ALERT: Google and Facebook are NOT Locked in Epic Battle to the Death!

Sorry for the dramatic headline, but I figured it might not hurt to use the same tactic that I’ve seen others employ with regard to my email inbox.

I guess I’m just getting a bit tired of hearing self-proclaimed gurus and experts say things like, “SEO is dead” or “Facebook KO’s Google” or anything similar. The fact that YouTube receives more searches than Google, or Facebook has more traffic than Google, doesn’t mean that Google is harmed by this or going away anytime soon.  Google actually owns YouTube, in case you didn’t already know that part.

Yes, I agree that our time online has undergone a shift from old-school surfing and searching to using the internet as a primary source of entertainment and socializing, too.  This is revolutionary and terrific, and I use these new tools as much as anyone (and probably a whole lot more, in some cases).  That being said, there is not a death knell ringing for traditional SEO efforts.

I welcome any disagreement or proof to the contrary – I have an open mind on this.  Here’s a quick question for you:  If you want to find a book, or movie times, or an address, or find out about homes in another area of the country, would you visit Facebook? If you’re halfway normal, the answer is no.  You would probably start with Google.  If you’re heavily involved in social media, you might ask your friends/followers for recommendations for a good local plumber or electrician, but if you’re in a hurry, I bet you would go to Google or another search engine for this.

My point here is to be wary of those who proclaim any prevalent technology to be dead, unless of course they’re talking about digital laser discs or 8-track tapes, neither of which will make a comeback.

If someone is going against the grain, it doesn’t always mean that they’re innovative or ahead of the curve. Sometimes, they are just trying to sell you something (“Buy my new system”, “Listen to me talk”, etc.), or they just plain don’t understand the internet very well.  I see way too many emails and pitches about video being the “next big thing”.  I’ve been hearing this every year since 2007 or so.  I promise that video is important, but it’s not even a trend anymore – it’s just plain here.

I’ve been online since 1994 or 1995, and I’ve seen a lot of changes.  I started my first website in 1998 for my business, and I started blogging in 2004.  Even though I feel like I understand this stuff pretty well, I don’t consider myself to be a full-blown expert, other than in certain specialized niches.  I am not selling anything with this post, either. 

A few thoughts I want to share with you:

• Google and Facebook really aren’t competitors at this point, and I don’t see that changing.
• Facebook, Twitter and blogging are all important and useful in your marketing mix, but don’t overlook SEO.
  
• YouTube may get a lot of searches, but most people aren’t going there to buy anything.  If you manage to get leads from your videos, I bet they found the video…..on Google’s organic search results.

The bottom line is that not everyone is as knowledgeable as he/she may indicate.  Sometimes, those who are respected as teachers and consultants for internet marketing and social media are simply those who are speaking loudest, or in the right place at the right time.

There are a bunch of people I respect in social media, people who “walk the talk” and whom I admire. I won’t even attempt to name them here, because I know that I will leave out someone important.  Many of them have written books on these subjects and they deserve their accolades.  Unfortunately, however, I’ve also seen a growing group of people who are proclaiming their importance and tech knowledge to anyone who will pay attention.

Just some food for thought.  Sorry if this one came across is negative.  I just really hate to see anyone being led astray.

Thanks for reading!

Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/span112/3682335659/

Originally posted at 210 Consulting blog.