Is Google Taking Over the World?

MoreVisibility - June 27, 2008

I keep hearing the comment, “Google is taking over the world”, but is there any truth to this statement? According to the latest data from Hitwise, an online competitive intelligence service, Google is “accounting for 68% of searches in the US and 87% of searches in the UK. Everyone knows Google is the search leader king of the internet. So, why would they say “Google is taking over the world?”

People could be saying this because Google is branching out by offering traditional advertising through the internet. Are you surprised? Google now offers print, radio and TV advertising via their online interface. How? The same way they do search marketing- through a bid auction.

In order to bid for space in a newspaper, an advertiser would select the typical newspaper options (size, color, run dates, section of the paper) and then they would place a bid. The newspaper evaluates your bid and then decides to accept, decline or counteroffer. Once the newspaper accepts the bid, an advertiser can upload their pdf to the Google site and have their ad placed in the paper. Are you curious about radio and TV? I thought so.

Radio and TV also work on the bid auction format, but a little bit different. For radio and TV you select the type of stations, (you can only advertise on certain cable stations for TV), the days you want them to air, the times, the amount you’re willing to pay along with a few other details, and Google will tell you how many impressions you’ll get for the amount you bid. Once you settle on the bid amount, you’ll be on your way to broadcasting your advertisement(s). Does this mean Google is taking over the world?

Not yet. They currently, don’t reach all advertising market areas, but I’m sure that will change in the future. Google is actively branching out in the traditional advertising space and encouraging businesses and marketers to link their search ads with their traditional advertising, which is definitely a plus from a cohesiveness standpoint. Businesses that advertise in the traditional advertising space and on the internet should work with their internet advertising agency to link their online marketing efforts with their offline efforts. In fact, your internet agency could do it all through Google and possibly get you a better rate. Google may not be taking over the world, but they are definitely making themselves a dominating presence in the world of advertising.