Wall Street Journal Dissects Popular Search Terms Using AOL Data

NEW YORK — AOL’s recent security gaffe that leaked thousands of customer search terms may have created a wave of protests from politicians and privacy advocates, but for Wall Street Journal technology reporter Lee Gomes it was fodder for a recent article that revealed what people most look for online.

Sorting through about 36 million searches generated by more than 650,000 AOL users, Gomes came to one definitive conclusion: Deals dominate the Internet.

“One thing about us Internet users: We like our music, we like our pictures, we like our sex — and we like them all free,” Gomes said, adding that the word “free,” was the most popular search word, other than prepositions and conjunctions.

As for searches for sexual content, Gomes found the term “sex” ranked high on the list alongside such popular words as “music,” “map” and “pictures.”

“The web turns out to be every bit the domain of the unbounded id we always thought it was,” Gomes said. “According to a research paper about the data prepared by an AOL-led team, porn was the third most common activity of web searchers, behind entertainment and shopping. My study showed that 14 percent of all users made some form of explicit sexual search. And sex was No. 44 on the list of greatest hits words; usually, it's around 2,500 for standard usage, such as in English-language novels.”

According to Gomes, the most popular person searched for in the data was Peter Wentz, the singer for pop group Fall Out Boy. Pamela Anderson was second, followed by Paris Hilton.

While the Wall Street Journal has made its own study, others have mined the data using more sophisticated techniques. As XBIZ reported earlier, IT firm Splunk has released its seven Internet user profiles based on the AOL data.

Copyright © 2025 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

Russian Lawmakers Call for Age Verification

Two Russian lawmakers have called on the country’s government to implement age verification for adult content.

British Documentary Spotlights XBIZ Amsterdam With Candid Conversations

British creator and host Josh Pieters traveled to XBIZ Amsterdam to film a documentary about the annual European adult industry conference.

XBIZ 2026 to Debut 'New Talent Go-See' Special Event

XBIZ 2026, North America’s premier adult industry conference, will debut a special event designed to help new talent jump-start their careers: the New Talent Go-See.

Penthouse Announces Digital Archive Launch

Penthouse Magazine has announced that it will launch a comprehensive digital archive in 2026.

Dreamcam Joins Pineapple Support as Supporter-Level Sponsor

Dreamcam has joined the ranks of over 70 adult businesses and organizations committing funds and resources to Pineapple Support.

AEBN Publishes Popular Searches by Country for August, September

AEBN has released the list of popular searches from its straight and gay theaters by country in August and September.

AV in Focus: A Guide to Unlocking Compliance With Clarity

The age verification era isn’t coming — it’s here. Laws are already on the books in numerous U.S. states, as well as in the U.K., France and beyond.

Canadian Privacy Commissioner Endorses National AV Bill

Philippe Dufresne, privacy commissioner of Canada, has voiced support for a bill that would impose fines of up to $500,000 on adult sites that do not implement age verification for Canadian viewers.

Ricky Johnson Launches 'Ricky's Resort' Through YourPaysitePartner

Ricky's Room studio honcho Ricky Johnson has launched his latest site, RickysResort.com, through YourPaysitePartner (YPP).

Industry Attorney Paul Cambria Retires After 50 Years of Practicing Law

After more than a half-century in practice, during which he provided the defense in some of the adult industry's most notable legal cases, attorney Paul Cambria has retired.

Show More