any major purchase in the last few years, you’ve probably devoted a lot of time to online research. But what about those smaller, everyday items? Google has released new information showing that our ever-present smartphones mean more and more of us are looking for information on things as seemingly mundane as a toothbrush.

The thing these searches have in common? A significant uptick in the number of searches that include the term best. Would you be surprised to learn that online shoppers are looking for ‘best safety ratings’ when buying a car? Probably not. But did you know that mobile searches for ‘best toothbrush’ have gone up over 100% in the last two years?*

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