Is Google Dead In The Water?
June 15th, 2010
Lately there seems to be a load of gurus and eBooks announcing the death of Google and trumpeting the advantages of Social Media traffic. I received three emails from one "guru" in the last 2 days on the subject and while I agree that the amount of visitors to sites like Facebook is staggering, and while this traffic presents opportunities to promote my home business, I'm in no hurry to abandon my Search Engine Marketing strategies. As for Pay Per Click, well, I don't do it on Google anymore, and i tried buy CarboXactin online it on Facebook and I'm seriously underwhelmed.
Let's get one thing straight.
There is an enormous difference between traffic and targeted traffic.
Search engine traffic is laser targeted traffic, in as much as somebody looking for a specific answer to a specific problem has gone looking for that answer on a search engine (eighty percent of the time they use Google). Facebook traffic (or Twitter, or My space or whatever the flavor of the day is) is another beast entirely.
People use sites like these to socialize, and connect. They're not looking for answers they're looking to relax. All my kids use Facebook extensively and if you examine what they're using it for, unless you have a product or service aimed at young adults/teenagers and you're prepared to pay for Facebook advertising, it beats me how you could possibly launch an advertising campaign that would deliver a reasonable return on Investment.
There is an argument used by network marketers that says sites like Facebook are great networking tools and I agree that they, but here's the rub. Online networking is a skill that has to be learned and polished and it's very labor intensive, free cialis whereas SEO is a skill that has to be learned and polished, but once mastered guarantees regular traffic.
Perhaps Alex Goad in his eBook Affiliate Payload hit upon the best use of Facebook which involved the combination of CPA offers and the Facebook games that are so popular and it is something that I have on a long list of nice to try ideas.
The bottom line is this – Social networking sites are very popular and have loads of traffic,whereas Google is a hugely popular search engine that people go to when they want to "look something up on the Internet" Social Media sites can't provide that service.
All of my planned marketing campaigns now start with my Search Engine strategy. Everything else is an add on.
Reports of Google's impending demise are grossly exaggerated…..
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Mark,
I agree with your post completely, I get numerous emails hyping their so called expertise in monetizing social network sites, just because Facebook has millions of users does not mean they want to see ads while doing their thing. I cannot for the life of me understand how someone can think that Google is dead, they are the king of ads.
Jon
I agree. Find a product that helps alleviate boredom, and you can probably do very well with Facebook.
Social sites are not search engines. I also read about setting up a gaming site and starting a fan page based on that, but I am just too darn lazy to do something like that. I'll take SEO any day over Facebook, although I do enjoy Facebook when I am ……bored.
I think this would be under the 'say anything' type category I believe. It might also be under the 'say anything long enough and people might start to believe it' category also. People got all excited when Apple was deemed to have more money than Microsoft, but Windows in on far more computers than Mac OS. In some of my old down home venacular; 'Just because it quacks don't make it a duck'.
Anyway, seriously – this is probably the pre-launch hype for the 'next big thing' that will revolutionize Internet marketing as we know it. If there is no problem you will have to make a problem to solve. "I can't get Google to work for me, so I am glad it is dying – what new is there?". Another mutli-million dollar launch! Then again it never ceases to amaze me that everyday I see products with figures in plain site that if you do the math – you will make $13 a month for a $30 a month payment. I think that this will prove PT Barnum right!
Mark:
June 15th, 2010 at 4:51pm Yokohama, Japan
Absolutely excellent, right on the money article!
The Q is: Will it stay this way as it is now and my gut says that the new semantic Open Graph will change the game and make Facebook ads increasingly workable/convertible.
Thank you!
HAL http://www.twitter.com/make_your_move
That’s the million dollar question Hal – my feeling is that facebook will improve their advertising model, but watch for Google to hit back in the Social media stakes. Facebook actually do register a blip on Google’s radar, so you can bet that they’ve drawn up plans to at least neutralize whatever threat Facebook are to their revenue streams.
You’re absolutely right Albert – there is no doubt that there is a massive audience of disaffected marketers who can’t make Google fly for themselves. I read a great email from Perry Marshall yesterday where he said that “it’s not Google’s job to make you money” Perhaps we could all get ahead of the game and produce a book directed at disaffected Facebook marketers ina bout 6 months