What Google Data Reveals About What Maternity and Parenting Startups Should Focus On

• VCBeat (WeChat Official Account: vcbeat)

As Mother’s Day and Father’s Day approached this year, three Google employees—Jordan Rost, Brad Johnsmeyer, and Allison Mooney—analyzed user search habits and trends. They sought to identify what truly captures the hearts of expectant and new parents. Their report primarily drew on the following three categories of data:Google Search Trends, Google Consumer Surveys reports, and YouTube Search Trends. The final official report was published on the Think Insights with Google website.

As search experts had anticipated, many people are willing to turn to the internet to find what they are looking for. According to Google’s latest survey,Expectant and new parents use the internet at twice the rate of others.The analysis by the three aforementioned Google employees also revealed that today’s new parents are more cautious in their spending and less resistant to diapers.

Health issues remain the top concern for expectant and new parents when searching online.However, at the same time, unexpectedly,They are also concerned about their children’s future college plans. Moreover, their reliance on mobile devices far exceeds what search experts had imagined.

▷▷▷ Search Frequency—If consumers have expectations, they are likely to conduct more searches

Expectant and new parents face numerous questions, and today’s generation of parents turns to the internet for answers.

According to Google’s April consumer survey report, expectant and new parents conduct online searches twice as frequently as others. Moreover, they are more likely to use mobile phones for their online searches. Specifically,More than half (56%) of Google searches related to pregnancy issues are conducted on mobile devices.

Based on these data, we can identify certain trends:

• Expectant and new parents are 2.7 times more likely than others to use their mobile phones as their primary tool for online searches (Google Consumer Survey Report);




• Since 2013, the number of mobile searches related to infants and toddlers has increased by 25% (Google Data);




• Moreover, in the first quarter alone, 72% of searches for information related to infant development were conducted via mobile phones (Google data);

Moreover, data shows that the use of mobile devices such as smartphones is increasingly prevalent, particularly among new-generation expectant and new parents. Why is this the case? The reason may be that expectant and new parents constantly encounter various questions and concerns, and mobile devices like smartphones allow them to search for information online anytime and anywhere. They can even perform these actions with just one hand, freeing the other hand to attend to other tasks.

Therefore, this serves as a reminder that marketers should fully recognize the importance of mobile devices, such as smartphones, when conducting campaigns targeting expectant and new parents, rather than treating them merely as supplementary tools. After all, these new-generation parents are increasingly using mobile devices to search for various types of information.

In fact,This year alone, the number of views for parenting-related videos on YouTube surged by 329%.For example, online retailer Magic Beans leverages Google’s Product Listing Ads to ensure that consumers shopping for baby products on mobile devices can discover its offerings. When searching on Google Shopping, consumers can filter results by criteria such as price or retailer, while also accessing candid customer reviews of the products. In fact,52% of Magic Beans consumers browse for various products they need via convenient mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets (35% via smartphones and 17% via tablets).

▷▷▷Search Content---The New Generation of Parents Are More Conscious Consumers

Expectant and new parents search for a great deal of information online. So what exactly are they searching for? Unsurprisingly, clothing tops the list.

Expectant parents at different stages exhibit varying search behaviors. For instance, during pregnancy, the most frequently searched queries are “when to start buying clothes for the baby” and “where to buy baby clothes.” After the child is born, parents most commonly search for “how to wash” or “how to reuse” their children’s clothing.

Raising children is relatively expensive, so it is evident that new-generation parents turn to online searches for relevant information when encountering issues, aiming to ensure the highest cost-effectiveness and achieve optimal value. Based on this,To capture the attention of expectant or new parents, marketers should focus on concepts such as affordability, health, and environmental sustainability., this is a concern for expectant or new parents.

For example,Since 2007, searches for “cloth diapers” have increased significantly, with a growth rate of 218%, and the majority of these searches occur during the summer months.Relevant companies can develop and manufacture related products based on this information, as well as other products that meet the expectations of expectant or new parents.

Moreover, in addition to the obvious increase in searches for categorized content such as clothing, new-generation expectant and new parents are increasingly searching for concepts like “protection” or “value.” For instance, since 2007, searches for “renting baby/children’s strollers” have grown by 291%. This indicates that contemporary parents adhere to the principle of “saving more and wasting less” in all their actions.

▷▷▷Search Derivatives: Recent Focus Sparking Long-Term Reflection

Like expectant parents with an unborn child, they not only focus on their child’s immediate needs but also search for information on future issues they may face, such as school rankings. This represents a derivative search behavior among expectant or new parents, who, while addressing current concerns, also seek information about future challenges.Expectant parents are actively preparing for the future during pregnancy.

After the child is born, searches related to schools and similar topics decline, while those concerning dressing, feeding, or diapers increase.However, as children grow older, parents’ search queries shift back to educational issues such as schooling.

However, overall,“Health” has consistently remained a popular search term across all stages.However, the health-related content searched by expectant or new mothers varies depending on their specific stage. For instance, parents tend to focus on “weight” issues during pregnancy and immediately after birth, whereas as the child grows older, their attention shifts to concerns about “fever.”

Therefore, relevant companies can leverage this insight to promote their products. Product information can be tagged based on the search queries used by parents. The more concise and accurate the tags, the better they serve consumers. For example, The Honest Company uses Google Search Ads and YouTube to help potential customers seeking organic baby products discover their offerings. On their YouTube channel, The Honest Company emphasizes “health” and “safety,” aligning with consumer expectations. Their “An #HonestMom Commercial” has garnered over 714,000 views.

In summary, Google’s report highlights that having a child is a major life event that can significantly alter consumers’ spending habits and trends. Data further indicates that new-generation parents rely more heavily on mobile devices for online searches, place greater emphasis on cost-effectiveness, and shift their focus across different stages of pregnancy and child-rearing. Looking to tap into potential consumer markets? Pay close attention to these insights.

Compiled by Zhang Fan
Editor: Mo Renying