

Interest in "software consulting" down by 80% since 2004 in Google Trends - Kanbab
http://www.google.com/trends/explore#q=software%20consulting%2C%20software%20consultant&cmpt=q

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wting
Interest in software consulting has not gone down 80% overall, it has gone
down 80% relative to total search volume over time.

Here's the same graph with "linux" and "news" added:
[http://www.google.com/trends/explore#q=software%20consulting...](http://www.google.com/trends/explore#q=software%20consulting%2C%20software%20consultant%2C%20linux%2C%20news&cmpt=q)

Linux has gone down over time, while a generic term like "news" has gone up. I
find it implausible that interest in Linux has decreased, but rather the
internet is being adopted by more of the general population.

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jey
That doesn't seem to be the case. Here's Google's description of the scaling
used:

    
    
      Numbers represent search volume relative to the highest 
      point on the chart, which is always 100. Hover over any 
      point to see the search volume at that time.

~~~
ewencp
What you're quoting refers to the scaling of the axis after all the values are
computed. This affects the numbers on the Y-axis, but not the shape of the
graph.

The issue wting was raising is the definition of search volume. If search
volume means "raw total number of searches", then the graph _might_ support
the OP's conclusion (if, e.g., we assume the population remained the same and
that the same set of people aren't increasing the number of times they search
for 'software consulting'). If, on the other hand, it means "fraction of all
searches containing the term", then it might not because, as wting points out,
the fraction of searches for 'software consulting' may go down due to a flood
of searches for, say, 'honey boo boo'.

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barrkel
These graphs make it hard to separate software consulting, the particular
shape of a contractual business arrangement, vs "software consulting" used as
a buzzword phrase to describe something else, e.g. outsourcing (I see large
numbers of hits in India) - and buzzwords change over time, like fashions.

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recuter
No real change when you limit to US searches since 2007:
[http://www.google.com/trends/explore#q=software%20consultant...](http://www.google.com/trends/explore#q=software%20consultant&geo=US&date=1%2F2007%2012m&cmpt=q)

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StickFigureNinj
Add app development

[http://www.google.com/trends/explore#q=software%20consulting...](http://www.google.com/trends/explore#q=software%20consulting%2C%20software%20consultant%2C%20app%20development&cmpt=q)

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arxanas
Interest in "computers" also down by 80% since 2004 in Google Trends:
[http://www.google.com/trends/explore#q=computers&cmpt=q](http://www.google.com/trends/explore#q=computers&cmpt=q)

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zinbiel
Maybe people figured out that not using generic keywords gives better results.

