Thoughts on the SEO Channel & Google too!

Okay, you may want to know first, what prompted this blog piece and to be totally honest it was the comments of an attendee at a workshop I gave yesterday down at MIPs for the Innovation Factory StartupWeekendHamilton:2 runnerup winners.

The prize that they won that we donated was to get a workshop on Online Marketing and SEO & how to use same to gain new traffic and users, and we did same in the Boardroom of the Innovation Factory here in #HamOnt.

The group that won same, was the startup that used that 3 day weekend a few weeks back to generate a brand new startup called “HoneyBadger Automation” and their own ideas on a brand new consumer device, a WiFi Thermostat that they would manufacture and sell in the retail home depot type of outlets. Not a bad idea, as they had some market penetration stats that showed that the real competitors in this CPG space were priced well above what they could provide cost wise and that they appeared to have enough varied skillsets within the group to move to the next level.

However as in life and business, the group had decided to dissolve their startup and go their own separate ways, and while I was a bit surprised that they’d not even looked into the feasibility of their market and product and that they were calling it quits I’ve been around enough to know about how startup weekends work. So not a biggie, and they all were attending to learn about Online Marketing and SEO…so I forged ahead.

Well, at least I tried – this is not a bad thing entirely, and yes I learned something too, from at least one of the attendees about what the world in general and business types think about marketing and search engines and yes, Google too.

While my workshop was to run about 2.5 hours or so, I had as usual tried to cram in as much information and strategy and tactics as I could…it’s just my own style, and if I’d have gotten the full timeline to use, we would have been…well….swell!

We didn’t and the reason why is that I got interrupted by a few of the attendees, one in particular who wanted to show the group that search engines, Google especially, are dead. No one uses them anymore he claimed. No one cares either as everyone, everything and every company that mattered was on Facebook. Period. End of discussion. Facebook is the new king.

When you’re faced with that kind of an arguement, there are of course many ways to respond….and my own method is to ask for background proof of his hypothesis. Proof, that SE’s are dead. Proof that no one uses same. Proof that Facebook is now the “king of the hill.”

And what I got back were “feelings,” “intuitions,” “gut reaction type answers,” and yup, not a single fact or stat that showed that his hypothesis was correct, even mildly on point. Not a one.

So…what do you do? IMHO, what I try to do is to educate the bearer of such thoughts to learn that there are a ton of items he’s not considered. I try to show them, via their own thinking that if they want to visit Pepsi’s own online site or their Facebook page, that’s one thing. But if they search for “soda pop” they’d get more than Pepsi coming up as web results.

Didn’t matter, it appeared. This fellow wanted me to acknowledge that FB ruled the world….because in his universe it did just that. When I futher polled the rest of the attendants, they all plainly said “nonsense” to his premise and reminded him of the value of a search where you do NOT know the web results….like looking for a new smartphone, or a close location for a pizza in a new city or well…whatever you might want to search for. Didn’t matter….the fellow was positive that Facebook was king….and search engines lay in the gutter. Such an opinion I’m positive is shared by millions…just not the millions though that can backup such a statement with facts!

The workshop of course did get back on track and I think the attendees on the whole learned lots. As is my way, I also posted an URL for them to go and get all of my materials and eBooks etc on same….and for that Idid get kudos…so thanks Honey Badger!

And the Facebook fellow? Still thinks that they’re king…..no way I can get him to reconsider his hypothesis…I just hope the next time he’s out of town, he doesn’t want a pizza, eh!