The trial of music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs has dominated headlines across the United States in recent months, culminating in a high-profile verdict on July 2. To better understand how U.S. media outlets covered this landmark case and how it played out in Google’s mobile News Boxes, we analyzed the top keywords containing references to Diddy that received rankings in U.S. mobile News Boxes between June 26 and July 3 to cover the verdict on July 2 as well as any preliminary reporting. The goal: to uncover which search terms shaped the public discourse and which news publishers gained the most visibility during one of the most closely watched celebrity trials of the year. All data was gathered via the Trisolute News Dashboard, which tracks publisher visibility based on real-time news SEO data.

Let’s dive into the analysis!

Keywords that shaped the narrative

This list contains all keywords that generated rankings in U.S. mobile News Boxes in the period from June 26 to July 3 and are were thematically related to the Sean “Diddy” Combs trial and the eventual verdict on June 2. The keywords are sorted in descending order according to the number of rankings. The ranking values in brackets after the keywords represent the number of different appearances on a 15-minute basis in the visible part of the mobile News Boxes.

In total there were 38 keywords in the mobile News Boxes that could be thematically assigned to the Diddy trial and verdict from June 26 to July 3, adding up to 8,481 keyword rankings.

Interesting patterns

High Name Recognition

The keyword “diddy” dominates the search landscape with 2,856 rankings, significantly outpacing any keyword variation. It is followed by longer-tail phrases like “diddy trial” (1,347), “sean diddy combs” (1,148), and “diddy jury” (560). This demonstrates that both his stage name and full legal identity are central to how the public and media engage with the case. The high number of rankings for different permutations of his name suggests a wide-reaching interest and varied search behavior, likely driven by the high-profile nature of the trial and the public’s familiarity with Diddy as a celebrity brand.

Trial-Centric Vocabulary

Terms explicitly tied to courtroom proceedings appear with high frequency, indicating that coverage was heavily focused on the legal process itself. “trial” (132), “verdict” (142), “jury” (embedded in multiple keyword phrases), “closing arguments,” “defense,” and “prosecutors” all show consistent presence. This suggests that the media emphasized day-to-day trial events, likely offering detailed legal reporting, live coverage, and expert analysis. The 96 rankings for “diddy closing arguments” and 72 for “diddy defense” also highlight the narrative climax of the trial and the public’s heightened attention during the final courtroom stages.

Live and Real-Time Updates

Several keywords include “live updates” (e.g., “live updates sean diddy combs” with 70 rankings, “diddy live updates” with 40), pointing to a substantial demand for up-to-the-minute reporting. This pattern underscores how publishers that offered live blogs or rolling coverage of the trial likely benefited from higher visibility. Real-time content has proven to be a key driver of rankings during high-interest legal events, and this case follows that trend.

Keyword Fragmentation and Redundancy

The presence of numerous closely related but slightly different keyword constructions—such as “sean diddy combs verdict” (82), “verdict sean diddy combs trial” (28), and “verdict jury” (20)—indicates a fragmented search landscape. This fragmentation often benefits publishers who strategically optimize for multiple variants of core terms. It also reveals that readers may be searching from different angles—some seeking general news, others looking for verdict specifics, and still others tracking the jury or legal teams involved.

Who dominated the News Boxes on the Diddy verdict?

After looking at the keywords that shaped the narrative on the trial and verdict of Sean “Diddy” Combs in U.S. mobile News Boxes from June 26 to July, it’s time to examine which news publishers gained the most visibility on the topic. The screenshot below from the Trisolute News Dashboard shows the visibility trajectories of the top editorial domains based on these keywords over the course of the entire month.

Top publishers in U.S. mobile News Boxes on the Diddy verdict from June 26 to July 3

YouTube, which would have ranked fifth in terms of visibility at 6.62%, has been excluded from this publisher-specific ranking. While video coverage clearly plays a significant role in shaping public attention—especially for high-profile legal cases—the focus here is on traditional and digital news publishers, allowing for a more consistent comparison of editorial approaches. Still, the high performance of YouTube highlights the importance of multimedia strategies in News Box visibility.

1. Yahoo
   Yahoo leads the ranking with a visibility share of 14.10%. The outlet’s visibility peaked on July 3 at 23.06%, during the final phase of the trial as coverage of the verdict intensified. Yahoo secured 719 keyword rankings overall, with “diddy” (221 rankings), “sean diddy combs” (118), and “diddy trial” (114) as its most prominent keywords. The publisher’s most visible article was the live trial coverage titled “Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs trial live updates: Defense to deliver closing arguments in sex trafficking case.”
2. NBC News
   NBC News follows closely with 13.42% visibility, recording the highest single-day visibility of all outlets—30.54%—on July 3, coinciding with the announcement of the verdict. NBC appeared in 690 keyword rankings, most often for “diddy” (199), “sean diddy combs” (144), and “diddy trial” (48). Its most visible piece was “Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs verdict: Combs to stay in jail until sentencing.”
3. CNN
   CNN claims third place with 9.26% visibility. The network reached its peak on July 1 with a visibility share of 12.73%, likely driven by interest in the trial’s closing arguments and ongoing deliberations. CNN achieved 558 keyword rankings, with strong performances for “diddy” (130), “diddy jury” (100), and “sean diddy combs” (94). Its most visible article was “Live updates: Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs trial closing arguments.”
4. New York Times
   The New York Times reaches 7.27% visibility overall, with a peak of 16.23% on June 29. The paper posted 705 keyword rankings in total, with a clear emphasis on legal reporting: “diddy trial” (234 rankings) was its most common keyword, followed by “diddy” (132) and “diddy jury” (64). The most visible piece was a courtroom summary titled “What Happened in the Closing Arguments of the Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Trial.”
5. USA Today
   USA Today holds 5.80% visibility, peaking early in the observation period on June 26 at 11.64%. The outlet registered 654 keyword rankings, with “diddy” (222), “diddy trial” (185), and “sean diddy combs” (68) as the top terms. Its most visible article, “Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs, son Justin Combs hit with gang-rape lawsuit,” signals a continued interest in connected legal issues beyond the actual courtroom proceedings.
6. Fox News
   Fox News appears with a visibility share of 5.76%, peaking at 10.52% on June 26. The publisher was present in 292 keyword rankings, led by “diddy” (123), “diddy jury” (64), and “diddy trial” (34). Its most prominent article focused on defense and prosecution narratives: “Diddy defense claims he was unfairly targeted, while prosecution says rapper thought ‘he was untouchable’.”
7. New York Post
   The New York Post comes next with 4.85% visibility, peaking on June 30 at 13.45%. With 247 keyword rankings, the outlet concentrated coverage on “diddy trial” (76), “diddy” (53), and “sean diddy combs” (32). Its most visible article was “Deliberations in Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ trial hit snag as one juror apparently can’t follow judge’s instructions.”
8. E! News
   E! News secured a 4.50% visibility share, peaking on June 27 with 10.58%. The outlet earned 461 keyword rankings overall. The top terms were “diddy” (227), “sean diddy combs” (103), and “combs” (34), reflecting a clear celebrity news angle. The most visible article was “Sean “Diddy” Combs’ Son Justin Combs Accused of Orchestrating Gang Rape in New Lawsuit.”
9. AP News
   AP News rounds out the top 10 with 3.10% visibility and a peak on June 30 (7.74%). The agency recorded 610 keyword rankings, most frequently for “diddy trial” (162), “diddy” (147), and “sean diddy combs” (137). Its top article was “Jury set to begin deliberating in Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ sex trafficking trial. Here’s what to know.”

Key Takeaways for News Publishers

Want more analyses like this one? Check out these:

• The Diddy Trial: Who’s Dominating the News Boxes as the Case Unfolds?
• 2025 NBA Draft: Top Picks and Publishers in U.S. mobile News Boxes
• Trump’s Military Parade and No Kings Protests: Search Visibility Insights from U.S. News Boxes
• Coachella 2025: Insights from Past Coverage to Boost This Year’s Visibility

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