Google, the search engine powerhouse, provides billions of search results each day to satisfy inquiring minds all over the world. We have come to rely upon and trust them through search but what about for content? Would we extend our trust in them if they provided content like Yahoo or AOL? While Google has thwarted any ideas that they are becoming a content provider, we can only wonder about the launch of Google Beat.
Google Beat Launch
Google Beat, a new video series that features Anne Espiritu, was launched last week that focuses on the most popular or as Google’s Emily Wood, Editor, Google Blog Team says “highlights some of the hottest searches on Google in the U.S.” The data is pulled from , as well as some “additional sources” to give some insight into what was searched the previous week.The previous week? Really? Ok so the video is solely and exclusively search stats, right?
As you can see, there is a bit of content that has been added to the video that is providing news and not just indexing it. Ms. Espiritu discusses how the salmonella outbreak left hundreds of people sick. This is minor but is it really? If Google is only indexing searches then how did they know how many did take ill? People could have searched for “salmonella outbreak left hundreds sick” but she did not give stats for that search query. I may be taking this a bit far but the video is last week and with over 28,000 views we cannot ignore the fact that people are tuning in to see that Google has to say on Google Beat.
Google Beat, A Marketing Video
Google’s Gabriel Stricker , via the LA Times blog, described the new service as a “marketing video.” Marketing last weeks news? Marketing the Google products that we are using? Don’t get me wrong here, I like the video and look forward to seeing more of them as it is a reminder of what did happen last week. My friends say that once you hit 40, the warranty on your memory has lapsed so a reminder is welcomed. But Google is to smart for that. They are indexing pages a blink of an eye and provides real time search results but yet Google Beat is a marketing video that is a week old? Maybe I am being too harsh here but at the same time when they are launching new products, changing algorithms and ranking blogs to #1 quickly (I like that) I cannot help myself but think that there is more to this.
What do you think? Is Google entering the world of providing content and not just indexing it? Would you trust them?
