Last month, Google and Facebook activity displayed similarities when it came to the big topics: politics and technology. Like Hot Searches – September 2014, conversation surrounded the unveiling of Apple’s latest iPhone. Other big topics included water on Mars, public figures and music.

Last month was a rollercoaster for Australian politics. On 14 September, Malcolm Turnbull challenged Tony Abbott for the leadership of the Liberal Party. Turnbull won the subsequent ballot with 54 votes to Abbott’s 44 and was sworn in as prime minister on 15 September. Meanwhile on Google, search volumes predictably skyrocketed (in the ACT especially), with a peak on 14 September.

It is a truth universally acknowledged that Facebook users love to talk about people. Well, September was no different.

The Pope was the most talked-about topic on Facebook – resonating particularly with older Australians – when he gave an unscripted speech at the Festival of Families. The murder of Gold Coast domestic violence victim Tara Brown sparked a national debate on stronger action against domestic violence in Australia. Similarly to Google, Tony Abbott caused a stir when Malcolm Turnbull swooped in to take over the Liberal leadership. And finally, Kanye West’s declaration that he was running for the American presidency in 2020 saw Australia’s men contemplate what life would be like if he were in charge of the US.

Sports fans were once again some of the most prolific searchers on Google last month, and this time the US Open was one of two targets for September. The US Open final between Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer on 13 September was when searches for this term hit a peak. The search volume dropped soon after Djokovic added the title to his string of 2015 winnings following his Australian Open and Wimbledon victories.

Life on Mars doesn’t seem so far-fetched these days. With the emergence of information that the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter discovered water on Mars, Facebook saw a jump in conversations about the red planet, particularly prevalent amongst Aussie men.

The highly anticipated release of the iPhone 6s in Australia had the tech-obsessed among us in a flurry, when Apple’s big reveal for the latest gadget was held on 9 September. Other peaks throughout the month included 12 September – the pre-order date – and, predictably, 25 September, the official release date of the phone. Searchers were also looking for the biggest bang for their buck when it comes to phone plans, as related search terms included some of Australia’s biggest phone providers: Optus, Telstra and Vodafone.

Australian women were big music fans in September, talking about an X-Factor contestant’s rendition of ‘Uptown Funk’, the moving online premiere of ‘Gurrumul’ and Paul Kelly’s cover of ‘Amazing Grace’ on the Rolling Stone Australia website.

Japan’s second win in Rugby World Cup history played out on 19 September when they beat two-time champion South Africa. Their first win since beating Zimbabwe in 1991, Japan’s Cherry Blossoms were victorious 34-32 against South Africa. The breakout related search terms included ‘Japan Rugby’, ‘RWC’ and ‘World Cup results’, and Aussies in the ACT and Western Australia were the top searchers.

Similarly to Google, Facebook users showed no signs of slowing down when it came to talking about the new iPhone 6s, including the unveiling and subsequent release date of the brand new device.

Another hot brand on Facebook was Woolworths, when they responded to a fan’s cheeky photo of himself struggling to open a packet of spaghetti with a text parody of ‘Lose Yourself’ by Eminem. Woolworths responded in the same fashion by telling the fan how to cook spaghetti to the tune of the song, earning themselves a new legion of fans in the process.

The Australian branch of everyone’s favourite original online marketplace was an unexpected contender in last month’s top rising searches, taking out the 5th spot for September. With search volume remaining fairly steady over the course of the month, South Australians were the most eager online shoppers, followed by Queenslanders and Western Australians. Somewhat unsurprisingly, ‘Gumtree AU’ was the top related search term.

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