With a new year dawning, Atlantans turning to Google for information seem to have fitness resolutions in mind. Google Trends data indicates folks locally have been searching terms like “personal trainers near me” and for the locations of basketball and boxing gyms.
They’re also looking for “pickleball near me” and “what is pickleball.”
Interest in pickleball surged in recent years as people sought out COVID-safe activities that appealed to players of all ages. The Atlanta Lawn Tennis Association, the largest local recreational tennis league in the country, launched its first pickleball season this year, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Helena Oliviero reported. About 4,000 pickleball players signed up for ALTA’s inaugural season.
Before broadening to include pickleball, ALTA, founded in 1934, surveyed its members to gauge their reaction while assuring them that tennis remains its top focus. Less than a dozen members were opposed.
“They know they can’t stop it,” Emmy Powell, ALTA marketing director, told the AJC in July 2023. “It’s here, and it’s not going anywhere.”
A more temporary trend is driving Google searches nationwide: Wendy’s one-cent bacon cheeseburger deal. A quick Google Trends check showed more nationwide search activity for it than for terms like “gyms near me.” Still, “does Planet Fitness have a sauna” was among the most-searched queries.
Unlike the pickleball craze, though, the penny meal deal, available through Wendy’s smartphone app or online rewards program, sunsets soon. Bargain burger hunters need to act by Jan. 2.
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