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Where search stands today
Is search still the top resource for answers to all of life’s questions?
Many people are beginning to use other, more specialized methods of finding the information that they need. They might go to Wikipedia, dictionary.com, or Amazon, depending on what exactly they’re searching for.
These individuals are in the minority however, as for most of the modern world, search is still the way to go.
It is through search engines like Google and Bing that people are finding the information they need, and perhaps much more.
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Personal or general?
One reason that a person might eschew using a search engine and go for another information gathering technique is personalization / personality. An example would be someone looking for a movie to watch; they could either go to their favorite search engine and spend some time poking around to see what’s new in theaters, what’s top rated in their favorite genre, etc. Or they could simply pick up the phone or post an update to Facebook and receive answers from friends and loved ones that are far more personal than any web search could ever be. Your best friend knows your taste in movies a lot better than Google does!
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While these personal results might sound great, there are a few reasons why someone might avoid them and go the search results route in spite of the generalized nature of the results:
- Quick results
- Variety
- Comprehensiveness
While your brother might be able to recommend his favorite horror flick, it might take him a few hours to see your social update and respond to it. Search engines are up and ready to help you find what you need 24/7, with no need to wait.
Along the same vein, a phone call to a friend might be more immediate, but it will likely lack the truly comprehensive variety that comes as a part of your average search engines results page.
Specific or broad?
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Search engines are also preferred over other information gathering methods because of the sheer amount of information available through search engines in the form of web content. If you need to know how to spell a difficult word, fund a synonym for something you’re writing, or need to know all of the US state capitals, chances are you are going to turn to your favorite search engine and not the guy next door.
If you need a more broad / vague question answered, you may want to consider consulting with someone you know ho might be able to pick up on what you’re really searching for based on what they know about you and your life. Again, while search engines are smart and growing more capable by the day, they are still no replacement for human interaction.
What does this all mean?
For your brand, this means that content creation and proper distribution and marketing are still very important.
SEO is also very important, and should not be neglected just because there is a chance that someone could search for your products in an alternative way (such as going to Amazon instead of using Google or Bing). It’s all about creating a brand that people recognize and making sure you find your target audience.
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Kris Dietz loves creating something amazing then spreading the word about it! My mission is to develop and mold SEO into an amazing outlet of sharing valuable resources. I enjoy networking and meeting like-minded individuals.