I had to post this article below. I don’t think I have seen a better written article about the truth when it comes to people who call themselves “Social Media Experts”.
As an internet marketer I start my day by cranking up Chrome and checking out what’s new on the Google home page. This morning I was greeted by a Google Doodle that reminded me who’s the Alpha & Omega of web search.
It’s easy to lose sight of Google’s accomplishments when the media jumps at every opportunity to make the search giant look bad. A quick look (and click) on today’s Doodle and you’ll be reminded that they are top dog.
Today’s Doodle celebrates Martha Graham’s 117th birthday. It is a fantastic animation that is interesting, striking and begs to be clicked; I’m thankful for the latter since I had no idea who Martha Graham was. Google’s lovely little doodle directed me to a search engine results page (SERP) filled with links to authoritative organizations oozing with information on Martha Graham, the mother of modern dance.
Today’s doodle, and accompanying search results, not only taught me about the life of an amazing woman but also reminded me that the number one source for information online is undoubtedly Google.
A decent part of my job is to stay up to date on events concerning the major search engines. The Yahoo/Bing merger has definitely made a difference in the balance of press but Google still controls at least 70% of the search engine news market.
Since Google receives so much publicity, I’ve begun to notice a slew of negative reports about Google lately. First, there were all the Google Buzz privacy concerns, then the controversy about street view trucks gathering too much info in foreign countries, and now a military/boarder situation in Central America.
Search Engine Land reported on a story yesterday afternoon that a Nicaraguan military leader “accidentally” invaded Costa Rica and held Google Maps responsible. Nicaraguan commander, Eden Pastora, lead a group of soldiers into Costa Rican territory to perform a cleanup exercise. Although the authorized map of both countries clearly placed Pastora and his men in Costa Rica, he justified his mission on the fact that Google Maps placed his location within Nicaraguan borders.
Although this incursion is technically not Google’s responsibility, where and when are we going to draw the line? Every day billions of people trust Google to give them directions, provide them with information, connect them with friends, etc, etc. Like it or not, Google has become an international information database and they either need to accept this responsibility or move aside.
Human Beings have always used outside sources to help make decisions. Whether it is a farmer’s almanac, world atlas, Webster’s dictionary or news reporter, we rely on authorities of information to help make decisions. In the age of technological revolution Google has become this authority. I want to know when are they actually going to become a resource we can trust? Has Webster ever given you the incorrect definition of an ambiguous word? Has your Encyclopedia ever taken personal information? Has the World Atlas ever misplaced the location of international boarders?
Just something to think about for the sake of conversation, happy Friday!
Earlier this week I saw a screen shot showing a full page 'preview' to the right of the results on Google.co.uk. This really interested me as I've used plug ins in FireFox like SearchPreview to enhance my search experience. This afternoon I went to search and see this :
This is a tool I will be using every day and every time I search. Now we can all avoid those crappy squeeze and Adsense pages without clicking on them.
Note: This is not showing up on all my of searches. I am not sure what triggers it, but I'll be super happy when this rolls out to everyone.
Yes, saying Google is going to take over the world is a bit dramatic. But, think a bit outside the box and really take a look at how much we interact with Google on a daily basis, and maybe one day we might all pledge allegiance to The Google.
Google, best known for revolutionizing internet search by two graduate students in 1996, has grown to become a publicly traded power house that routinely sets the bar for new internet technology. Google enjoys 65% of all searches done on the internet per year and is usually thought of as “the one” to impress in internet marketing.
Since Google’s humble beginnings in 1996, they have expanded to offer well over one hundred different products. These products bridge a broad spectrum from email, instant messaging and analytical tools to the Nexus One, their new smart phone. In fact, Google has such an impact on the average person’s everyday life, they felt it necessary to come up with Google Dashboard, a product that allows users to see a full breakdown of all the facts Google has on them!
So, what does Google’s influence over our daily lives and the technology sector mean for internet marketing? Google has become a crutch for our industry that is hard to live without. Sixty five percent of our internet marketing efforts go to Google because of their search volume alone. AdWords is the leader in pay per click advertising (PPC), we use most of their web site analytical tools for gathering data, and we even trust them to tell us what kind of search volume our marketing efforts are providing. In short, Google has a huge impact on our industry.
So, what’s to stop them from completely taking over? The merger of the second and third biggest search engines, Bing and Yahoo is a start. Together they will share about 30% of the market, a legitimate thorn in Google’s side. They’ll also combine the web products and usability of Yahoo with the new advanced search algorithm of Bing. This merger will definitely lessen Google’s grasp on internet search and marketing, but will Bing and Yahoo have the technology, products, and performance to give Google a real run for their money?
Only time will tell, what do you think?
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