Pigment Insights - February 2025

January has already brought exciting events in the tech and digital world. We analyze the most searched words in Sweden, examine TikTok’s uncertain future in the USA, and see how the AI landscape is being shaken up by the Chinese challenger Deep Seek. Additionally, Google has made an unexpected name change in its maps, and Meta is ditching its fact-checkers in favor of user-driven “Community Notes.”

Get the latest news of the month!

Top 100 searches in Sweden – What are Swedes searching for?

Here at Pigment, we continuously analyze search data from Ahrefs, one of the world’s most reliable SEO tools, to identify what Swedes are searching for the most each month. In January, we look back at the most searched keywords from the previous year. There, we see that Aftonbladet and Expressen dominate the list, but we also find interesting trends further down.

Among the top 100 most searched words, we see that translation services have a strong presence, with “Translate” (position 3), “Google Translate” (position 6), and “Översätt” (position 8). All of which suggest searches for help with translation. It will be interesting to see if this trend declines with Swedes’ use of Chat GPT.
Other standout searches include “TV schedule” (position 24), indicating that linear TV still has a loyal audience, and “Flashback” (position 28), a forum that continues to be a central place for discussions and debates.

Read the full list here.

Bye bye TikTok, or?

TikTok’s future in the USA hangs by a thread. President Joe Biden signed a law forcing ByteDance to sell the platform to a buyer approved by the US government. At the signing, ByteDance had a year to complete the sale. ByteDance appealed the decision, and during the presidential campaign, this was a question that arose. As the deadline for TikTok approached, discussions and rumors increased about the platform being acquired by YouTuber “Mr Beast” or Elon Musk, among others. Donald Trump mentioned several times during the campaign that he could consider saving TikTok – and if he returns to the White House, the deadline could be extended.

On January 19, TikTok was shut down for its 170 million users in the USA. However, on his first day as president, Trump reopened the app and gave ByteDance an additional 75 days to complete a deal. Elon Musk has once again been mentioned as a potential buyer of the Chinese platform.

Regardless of what happens, we already see many brands expanding their social strategies. Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, and other formats are becoming increasingly important. It will be interesting to see what happens with the app in the USA and then if Europe follows suit.

Deep Seek enters and challenges the AI giants

A new AI giant has emerged on the scene – Chinese Deep Seek. The platform has quickly received high ratings in AI analyses and is described as a more comprehensive solution than, for example, OpenAI’s ChatGPT.

But success comes with questions. Microsoft is currently investigating whether Deep Seek may have used their data without permission, and it is still unclear who actually controls the platform. There are also concerns about how censored information is handled – for example, Deep Seek struggles to answer questions about the events at Tiananmen Square in 1989.

The AI landscape is changing rapidly, and we are closely following the developments. How are companies affected by new AI tools? And what opportunities exist for digital businesses?

Google does Trump’s bidding

Naming geographical locations is no easy task – especially when politics gets involved. In a controversial change, Google Maps has renamed the Gulf of Mexico to the “American Gulf,” following pressure from Donald Trump.

Trump has long pushed for the name change, and now Google seems to have taken his side. The decision has sparked strong reactions, and the debate on digital geopolitics is heating up.

We see a growing trend where digital platforms and search services are influenced by politics. How do Google and other actors balance objectivity and political pressure? This is a question that is becoming increasingly relevant for companies that rely on digital visibility.

Meta abolishes fact-checkers – Users take over

Mark Zuckerberg has announced that Meta is scrapping its third-party fact-checkers and instead introducing a user-driven system called “Community Notes” – inspired by what is used on X (formerly Twitter).

Fact-checking, introduced in 2016, has been an important part of Meta’s strategy to combat misinformation. But now Zuckerberg argues that the fact-checkers have made too many mistakes and that the platform should instead rely on users. Critics argue that this could lead to an increase in false information and propaganda.

How does this affect companies that market themselves through Meta platforms? And what does it mean for the spread of content? We analyze the developments and help our clients stay updated in a rapidly changing digital world.