The day is September 4, 2008 and I eagerly check my Gmail account (the irony is here just wait) to see what the online world is going to deliver me. I am a little behind on my email, so it takes an hour or so for me get to the September 2nd Around the Net In Online Marketing newsletter from MediaPost, which is compiled by Ross Fadner. I want to state up front that I am in no way picking on Ross.
I start to scan the newsletter – nope, first article not of real personal interest here, and I keep going. I have to remember I had not checked the account in a few days, so if I want to get my Gmail account cleaned up and still have a productive day, I have to keep moving.
I get to the next article about Google adding YouTube to Google Apps, which is somewhat interesting. Now, I kid you not, the following is the list of articles following the Google Apps one:
- Google Adds YouTube To Google Apps
- Hulu vs. YouTube
- Google Bows New Web Browser
- Google Points Another Missile At Microsoft
- Mozilla Unworried By Partner Google’s Browser
- Google Bows Face Recognition Technology For Picasa
- Google Amasses 13,000 White Space Signatures
So, if you count all of the articles in Around the Net In Online Marketing that day, you get nine. Now, if you count all of the articles that pertain to Google, you get 8. Once the math is done, that means Google had a 89% share of articles, far better than their 70% share of searches that they are at currently.
I poke fun at this, but this shows that either A) Google had a very good day news-wise, B) Ross is paid by the Google machine, or C) or we are coming very complacent with our eagerness to explore other alternatives that are out there. I like to think the answer is B, because I would like to know that someone is making money off of Google, than it always being the other way around.
What I would like to see from our industry is the demand to report about companies outside of the box, to strive for other means to market in search, to reach for – dare I say – the Google Killer without it being a Google Killer. I wish for a universe where we all get along and the search space is shared by 4 or 5, or even 6 search engines with equal share. I hope for change…
Great post, Jeff. When you’re so entrenched in the online and search industry, it’s easy get used to industry news being fed to you; and when reading it each day, one can start to lose site of balance and out-of-the-box perspectives. MediaPost does a great job of covering the news across marketing practices and providing perspective, but you make a great point about Google coverage in general. Their coverage seemingly ehances their marketshare.
While a breath from Google seems to get coverage anywhere these days, this is a challenge for the other engines, advertisers, media buyers and us as industry professionals to step up and refresh industry news coverage with newsworthy content, ideas and innovative thinking.
What was that old saying my college marketing professor, Dr. Mary Albrect, brought up- Art imitating life imitating art? I have to wonder how much we as marketers fuel Google’s art. This is great, Jeff. I love this post!