Every year for the past few years Google has been creating these “Year in Search” recap videos that are emotionally charged, a little funny, and for some reason most people on Youtube hate them. I can’t understand why, I love them! I get goosebumps when I watch them, probably because they are rehashing some of the most important events of that year, its a neat way of looking at where we’ve come from.
For a while last year I was showing the 2014 Google year in Review video and it got a great response. People would be tweeting about their goosebumps after watching. I use it to tell the story of the most important yet most overlooked part of your marketing strategy, search.
Social media will change, it always does. From MySpace to Hi5, and Facebook to Snapchat, it’s a never ending cycle. It’s hard to build a business around an ever changing platform. Do you know what doesn’t change? Search. Well I shouldn’t say “it doesn’t” change, because it does, it gets more and more valuable. As you use Google more and more it becomes easier and easier to navigate. From searching on your smartphones to voice commanded search, we love to search. It’s only getting more and more pervasive, making it easier for potential customers to find you.
Why is Google search so important?
1. It’s not decreasing in popularity like most online platforms. Most popular sites have a shelf life. They gain in popularity, they grow to their peak, and just like any growth curve, there’s a decline. The online world has made it much easier to decline after your 15 minutes of fame. Search hasn’t declined, actually quite the opposite. Some of the keyword searches we’ve tracked over the past 3 years have quadrupled in volume. Think about that, “Real Estate Regina” three years ago was getting a quarter of the searches it gets now. That’s growing at a steady rate.
2. You can measure a lot with search. Every time someone goes to your website you can see where they went, where they found your website and how long they spent on your website. If you want to learn more about measurement, make sure you have Google Analytics on your website and talk to me about it! There’s an incredible amount of information on the backend of your website.
3. It’s the easiest way to solve your problem, specially in places like Regina. Think about it, ten years ago you used to look at the phone book or ask a friend when you needed something. How archaic is that? Today, whether it’s an argument about what the Mayor makes for a salary or who to call for a boost, Google is the number one place we go.
Sure other local apps will try and compete, obviously there is a lot of advertising revenue to be made if people frequent your “phone book” to find an answer regularly. That book is now Google, dislike it if you want, but it’s the future and if you want to be relevant in the future you have to understand Google the best you can.
