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Google is dead. Where do we go now?

circusscientist.com

221–230 of 873 posts

Re: Google is dead. Where do we go now?

#221

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> and based on the anecdotal evidence of one advertiser The author admits as much.

The question is, why has this post been massively upvoted? It contains zero useful information. Just somebody struggling with AdWords and they don't know why. Not helpful. I have to assume the vast majority of upvotes are based on the title alone, assuming it's about Search? A large proportion of top level comments are about Search too. Depressing.

Things are upvoted because people feel like discussing the subject. The actual article is usually just a conversation starter, if it's read at all.

Re: Google is dead. Where do we go now?

#222
post #205

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Lol wish I could afford to "fill up Tiktok with ads"! Seriously though, I always felt like Google AdWords (we only used the search network) are the most honest way. Someone searches for what you offer and they see your ad. With these other platforms it's more about relying on the algorithm.

Your product are programmable LED pois? That does seem like a very good fit for a good video that can spread on TikTok etc on its own if some performers upload videos.

NO that's a side project - my product is my juggling/magic shows here in Durban (also good for video though). I made the poi for myself and open sourced it, now people are selling them in Brazil, and Australia. Sometimes I get a bit of cash from it but not a lot.

Re: Google is dead. Where do we go now?

#223

Google and Google Ads are not one and the same. The jump from the op's "i screwed up my google ads campaigns" to "Research shows that many young people are getting their information from short video platforms like TikTok".... i mean, c'mon

If Google Ads was cut off from Google, would they still be profitable?

Re: Google is dead. Where do we go now?

#224
post #87

Earlier quoted context omitted.

AI SEO is where the attention is going, with ChatGPT/Claude/Gemini/Google AI Overviews replacing the need for people to visit websites

It's unnatural to search an LLM for a product. It's why Alexa never became a shopping portal. Best way to get the word out about a product now is through an influencer in the space. -- Edit: Show of hands for anyone using ChatGPT to shop. Be honest. People don't even use Google to shop. They try to find something either (1) by brand name, eg. "iphone" or (2) generically by category, eg. "best cold weather tent". In t…

I used Chatgpt to compare product specs. Pretty good to get a rough idea but obviously not reliable.

Re: Google is dead. Where do we go now?

#225

Look, the 90's Internet isn't cool anymore. Sorry. Things are cool for a while and then they're not. Franchises die. It's still cool to say "The originals were really cool", and always will be, but now we're talking about now. Star Wars is uncool. There are people who sort of automatically praise it and subtly put down those who don't like they're aligned with a magnetic field, sure, but they're in their own world. I…

I don't know why people are so aggressively downvoting this. It's the honest truth. I grew up before Google, I remember when it was just a useful search tool. Then an industry grew up around exploiting it in various ways and ads became a major revenue source for Google, completely changing the platform. I witnessed this entire online marketing/ad industry come into existence. I have friends who worked in SEO for year…

>I don't know why people are so aggressively downvoting this. It's the honest truth.

There you go.

Re: Google is dead. Where do we go now?

#227
post #183

If google is dead, I sure hope they won't sell my gmail and google drive data to the highest bidder.

Google never sells your data to anyone. Why would they sell the primary data that they themselves use to determine how to show you ads? Doing so means a deep-pocketed new advertising platform can just buy data from Google and get started with competing against Google on their primary revenue source. It’s like having a goose that lays golden eggs and selling the goose. It’s corporate suicide. I’m surprised anyone on H…

Google shares your data with ad-tech companies via its real time bidding.

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2020/03/google-says-it-doesnt-...

Re: Google is dead. Where do we go now?

#228

I think the author intended the title to be, "Google Ads is dead, Where do I promote my business now?" When I hear "Google" I assume search, oof (sigh of relief). They mention running ads on tiktok or instagram but no mention of youtube ads... Also, In my own experience for my business ( also entertainment) I have found reddit ads to be useful. So my next steps would be, Reddit Ads Youtube Ads Instagram Ads Increase…

Google ads is dead precisely because their search product is dead. Ever since Google bought double click, their ads business has been their search business. They are the same product.

> their search product is dead

Do we have any evidence search volume is down?

Don't get me wrong, I'm an avid Kagi user. But I'm sceptical anyone outside tech is using anything other than Google.

Re: Google is dead. Where do we go now?

#229

I recently took someone to go and watch a hockey game. Been a little while but I personally played as a goalie myself. The person kept making the comment that she couldn't see/find the puck and it made it frustrating to watch. As a goalie, not being able to see the puck is pretty normal (especially with big bodies trying to screen you). What I told her was that what matters a lot more than where the puck is, is where…

In my anecdotal experience, it's moved to private, trust-based channels: iMessage, WhatsApp, email, face-to-face interactions. Our 30-year bender of putting our lives online and blurring the public and the private has finally ended: people don't want to be online, don't trust social media, don't really trust any media, and are living simple local lives with a small circle of friends that they get together with regula…

I'd say it was much shorter than 30 years. Facebook opened to the public in 2006, and I was surprised to learn Myspace (the first "normie" space on the Web) isn't much older. And before that your digital persona was separate from your offline persona, unless you were one of the grognards with a faculty .edu address.

Re: Google is dead. Where do we go now?

#230

Surprised to see this upvoted because the takeaway is completely incorrect, and based on the anecdotal evidence of one advertiser. As someone who spends seven figures every month on Google ads, what’s much more likely to be happening here is that the individual advertiser is either getting outcompeted or they’re executing ads poorly. Google ads revenue in the US continues to grow every quarter. And, since advertisers…

I run a small software business and I know various other people who run small software businesses. We are all pretty much agreed that that Google Ads have been less and less profitable, year or year. Most of us have now given up on PPC ads.

Agree, ran a business for years and I’ve seen the slow but steady decline of Google ads.

Ultimately I relied more on returning customer and mouth to mouth recommendations, kept lowering the Google ads budget.

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