Research on Online Attention to the Low-Altitude Economy in Shaanxi Province Based on Baidu Index

Against the background that the low-altitude economy has become a national strategic emerging industry, online attention has become a core indicator reflecting industrial development vitality and public awareness. Using Baidu Index as a measurement tool, this study adopts the keywords of "low-altitude economy", "low-altitude flight", "general aviation", and "unmanned aerial vehicle" to obtain daily search indices (PC + mobile) from January 1, 2020, to December 31, 2025. Monthly data from January 1, 2022, to December 31, 2025, are collected for 10 cities in Shaanxi Province, namely Xi’an, Baoji, Xianyang, Weinan, Yulin, Yan’an, Hanzhong, Ankang, Shangluo, and Tongchuan. Methods including spatial autocorrelation analysis, ordinary least squares (OLS), autocorrelation coefficient, and coefficient of variation are employed to quantitatively analyze the spatiotemporal evolution characteristics and influencing factors of online attention to the low-altitude economy in Shaanxi Province during 2020–2025. The results show that: 1) The temporal evolution of online attention to the low-altitude economy in Shaanxi Province presents a phased and continuous decline, with the decline rate accelerating gradually in three stages from 2020 to 2025, accompanied by a short-term periodic fluctuation of 90 days, while the annual periodicity is insignificant. Nevertheless, over the full-time scale of 2020–2025, the overall online attention to the low-altitude economy in Shaanxi Province still shows a significant upward trend. 2)In terms of spatial distribution, the Guanzhong region accounts for 65.08% of the total attention in the province. Xi’an is the only city with high attention, and the other nine cities are at the medium attention level. The inter-city coefficient of variation is 81.30%, indicating a medium difference level. Shaanxi Province generally presents a spatial pattern of "dominated by the Guanzhong region, with balanced and complementary development between northern and southern Shaanxi". 3)The global Moran’s I analysis at the provincial scale shows that there is no significant spatial correlation in online attention to the low-altitude economy among the 10 prefecture-level cities. The attention characteristics of each city are mainly affected by local economic and industrial foundations, with weak radiation and driving effects among regions. The findings of this study can provide a scientific reference for the precise communication and industrial layout of the low-altitude economy in Shaanxi Province.