Book Review: What Would Google Do?
Jarvis, Jeff. What would Google do?. Collins Business, 2009.
Media leader and founder of Entertainment Weekly, Jeff Jarvis, describes Google as the first post-media company. He analyzes company principles and shows how companies, organizations and people can use Google’s worldview to re-engineer their own strategy and behavior.
In business, the mass market is gone. Today’s economy is a mass of niches. Google goes to where the customers are, instead of requiring the customers to come to Google. As a network and platform, Google organizes and distributes content to an enormous market and payment is made by people and companies who want to reach that market.
For example, in the old economy, the media covered the cost of publications by charging readers and viewers. In the new economy, the publications are free — media charge advertisers for reaching the customers.
Author Jeff Jarvis recommends that every human being needs a search presence on Google. “Today, if you can’t be found in Google, you might as well not exist.” Exaggeration and hyperbole are abundant in this book. Yet the underlying ideas ring true and the conversational style makes this book an interesting read.
This title is also available in audiobook format in Ford Library.
© Reviewer: Meg Trauner & Ford Library – Fuqua School of Business.
All rights reserved.
Tags: Case studies, Company history, Marketing
September 6th, 2009 at 12:38 am
Wow! I want to read this book! I’ve been following any developments on Google since 2007. This is really an exaggerated statement though, “Today, if you can’t be found in Google, you might as well not exist.”
September 15th, 2009 at 3:43 pm
[…] What Would Google Do? by Jeff Jarvis – Control is out. Connection is in. – Also available as an audiobook. – Read the full review. […]
June 13th, 2010 at 3:09 am
I agree with Miami Seo that it is a bit of an exaggerated statement but then what we aim for is to be found on Google and are disappointed if we are not.
Also I found the statement about now the advertisers pay and the readers get free content opposed to the readers paying as in the past for say newspapers. Google has changed the way we find information.
July 15th, 2010 at 4:38 am
yes an exaggerated and true statement for all online marketers..what’s the use of your website if your readers can’t find it on google. interesting book and a must have!
December 11th, 2010 at 6:21 pm
This is my absolute passion! This book now being over one year old I wonder whether its tactics are now outdated. Regardless I am still interested history provides some hidden gems.
I completely agree with the statement “Today, if you can’t be found in Google, you might as well not exist.” The marketing medium has shifted in the 21 st century to online and to survive and thrive you must harness it as soon as possible. Thanks for introducing me to this read.