Since its birth back in the good old 90’s, Google has done more than just make it possible to know the circumference of Jupiter in 30 seconds. In that amount of time, it has changed the way we think, the way we interact with one another and, inevitably, it has changed the world of marketing. Google’s past blends with its present in more ways than one, and there is a lot we can learn from the history of Google that can be applied to modern day marketing.
1) It’s changed the way we think. Google has made it harder for us to remember things now no matter how hard we try. It’s actually been proven that our brains have become trained to think of the internet when trying to remember information. Use that to your advantage! If people are recalling more information from online sources, focus more of your energy and time in those areas. Why waste money on a TV commercial that everyone will fast forward through when they’re actively seeking information online anyway?
2) It dominated mobile devices. There wasn’t always a time when it was possible to look anything up at any given moment with the touch of a button (hard to imagine how we ever got by, isn’t it?). Since 2008, Google has been the leading search engine for mobile devices. For marketers, this means focusing even more time on mobile SEO and optimizing mobile friendly websites for Google’s preferences. No matter how much you prefer Bing or Yahoo, you can’t ignore Google when it comes to mobile SEO, especially when you take Google AMP into account.
3) It reinvented communication. Between Google Docs and Gmail, digital communication is leaps and bounds ahead of what it used to be. In some ways, Gmail even changed email marketing. Remember back when you had to delete emails to make space on your hard drive? Well, Google solved that little problem yet again. Now people actually save those pesky little promotional emails because there’s no need to get rid of them. Make the most of your email marketing and don’t be afraid to be a little annoying. Comes with the territory.
4) Google rewards loyalists. Have you ever paid attention to when an article was written before you click on it? Most of us rarely do, which is why links that are several years old still rank high in a search engine. People click on links because of their high ranking without even glancing at the year, which reminds us how important it is to maintain your SEO. The longer you stick around, the better off you’ll be, so don’t get too comfy and forget to keep up the good work. Make Google proud.
Although perhaps the greatest lesson of all comes from the simple fact that Google’s success was never a guarantee. In fact, it was a bit of a gamble for several years. It wasn’t until Google’s audience had grown enough to make money from advertisements that they really began raking in the dough, and were consequently able to improve their algorithms and overall user experience. Since then, other companies have taken similar paths and spent more time on building an audience than a profit for a certain period of time.
Though this method has been more successful for some companies than others, it demonstrates the importance of focusing on the audience instead of the dollar signs. Whether you want to take the financial or inspirational moral from that story is your call to make, but no matter what, start taking notes and learn from the company that has done so much to change the world. They’ve got to be doing something right.
GTECH Designs is a Baltimore-based digital marketing agency that is committed to helping companies and business owners drive brand value through digital channels. We do this by uniting your brand with creative concepts and marketing. The result? Better ROI. Let’s start a conversation, we don’t bite:) Give us a call on 410-775-4011 or drop us a line at [email protected]. We are also social, connect with us via :