Google is not a search engine, its a measurement company. It measures attention. What is the value in doing so? Well its the future of market research, based on measurement rather than current WAG methodologies (Wild Ass Guesses), or the more pernicious Sponsored Wild Ass Guesses (SWAG).
I wrote this a little while ago:
The real value of Google goes way beyond current estimates of future earnings. Think how much companies pay for marketing information–what people like? what are people going to buy in future? which stars are influencing fashion the most? what is the next Livestrong bracelet? where is the buzz about an independent movie? B2C companies pay tons of money to firms that estimate this stuff, whereas google actually measures it. Market research companies look out.
Google’s zeigiest really does capture the spirit of the age in real time. and the company hasn’t even worked out a model for collating and charging for the kind of queries a Coke or a Sony wants to know.
Anyhoo – here is a new string to the googlebow, the urchin, which brings deep web analytics into to the search-name-buy-measure fold.
silicon beat wonders how long before people start asking the predatory pricing question. I tend to think – who cares? I mean, its not as if the fearsome DoJ will be doing anything about it…
But we should all be aware (wary?) of a possible Google future, one in which it is the primary source of attention metadata.
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