Startup ideas: what Americans search for
19,700 US searches a month, Oct 2025 to Sep 2026, 1,999 distinct searches.
How much, and which way
Searches are down on the year before (−20.7%). Without the months a review flagged as one-off spikes, the change is −23.9%. Over three years, against Oct 2022 to Sep 2023, the change is −28.7%.
When in the year
Searches run highest in January and March and lowest in June and August, from 91 to 111 against an average month of 100.
What people look for
Every search is placed in a topic tree. The largest topic, the category itself, holds 40% of searches. Most topics fell, so the share of searches matters more than the raw change: brands and stores gained 1.5 points, uses problems and occasions gained 0.9 points.
| Topic | Share of searches | vs year before | vs 3 years before | Share change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The category itself | 39.8% | −20% | −37% | +0.4 pts |
| Features and ingredients | 19.9% | −20% | −35% | +0.1 pts |
| Products and types | 18.6% | −27% | −25% | −1.5 pts |
| Uses problems and occasions | 14.1% | −16% | −3% | +0.9 pts |
| Brands and stores | 4.6% | +16% | +53% | +1.5 pts |
| Places and services | 3.0% | −45% | −36% | −1.3 pts |
The ten largest branches
| Branch | Share of searches | vs year before | vs 3 years before | Share change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low cost and small | 9.5% | −13% | −19% | +0.9 pts |
| Software apps and SaaS | 8.3% | −19% | −24% | +0.2 pts |
| Finding and generating ideas | 4.5% | −23% | −11% | −0.1 pts |
| AI and machine learning | 3.7% | −25% | +2% | −0.2 pts |
| Lists and documents | 3.6% | +21% | +95% | +1.3 pts |
| Easy and simple | 3.5% | +42% | +43% | +1.5 pts |
| New and trending | 3.0% | −50% | −68% | −1.8 pts |
| Validating and testing an idea | 2.8% | +1% | +8% | +0.6 pts |
| Reddit and Quora | 2.2% | +19% | +26% | +0.7 pts |
| Funding and pitching | 1.9% | −34% | −34% | −0.4 pts |
Searches that grew in every quarter
5 searches grew steadily: at least 50 a month, up 30% or more on the year before, up in each of the last four quarters on the same quarter a year earlier, no single month carrying the year, and not fading in the latest quarter. The 5 that added the most searches:
- low cost start up business ideas135 a month +100
- y combinator startup ideas240 a month +80
- startup idea podcast210 a month +60
- low start up cost business ideas80 a month +60
- ideas for new business start up70 a month +35
Right column: searches a month added on the year before. Lines are 3-month averages over four years.
The biggest searches
The eight largest searches of the last 12 months, with the change on the year before.
- ideas for a startup1,760 a month +5%
- startup business idea1,450 a month −39%
- business ideas to start up1,180 a month −11%
- ideas to start up your own business625 a month −24%
- start up business ideas575 a month −31%
- low startup cost business ideas440 a month −41%
- best start up business ideas330 a month +39%
- startup idea reddit315 a month +15%
How this was made
Scope, sources and rules behind the numbers
- Scope: US searches holding "startup", "start up" or "start-up" together with "idea" or "ideas", in any order.
- Volumes are Google’s rounded monthly estimates for the US. Close variants that Google counts as one are counted once, and searches about something else are left out.
- Charts of months over time are 3-month averages. The seasonal profile is drawn as it is.
- Months that a review judged to be one-off spikes stay in the data as reported. The opening change on the year before is given with and without them. Without them, it compares only the calendar months that no review flagged in either year. Every other figure is as reported.
- Source: Startup ideas search demand, October 2026 edition. Google Search Data, US, Oct 2022 to Sep 2026.
Want the full table behind this report, or the same for your topic? data@demandography.com