The link is to a UK google trends page and doesn't seem to work. Basically it peaks right at the IPO time and has tailed back to the pre-ipo trend. Wouldn't call it a decline.
The pre-ipo trend at best looks flat, but really looks like it was declining. Facebook's emergence as an investment might actually be masking a decline in searches from people who are not investors.
Yes. Google does not take into account "viral" jumps in it's prediction algorithm for long term search popularity... they just simply "extend the line". Makes perfect sense. I forgot Google was run by middle school engineers.
The link is to a UK google trends page and doesn't seem to work. Basically it peaks right at the IPO time and has tailed back to the pre-ipo trend. Wouldn't call it a decline.
http://www.google.com/trends/explore#q=facebook&cmpt=q
That appears to be the only referenced proof in the article (a google trends chart).